The Magic Flute - Criterion Collection

Amazon.com essential video

Ingmar Bergman's vision of The Magic Flute (sung here in Swedish) remains one of the indisputable classics in the opera-as-film catalog, its charm and enchantment undiminished since the film's initial release in the 1970s. This is a case not of competition between two geniuses (and two media) but of affirmative, graceful, and enlightening synergy. Instead of simply filming a staged run-through of the opera, Bergman chooses to play with the framework around such a performance (given in Stockholm's elegant Drottningholm Theatre)--and he moreover rearranges the order of the scenes in the final act. Intermittent shots of audience reactions--including those of a young girl infectiously involved in the story--and sudden, psychologically probing close-up angles result in a richly textured, multilayered effect.

Certainly Bergman renders the fairy-tale aspects of Mozart's mise-en-scène with such buoyant detail that the film makes an excellent entrée both for youngsters and for anyone who is uneasy about how to approach an opera. Yet there is much food for thought to be savored by the already initiated as well. One of Bergman's more brilliant interventions is to depict Sarastro and the Queen of the Night as a divorced couple engaged in a bitter battle over daughter Pamina. The director supplies plenty of energetic wit and arabesques of allusion (in addition to his Prospero-like demeanor, the high priest Sarastro is shown at one point during the intermission perusing the score of Parsifal), and--as might be expected of one of film's greatest symbolists--teases out the opera's weightier allegorical levels with hauntingly beautiful effect. Brilliant chiaroscuro and contrasted lighting patterns, for example, offer ongoing visual commentary on the contest between darkness and light. The cast is exceptionally photogenic, their abundant youth and obvious chemistry more than compensating for the often no-more-than-mediocre vocal performances (with the exception of Håkan Hagegård's utterly disarming, still-fresh portrayal of Papageno). For a desert-island audio recording, try Thomas Beecham. --Thomas May

Description

Ingmar Bergman puts his indelible stamp on Mozart's exquisite opera in this sublime rendering of one of the composer's best-loved works: a celebration of love, forgiveness, and the brotherhood of man. The Magic Flute (Trollflöjten) stars Josef Köstlinger as Tamino, the young man determined to rescue a beautiful princess from the clutches of parental evil. Criterion's edition features the film's glorious soundtrack in the original stereo format.

Customer Reviews:

Odd and Vulgar!.......2007-08-28

I really wanted to like this DVD, particularly after having seen the Met's disastrous attempt at producing it, and after reading the glowing reviews here. The singing in this European production was equal to the NY production, and the acting better. But this production, rather than be what it is--a film--decided to try to come across as some sort of a pseudo-live-theatre production. I have thought long and hard about how to describe this production, and the best analogy that I can arrive at is a puppet show with human puppets. People who have seen this will know of what I speak. It's the Von Trapp Family Singers' puppets come to life. Yes, this film comes across very oddly. Worse yet, it is bawdy. And I mean bawdy. There are numerous visual references to the characters' private parts, and even a rubbing of breasts by Papageno to Papagena. Whoa. I had to tell my kids to cover their eyes. Is this how Mozart wanted his work to come across? The answer, to my mind, is a resounding no. Add to these faults an unbelievably grainy image and repeated pans to a somewhat unattractive girl in the audience, and you have a mediocre film. Not recommended. Would someone please take this opera seriously and give it the production that it deserves.

A humorous and playful version of The Magic Flute by Ingmar Bergman..........2007-07-18

Ingmar Bergman has made a masterpiece in his 1½ hour movie interpretation of The Magic Flute. He has managed to get spiritual aspects of this lovely opera across while at the same time presenting the beatiful music of Mozart. The cast apart from being great opera singers are able to portray the feelings and thougts of this great work. The opera is set up at Drottning Holm Castle Theatre, an old theater in a beautiful park that is showed during the ouverture intercut with shots of the expectant theater guests. The scene, costumes and effects is traditional - think of The Marx Brothers Day at the Opera - and very humorous without being comical.

Even though it is an old movie from 1975 I still enjoy the atmosphere and joy of this movie and will recommend it to anyone who likes music.

