By Baishali Mukherjee
Mozart in the Jungle, follows the members of the New York Symphony
In the present, the post-modern world, the American comedy-drama Mozart in the Jungle, follows the members of the New York Symphony orchestra, including the old and honored conductor. Thomas Pembridge (Malcolm McDowell) is replaced by the young and enigmatic Rodrigo de Souza (Gael Garcia Bernal), as they navigate a world of the Concrete Jungle and find themselves sustained only by their love for Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, and of course, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Critiquing the script
The old maestro-new maestro storyline:
Perhaps the best of all the developments on the show – the friendship that blooms between the two genius conductors, is emotionally very rewarding to watch despite their seeming incompatibility. Even more so, since, instead of forming a mentor-mentee relationship, as Rodrigo’s unconventional ways rub off on Thomas, and Rodrigo comes to learn that he cannot ‘cut the red tape’ and be the conductor of a triumphant New York Symphony at the same time, they begin calling each other ‘Hermano’. (Spanish for ‘brother’)
Passing the baton:
In the last episode of the first season, when the orchestra, due to personal conflict, loses its soloist on the night of their first performance under the new conductor, Rodrigo steps down humbly to first violin chair and calls Thomas Pembridge (the old conductor) out from the audience to step in. Fast forward to the very last episode of the previous season, where Rodrigo, who gets preoccupied with his new passion for dance, himself resigns and assigns young oboist Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke) as the new conductor – thus the baton passes but never falls. Through this, and other instances, the show admirably makes one thing clear – there will always be music!
Takeaways that tug at the heartstrings:
- The future: The AI robot conductor whom Rodrigo meets (and subsequently throws into the lake) in Tokyo provides a future projection – it shows that even if robots, among these robots, replace the human race will be robot conductors, and therefore, there will be music.
- Amateur(from the Latin ‘amare’ – ‘to love’): During his stay at, manager of Symphony, Gloria Windsor’s (Bernadette Pears) place, Rodrigo uncovers a delightful secret buried deep in her heart. Her mellifluous voice, in contrast to her corporate identity, moves the virtuoso in Rodrigo significantly. He explains that amateur singing makes her no less of a musician and, citing the real meaning of the word, encourages her to sing publicly, solely for the love of it.
A production artfully nuanced
None of the cast members had ever touched an instrument before, the incredible acting and proficiency that the actors have shown regarding the professions of their characters are commendable. The show also maintains a remarkable artistic sense throughout all four seasons – aside from beautiful, aesthetic shots, including those of the glorious New York City, old-world Mexico, and magnificent Venice, all of the characters (even the supporting roles) seen to be involved with some form of art, whether it be dance, poetry or music.
Mozart in the Jungle is a must-watch for everyone!
Lovers of the show, which leveled as a drama series, lament that the lack of dramatic overtones has resulted in a selected audience base for Mozart in the Jungle. Moreover, to anyone living in the 21st century, the message “there will always be music” usually sounds nothing more than a cliché. But they fail to see that that is precisely where the show redeems itself by exploring, more specifically, why there will always be classical music.
How and why the centuries-old Beethoven’s fifth or Mahler’s sixth will always stand out in their own right, is for the viewers to log onto amazonprimevideo.com and find out for themselves!
