Thoughts on "Il Muto" and a Song
I once read a discussion about Il Muto sometime ago and it caught my interest. Mainly people seemed to wonder about the Phantom’s taste in music and if the characters were befitting to the performers…
In regards to the opera (within the musical) Il Muto is obviously based upon the Figaro plays (Le Barbier de Séville, Le Mariage de Figaro, and La Mére coupable) by Pierre Beaumarchais, mainly the middle story. In the Figaro plays, the Countess, unhappy in her marriage, has a flirtation with the youthful pageboy, Cherubin, (in the final play they consummate their relationship). During the schemes and antics of the story, Cherubin disguises himself in women’s clothing to fool the Count.
Much of this is similar to Il Muto with the one change that Cherubin is now Serafimo (note: in Mozart’s opera Le nozze di Figaro, Cherubin is called Cherubino), but this is obviously a reference to the same character as they are both variations of angel hierarchy-cherub/cherubim and seraph/seraphim. Further more, the character of Cherubin, at least when it comes to Mozart’s opera, is played by a woman (it is commonplace in operas that youthful male characters are portrayed by women, usually mezzo-sopranos, but in the case of Il Muto the character is mute therefore does not sing)
I remember several people commented that the Countess seemed to be a role unbefitting of Christine and more so for Carlotta. In all actuality, it really would be the opposite. The Countess in the Figaro plays (her name is actually Rosine) is just a teenager in the first play and probably in her early twenties at most in the second, so Christine looks her age and, because she is a vocal prodigy, is capable of singing the role as well.
I think many people find Carlotta fitting as the Countess because she interprets her poorly so we only see this outrageous, self-absorbed portrayal of the character. The Countess in the Figaro plays is actually very beautiful, compassionate, and sympathetic-yes, she is unfaithful to her husband, but the whole peril of the second play is that the Count wants to exact his authority to sleep with his valet’s wife on their wedding night and the rest of the characters are trying to thwart him, so he is rather cruel and scheming. The Phantom even says that the role of the Countess calls for “charm and appeal” citing that she is the lead, the heroine, someone we must identify and care about. So it seems that we believe Carlotta’s approach to the Countess is appropriate only because that is all we see, but the Phantom knows better because he loves the music and appreciates the quality of not only a fine voice, but fine acting.
To briefly go off tangent, it is common in opera the, as incredible as the voices may be, the opera singers and opera singers, not actors, and opera has the unfortunate reputation for being dull because the acting in not engaging-this has been gradually changing in recent years. It is also well-known for singers to perform roles that seem absurdly inappropriate: a forty year old woman playing a delicate fifteen year old, or rather unattractive, overweight singers supposedly portraying great and beautiful lovers. The reason for this is that certain roles call for certain voice types. A soprano is not simply a soprano, she is a coloratura, a spinto, a dramatic, a lyric. A coloratura is not capable of singing a dramatic’s repertoire (or vice versa) unless they want to seriously damage their voice, so voice takes precedence over all-though now looks are becoming more important-and if the singer has some acting capabilities, that’s an added bonus.
This further justifies the Phantom’s mindset to the casting of Il Muto, he desires not only a beautiful voice, but a beautiful actress to accompany the voice. Carlotta, at least not in the musical, is never said to have a bad voice. She is over-the-top and a terrible actress, but her voice is never suppose to be bad-the way she exaggerates the music with her embellishments are intentionally unbearable-so we can look in the perspective that the Phantom dislikes how Carlotta abuses music (what he holds most sacred) and that she ruins charming roles such as the Countess.
Going on that note, why would the Phantom suggest that Carlotta play Serafimo? I actually think he was not serious and merely insulting Carlotta. The whole point of Serafimo is that he is mute, therefore he does not speak, and if he does not speak the Phantom does not have to endure Carlotta’s voice. I think that the Phantom would assume that Carlotta would not perform at all rather than playing the silent role. So, to add insult to injury, not only does the Phantom demand Carlotta not sing the leading role-something she has done five seasons-but get a role so much lower that she does not utter a word. I doubt the Phantom ever wanted Carlotta performing, but he seems to have no problem with offending her… or dropping sets on her head.
So I think not only does the Phantom have an extraordinary ear for talented singing and beautiful music, but also for all the qualities that encompass an exceptional performance like acting ability, stage presence, and looks. To go slightly off tangent yet again, in the original lyrics of Music of the Night some of the lines infer that one should close one’s mind to truth and embrace fantasy, but I would think that the Phantom would consider music to be the one and only truth since through music he can express the beauty and love and wonder he wishes to share with the world but cannot because of his physical appearance. His physical appearance is not who he is and he desperately wants to convey this, and can, by his music. Music is his heart, soul, and entire being, that is what he truly is, despite the becoming increasingly twisted and violent, he still has a beautiful soul that can only be heard, since it is incapable of being seen (without a reaction of sheer horror).
While I’m at it, I found a song that reminds me of a kind of Erik to Christine… song. Its from another musical called The Mystery of Edwin Drood (I have a community dedicated to it:
mysteryofdrood) by Rupert Holmes. In the story there are two characters who have a relationship similar to Erik and Christine. John Jaspers, the choirmaster who suffers from mental illness and a habit for opium, develops a rather dark obsession for his music pupil, Rosa Bud, and writes her a song for her to sing. The song is incredibly beautiful, but when you realize (as Rosa does) that it is a rather suggestive confession of love, it kind of creeps people out. Rosa ends up fainting. Coincidentally, both these characters were originated by people who played the Phantom and Christine: Howard McGillin and Patti Cohenour. So, I bring to you the lyrics to: “Moonfall”
Between the very dead of night and day,
Upon a steely sheet of light, I'll lay
And in the moonfall, I'll give myself to you.
I'll bathe in moonfall and dress myself in dew.
Before the cloak of night reveals the morn,
Time holds its breath while it conceals the dawn
And in the moonfall, all sound is frozen still,
Yet warm against me, your skin will warm the chill of
Moonfall, I feel its fingers
Lingers the veil of nightshade
Light made from stars that all too soon fall.
Moonfall that pours from you.
Betwixt our hearts, let nothing intervene.
Between our eyes, the only sight I've seen
Is lustrous moonfall as it blinds my view,
So that soon I only see but you.
It does resemble Erik’s obsessive love for Christine-especially his longings for physical intimacy.