A truly magical "Magic Flute".......2007-07-09

Using the intimate Drotningsteater in Stockholm, Bergman puts this interpretation of Mozart's mischievous, miraculous opera into the perfect setting that offers a scale in keeping with the probable first performances. The music is impeccably handled by all concerned, which is to be expected from the Swedish Natioanal Opera, but the inventive sensitivity Bergman brings to the whole puts this film version in a class entirely of its own. If you have never come to terms with this curiosity in Mozart's canon, this is you chance. Don't miss it!

parental guidance is advised.......2007-07-07

First of all, this is a masterpiece. Anyone who thinks otherwise, because it isn't faithful enough to score or libretto, or because it is sung in "Sweedish" should support their local opera company and go buy a ticket. This is a fantastic film.

But, because of the sheer intensity of it, I urge caution when showing this to youngsters. Extreme closeups are a favorite device, and the mere power of emotion conveyed can be disturbing. There are also strong sexual themes, both suggested and conveyed, as well as a very disturbing "trial by fire" where Tamino and Pamina walk through a hell replete with writhing semi-nude demons. And yes, the near suicides.

I bought this for my 2-year-old and myself and found that I need to hold off on this one until she is older. Although I'm very glad to now have this in my library.

The Magic Flute.......2007-07-05

Delightful film captures a modern-day production at a Stockholm theatre, intercutting the performance with audience reactions and dramatic back-stage shots. While some purists gripe that this conceit (along with Swedish lyrics) adulterates Mozart's favorite work, it should go over nicely with non-opera types, as it adds texture to what is, after all, a film. The spirited cast brings an old story alive, while Sven Nykvist's gliding camerawork lends Bergman's pet project a stylistic panache. "Flute" is charming, intelligent family entertainment, crafted by two masters who serve each other well.

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Levine, Battle, Serra, Metropolitan Opera

Average customer rating:

AMAZING
Mozart is great while Anazon.com is weak
The Met misses with this production of the famous Mozart opera
Die Zauberflote
A wonderful production

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Levine, Battle, Serra, Metropolitan Opera
Starring: Kathleen Battle , Francisco Araiza , Manfred Hemm , Kurt Moll , and Luciana Serra
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000050X31
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING.......2007-08-18

The reason of tmy review is to express my deeply confussion about the review of Mateo. I don-t know what DVD he bought but surely was not this production. His comments are not adequate at all for the Met production and less to give only one star. Maybe he has to see more the DVD before write a review like the one he wrote. I reccomend him to buy the 1982 Salzburg Festival production with Cotrubas, Gruberova Schreier and others if he wants to have a treasure.

Mozart is great while Anazon.com is weak.......2007-07-12

The opera is wonderful. Everybody is to listen to and look.
Though I still don't understand why the video is in NTSC and the only language besides English is Chinese.
Is is well known that in Russia we use SECAM and PAL and speak Russian not Chinese. At least if Russian menu and subtitles are not available European languages fit better than Chinese.

The Met misses with this production of the famous Mozart opera.......2007-06-14

This is a barely adequate production of the great Mozart Opera.

The spare stage settings create little of the "Singspiel" magic that this opera requires.

Franciso Araiza is uninspiring as Tamino but other members of the cast are generally good - Kathleen Battle is appropriately girlish as Pamina, Kurt Moll provides some gravitas as Sarastro, and Manfred Hemm provides some energy and humour as Papageno.

This production never springs to life and after a while one just sits there feeling bored.

Sound and picture quality are OK.

Die Zauberflote.......2007-03-29

I was pleased with the musical performance, though mainly because this opera is one of my favorites. The sets were not all I thought they could be. I was disappointed that I could not find a way to find where I had left off in the playing if I needed to interrupt it for any length of time.

A wonderful production.......2007-03-17

I really thought I was buying the 2007 (I believe) production by the Met. The 2007 production is much more a high tech, mystical presentation, but much shortened. You, or at least I couldn't discover the production year in the flyer, but it doesn't matter. The DVD is certainly worth the money. I now know that the 2007 production is not yet available on DVD.

