Meticulous Mozart: a musician’s allegory for religion

Last weekend, I attended a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at LA Opera. For those well versed in classical music, praise for The Magic Flute usually stems from the tenderness and superiority of its part writing, rather than it’s subpar and slightly misogynistic plotline, as is the case with most of Mozart’s operas.  With this in mind, seldom will you ever find a classical musician that doesn’t have some sort of opinion on Mozart.

Following the performance, a friend who sang in the production invited me to an after-party hosted by the opera. Though I was tired and still a bit tipsy from the free cocktails that I sipped during intermission, I accepted my friend’s invitation.

The after-party was a grand spectacle, the hor d’oeuvres were gourmet, the drinks delicious, and everyone was elegantly garbed in formal attire. Though I felt a bit out of place in a black polo and a cardigan, I took advantage of the opportunity to meet as many people as I could.

Later in the evening, I had the pleasure of meeting a singer who performed one of the lead roles in the production. She was calm and collected, exuding serenity rather than a diva-esque air that is stereotypical of  opera singers. We spent a majority of the night talking, and it was only in the latter half of the evening that we made the connection that we were both raised within the same religion, the Bahá’í Faith.

For most people, this revelation isn’t exactly a momentous occasion. However, I was flabbergasted at this association, as the Bahá’í Faith remains mostly unknown to the general public. Founded in 19th-century Persia, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith focus on the oneness of mankind through unity of religion, race, culture and diversity.

There are many elements to this religion that I find utterly beautiful, necessary and relevant to today’s culture. However, like all systems of faith, there are some holes in the Bahá’í Faith’s teachings that contradict with its overall message.

As a gay man, my issues regarding this religion stem from its unfriendly attitude toward the LGBT community. Like most LGBT youth, I struggled to find a place within the world I was raised in. Unlike most religions, which are divided between various sects of elucidation, the Bahá’í Faith doesn’t leave much wiggle room for personal interpretation of the religious text. As a Bahá’í, I wasn’t encouraged to find my own path or discover myself; rather, I was on a path of blind obligatory faith. As I got older, I felt direct pressure to choose between my faith and my sexuality. It seems like there was only one way to be a Bahá’í, almost in the same way that there seems to be only one way to perform Mozart correctly.

Being both a former musician and Bahá’í, I find many similarities between Mozart and Bahá’í Faith; or rather, I find the similarities in their respective performance practices. For all intents and purposes, Mozart’s music remains as a blueprint for precision in the music world; that’s why so many young musicians begin their studies with Mozart. The ability to perform Mozart correctly requires meticulousness and dedication. The musicians aren’t necessarily assessed for their beauty or purity of tone, but rather their ability to attain a particular accuracy required to phrase each passage cleanly and correctly.

On the same token, as a Bahá’í, I felt as though I was being judged for my actions rather than for the purity of my being. When I decided to formally leave the Bahá’í Faith, I expected to feel some sort of remorse or emptiness. Instead, I felt free. I finally felt that I was able to live my life without the constraints of a 200-year-old holy text.

As my evening at the opera came to an end, I felt as if everything had come full circle for me. Though I no longer identify as a Bahá’í, I still feel some sort of connection to the religion as a whole. Likewise, though I no longer actively perform, my inherent love for classical music will always remain.

Though it may be a bit of a stretch to compare religion and Mozartean performance practices, I wish to emphasize that beauty triumphs stern discipline.

Arya Roshanian is a senior majoring in music. He is also a lifestyle editor at the Daily Trojan. His column, “From the Top,” runs on Tuesdays.