Mozart - Die Zauberflote Fur Kinder (The Magic Flute for Children)

Average customer rating:

Not for English-speaking children who don't read
'Magic Flute' For Kids -- From Salzburg and in German

Mozart - Die Zauberflote Fur Kinder (The Magic Flute for Children)
Starring: Christian Boesch , Peter Schreier , Ileana Cotrubas , Kurt Rydl , and Zdzislawa Donat
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Manufacturer: TDK
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000RNUFXW
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Customer Reviews:

Not for English-speaking children who don't read.......2007-09-13

This is a wonderful performance, no doubt about it...although it is abridged...for example, the Queen of the Night's first aria is skipped entirely, much of the masonic music is gone, and almost half of the performance is a series of extraneous explanations by Papageno and others of the role of the director, the nature of opera, and explication of plot. Everything is ganz auf deutsch. Kein Wort English..except as subtitles..this might be ok for kids with rapid reading skills, but it was totally lost on my 2 granddaughters, age 5 and 3. It was so disappointing for them not to understand anything that was being said...yet they responded beautifully to the music and singing. Goes to show you that for kids of all ages, nothing is really necessary beyond a fine performance of the original!!

'Magic Flute' For Kids -- From Salzburg and in German.......2007-08-27

After an acclaimed Magic Flute was mounted at the Salzburg Festival in 1978 by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and starring singers like Christian Boesch, Ileana Cotrubras, Edda Moser, Peter Schreier, Zdzislawa Donat and Kurt Rydl, and with James Levine conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, the Papageno (Boesch) fashioned a version for children which was given in the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg. No adults were admitted to the performance unless they were accompanied by two children and the place was packed. Boesch's version has Papageno as a narrator who with grace and humor (and no little comic arrogance) explains both the plot and the notion of why there is even such a thing as opera where words are sung rather than simply spoken. The whole thing is, of course, in German and there are excellent English subtitles -- and subtitles in German and French as well -- and the whole thing has a joyous quality to it. The children in the audience certainly seemed to respond positively to the whole performance. This DVD is taken from the telecast of the performance aired on Austrian TV; it is beautifully filmed and recorded.

My only concern about this DVD is that for English-speaking audiences, for whom this review is being written after all, the notion of having to read subtitles does interfere somewhat with the spontaneity of the event. And of course we can presume that in the not too distant future the children's version of Magic Flute based on Julie Taymor's Metropolitan Opera production will be out on DVD. For English-speaking children it would undoubtedly be the preferred version.

But for what it is, this is a marvelous DVD. Boesch does a bang up job both as writer and narrator as well as being a truly funny Papageno.

Sound: LPCM Stereo; Format 4:3 NTSC; Subtitled: English, German, French; Region Code 0 (worldwide); Disc format: DVD9; Running time: 106mins

Scott Morrison

Mozart - The Magic Flute / The Australian Opera, Yvonne Kenny, Donald Shank

Average customer rating:

Mozart - The Magic Flute / The Australian Opera, Yvonne Kenny, Donald Shank

Manufacturer: KULTUR VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000RO6K1M
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Product Description

Mozart's The Magic Flute is part fantasy, part parable, part comedy and all heart. The tale of Prince Tamino s quest for love, truth and beauty is set in a mysterious forest and features wild, exotic beasts. Radiant performances from the outstanding cast enhance the magic of Mozart s lyrical score.

...the most believable and simply beautiful production of The Magic Flute you are likely to see anywhere. The Melbourne Herald

Featuring: Yvonne Kenny, Gran Wilson, John Fulford, Christa Leahmann, Donald Shannks The Australian Opera Chorus, The Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra

Conductor: Richard Bonynge

Description

WINNER OF...
The Dove Foundation Family Approved Seal
N.A.I.R.D. Award Finalist
The Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence
The Coalition For Quality Children's Video: Kids First! Endorsement
PARENT'S CHOICE APPROVED

This skillfully abridged adaptation of Mozart's brilliant comic opera will delight the whole family with brand-new English narration to guide children through the story, and arias sung in the original German. This is the tale of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, young lovers who use the powers of a magic flute to battle the forces of evil that threaten to keep them apart.

V.I.E.W. Video is proud to present this enhanced DVD version of Mozart's The Magic Flute Story, created especially to introduce young audiences to the wonderful world of opera. Lavish sets and costumes compliment Mozart's brilliant score and unforgettable cast of comic characters.

Customer Reviews:

Elementary General Music Teacher is Disappointed.......2007-08-03

I purchased this video to supplement a composer lesson about Mozart. The video is an abridged version of the Mozart opera, The Magic Flute. I was disappointed by the poor video quality and poor production values. One of the reasons I purchased an abridged version is that the full opera would be much to lengthy for elementary school audiences and I thought I would be able to show this in its entirity due to its abbreviated length, but the video is so poor, it failed to capture even my interest as an ADULT with two music degrees (one in vocal music performance, no less). I DO NOT recommend this video. It is useful to be shown in short excerpts only. It is definitely not worth using the precious little funds you may already receive for equipment/supplies.

My child loves it.......2007-07-20

After reading the reviews here, I rented a copy from Netflix. My 4 year old son was entranced, despite the opera being in German. When he started walking around the house singing the Queen of the Night's aria, I ordered our own copy.

While I agree that it is not the best it could be, my son loves opera and wants to learn more. That, to me, is one of the best justifications for buying it. He loves the other Classical Kids CDs as well.

Language for kids?.......2007-07-08

This was sold as a recommendation for children. It was performed in German(?). While it did have a English narrator a child couldn't follow it.

My mistake.......2007-01-04

It was not what i thought it would be. I was looking for something from "Classical Kids". That is my mistake.

Not worth your money!!.......2006-04-04

I found this version at the library and decided to check it out. I was amazed at how bad it was. For one thing, they changed the story around which was bothersome. The singing is really bad, and I think the thing that that bothered me the most is the strange costumes (Tamino looks like an elf!) I also hated all the strange creatures that come out, instead of animals coming out when Tamino plays his flute, they have people prancing out on stage dressed as who knows what. The whole thing was just horrible, costumes, the set, everything...and a lot of times when the commentator is explaining a certain part, it'll be playing a whole different aria (or the wrong part of the aria.) The whole thing is so chopped up, and the DVD is more blurry and grainy than I've ever seen anything on DVD before. I wouldn't buy it or even waste yout time getting it from the library. You're better off buying a REAL production on DVD of the Magic Flute for your kids, such as the one at the Met with Kathleen Battle.

Average customer rating:

THE MAGIC FLUTE

Manufacturer: CreateSpace
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000VPPMOI
Release Date: 2007-09-04

amazon.com

Bangkok Opera's exotic "Thai-sci'-fi" production of Mozart's popular opera is conducted by wunderkind Trisdee na Patalung and directed by Somtow Sucharitkul. Live from Bangkok Opera's Thailand Cultural Center, this production stars Nancy Yuen, Harold Gray Meers, Saran Suebsantiwongse, and Sandra Partridge. This production garnered rave reviews in the European opera journals such as London's OPERA, who acclaimed its youthful conductor as "a genius".

Mozart - The Magic Flute / Ostman, Biel, Dahlberg, Drottningholm Court Theatre

Average customer rating:

Brimming with fun and delight.
Very good as a secondary recording
Charming performance - save for one shocking piece of casting
Watching a real opera on stage right in your living room
Fine Performance of Delightful Opera!

Mozart - The Magic Flute / Ostman, Biel, Dahlberg, Drottningholm Court Theatre
Starring: László Polgár , Anita Soldh , Linnea Sallay , Petteri Salomaa , and Magnus Khyle
Director: Thomas Olofsson
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006IUJ0
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Amazon.com

This charming production of Mozart's last opera lacks the big-name stars and spectacular special effects found in other Magic Flute videos, and its ambiance may strike patrons of the Vienna State Opera or the Met as quaintly provincial. But it is musically excellent and visually very close to what Mozart must have had in mind when he wrote the music.

The 400-seat Drottningholm Court Theatre in Stockholm flourished in Mozart's lifetime but was closed in 1800, leaving scenery, costumes, and stage machinery intact. Reopened (essentially, rediscovered) in the 1920s, it is now the scene of an annual summer opera festival featuring 18th-century works. A Drottningholm production is like time travel, with even the orchestra in period costumes playing period instruments.

Like the staging, the performance is scrupulously faithful to the opera's text and spirit. Two kinds of interpretation are required; operatic for the principal roles; folk or pop for the comic roles of Papageno and Papagena. Both requirements are expertly filled. --Joe McLellan

Description

A delightful fairy tale, Mozart's final operatic legacy remains a great work in the spirit of the Enlightenment. Intertwining music of awesome purity and beauty with the conventions of musical comedy, it explores Man's search for truth and his confusion between the forces of light and dark. This production from The Drottningholm Court Theatre is conducted by Arnold Ostman and played on authentic period instruments.

Customer Reviews:

Brimming with fun and delight........2007-09-04

I am in general agreement with "A Viewer's" interesting assessment.

This DVD has a delightfully bucolic flavour to it but one should not be misled by the apparently provincial nature of the setting nor the seemingly rustic character of the production - this is a highly professional, very imaginative and delightfully effective realization of an opera which is always fun but not always funny. However, this staging (which I imagine to be close to a contemporary production), whether it be the creatures of the forest or the occasionally lewd behaviour of Papageno, is full of mirth and belly laughs where the libretto allows.

Nor should one suppose the orchestra to be a scratch band in fancy dress; the Court Theatre is much in use with the permanent players and Arnold Ostman continually engaged in dramatic music at a high level.

Stage direction and the unforced acting are to an unusually high standard. The noise of the well operated scenery mechanics just adds to the jollity. To compare this production with something from The Met is to miss the point totally - the two are anything but analogous; anyway, this is The Flute - not Otello!

I very much like Ann-Christine Biel in the role of Pamina; her voice has an adolescent simplicity which suits the part admirably. Other soloists are equally accomplished with Stefan Dahlberg (Pamino) occasionally giving us some nice Heldentenor delivery. The ensemble singing is tight and well executed, the orchestra excellent and nicely balanced; both within itself and with the vocal performances.

Sadly, I have to say that I find the Queen of the Night unconvincing and below the level set by the others on stage. A pity because for me, her sub-standard performance mars an otherwise faultless production.

Sound quality is first class; video is not. I do not know if the requirements for stage lighting are different from those of television but given that this production was aimed at the latter, I would expect a much better picture than this - it lacks contrast and definition. Of course, the lighting may have been intended to simulate a period atmosphere but if so, I don't think it worked.

Notes accompanying DVDs often are disgracefully scanty; this offering is as bad as any in this respect. Frankly, the one-sided, single sheet of "Scene Selections" is little more than useless and very much "short changing" on the part of the publishers who can and should do much better than this. One has to wait 160 minutes for the film end-credits to determine who has sung what.

Nevertheless, this DVD provides wonderful entertainment on a number of levels, not the least of which is that of introducing children and others to the wonders of the operatic genre (and to whom comprehensive notes would be a boon). Despite my critical observations, I commend it highly for this is a really delightful production of enormous fun.

Very good as a secondary recording.......2006-03-11

The cast, though of relatively obscure soloists do a very good job. The "trade mark" of this opera is the queen of the night aria, which is ok, but not as brilliant as in other recordings (I'd given it 5 stars otherwise).
However the Sarasto soloist is a terrific bass, and I doubt there is a better playing of the Monostatos. The later is truly unique and let alone it is worth the purchase of this DVD.

Charming performance - save for one shocking piece of casting.......2006-03-09

In many respects, this is a lovely performance. Stefan Dahlberg is superb as Tamino - what a lovely tone and secure technique he has, and this is one tenor who looks the part, too. While I'm not a huge fan of Ann Christine Biel, she does a good job with Pamina here - it's not as good a performance as Barbara Bonney or Lucia Popp in the role, but it's nice work, nonetheless. The Sarastro is very nice indeed - a good true bass without any problems. Papageno is sung delightfully with a light touch.

The sense throughout is one of intimacy and charm... So far, so good.

But there is one thing that marrs this for me beyond words. Birgit Louise Frandsen sings the Queen of the Night - or, no, to be frank, she attempts to sing the Queen of the Night.

It is the most unforgivable piece of miscasting I've encountered in my life. I do not exaggerate. How CAN it have escaped the attention of the previous reviewers that this soprano has so little coloratura ability that all she succeeds in doing is shredding the role entirely? During the triplets in her second aria, Der Hölle Rache, the conductor ACTUALLY SLOWS DOWN THE TEMPO to half-speed in order to give her a chance of negotiating the notes. The voice itself is like sandpaper and blancmange - irritating and with distressing wobbles.

Had a good Königin been cast in this pivotal role, I'd have given this DVD a 4.5 to 5 star rating. I feel I'd be dishonest, however, in assigning it more than 3 stars to "forgive" the atrocious Queen of the Night.

This is a DVD to own for the sake of the other singers, in particular the wonderful Dahlberg. I feel ashamed that I have to fast-forward some of the most spectacular music Mozart ever composed just to watch this otherwise lovely DVD.

Watching a real opera on stage right in your living room.......2006-03-01

I am not an opera fan, but I've always been curious about it, so I ordered this one just to see what it's like to go to an opera house and watch a live opera performance with a real orchestra playing. I got exactly what I wanted.

This DVD doesn't have as good a color as a Pizza Hut commercial, but it is by no means inferior. It is obviously an expensive production done in a German-speaking opera house, so it feels authentic. The props look fancy and expensive, and the acting and singing are superb. Part of it is kind of boring, but I find several songs very charming. Some are familiar; now for the first time I know what those tunes are about. All the actors and actresses look about the right age, and Princess Pamina is a beautiful woman. Prince Tamino isn't as handsome, but still OK.

In particular, my 7-year-old finds the beginning scene of the monster chasing the prince rather fascinating, and in general shows a lot of interest in this opera, to my surprise. So if you are looking at starting your kids on opera, this is probably the best choice.

Runtime: 160 minutes. German with English subtitles.

I also found the entire lyrics (libretto) with side by side English translation here:

http://www.aria-database.com/translations/magic_flute.txt

It's good if you wish to learn to sing some of the songs.

Fine Performance of Delightful Opera!.......2004-01-02

Another reviewer penned it so well, that this production is not "pretentious," and I believe that is why many enjoy it so much. It is not slick "techno" glittery Americanized hype production, but simple sets and passionate performers who seem to delight in performing it so much.

Was taken very much by the orchestration, so well done in this case the Drottninghom Court Theatre Orchestra and Chorus directed by Arnold Ostman on period instruments. Bravo!

Each of the opera writter by Schikaneder was very well done, but my favorite is the delightful Pagageno! What charisma this guy Samuelson exudes in this part! He is the best! Also, the queen's three and the three boys who lead the trials are excellent as well!

The story is delightful, but spiritually is troublesome, due to Isis et al. Too much of Mozart's and Schikaneder's Freemasonry in this for me. The serpent, sin and evil, are themes but not dealt with in true spiritual reality. If this is proposed as the fairy tale which permeates it, then so be it.

All in all, just a delightful opera so well produced and performed. Wonderful entertainment!

Average customer rating:

Something Different

Mozart Premium Opera Gift Collection From the World Renowned Salzburg Marionette Theater (Salzburger Marionettentheater) (Cosi Fan Tutte / Don Giovanni / The Marriage of Figaro / The Abduction from the Seraglio / The Magic Flute [Import - All Region] (5 Dvd Set-2006)
Director: salzburger marionettentheater
Manufacturer: Dawoori Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | By Composer | Opera | Classical | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video
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A Mozart Gala from Prague / Sharon Kam, Manfred Honeck, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra [Region 2]

Product Features:

Import from Korea made to be played on dvds in USA/Canada/Korea (NTSC, All-Region). ADDED FEATURE NOTE: The printed insert booklet is not in English. The operas are presented in their original languages.

This gift set is a special presentation by the Salzburg Marionette theater commemorating Mozart's 250th birthday.. Each of these five operas individually sell on dvd for 25 euros (about $34.00) at the Salzburg Theater. They often are sold out with orders often pending for months.

At the Salzburg Theater, dvds of the five operas individually sell for 25 euros (about $34.00. They often are sold out with orders pending for months.

The Salzburg Marionette theater has performed for many heads-of-state: kings and queens of Europe; three U.S. and four Canadian presidents; leaders in Japan and South Africa.

During the season, tickets to Salzberg Marionette theater performances of the Mozart operas are sold out many months in advance, purchased through travel agents for enthusiastic devotees the world over.

ASIN: B000LY23SW

Product Description

The Salzburg Marionette Theatre has now been in existence for more than 90 years and has become world famous not only through its 160 annual performances in Salzburg but also through its countless international tours. The Salzburg Marionette Theatre has performed all over the world and makes regular tours and guest appearances in France, USA, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and South Africa. Anyone who believes that the Marionette Theatre is just for children is certainly mistaken. Here the artists from the great opera houses of the globe have performed. World-class artists, stage-directors and designers, come back again and again to work for the Salzburg Marionettes.

Customer Reviews:

Something Different.......2007-05-25

I have many operas in my DVD collection, but one I specialize in is "The Magic Flute". When I did a search, this item came up. For some reason this item is produced in Korea with the booklet in Korean. Not a problem. What was a problem was that there are no subtitles. To help there are excellent narrations by Peter Ustinov. Knowing the stories of the operas made it less difficult to follow, but this set should be redone with subtitles.

This is a fun way to see the operas. Using marionettes, the puppetry is very well done. They perform to excellent recordings of different singers and orchestras for each of the five operas. These DVDs are excellent ways to introduce children to opera (except for lack of subtitles). Opera fans might also like to try something different. The operas are somewhat abreviated so they are not as long as the complete operas.

Mozart's Greatest Operas (The Magic Flute / Le Nozze di Figaro / Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail/ La Clemenza di Tito)(4 Disc Set)

Average customer rating:

Mozart's Greatest Operas (The Magic Flute / Le Nozze di Figaro / Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail/ La Clemenza di Tito)(4 Disc Set)
Starring: Mozart , and Ostman
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000C20VKU
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Description

One of the greats of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart astounded audiences with his breathtaking talent since he began to compose music at the age of 5. His most prominent operas were beloved for not only their beautiful music, but also for their humor and highly entertaining plots and characters.

* The Magic Flute: Intertwining music of awesome purity and beauty with the conventions of musical comedy, this delightful fairy tale continues to delight music lover's generation after generation. This production from Sweden's Drottningholm Court Theatre, one of the few surviving 18th century theaters, is conducted by the famed Arnold Ostman and performed on authentic period instruments.

* Le Nozze di Figaro: First performed to resounding success in 1786, this scandalous tale of a humble barber challenging the royal court remains one of the most popular and frequently performed works in operatic repertoire. Under the guidance of Arnold Ostman, the elegant surroundings of the Drottningholm Court Theatre and the intimate size of the stage recreate the atmosphere of opera in Mozart's time.

* Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Mozart caused a sensation in Vienna with this light-hearted comic opera about two noble ladies sold by pirates to a Turkish pasha. A sensual and resoundingly contemporary experience from the world-famous Salzburg Festival, this inventive interpretation casts new light on a classic musical work.

Amazon.com

In Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder brought off an extraordinary feat, uniting two seemingly unrelated theatrical genres--pantomime and straight play. The first is represented by the comic antics of the birdcatcher, Papageno, the second in a series of rituals through which a prince and his lady pass in search of true love. This production from the Ludwigsburger Festspiele in 1992 in a minimalist staging by Axel Manthey with sets and costumes by him and Alexander Lintl, offers a clearly delineated path through a sophisticated and worldly plot that can be bewildering on first acquaintance. But no opera production in recent years seems to eschew some whim or trendy idea of the producer: here we have Sarastro's priests with shaved heads, the three boys dressed for a school sports day, and a Papageno kitted out in knickerbockers who one fears might break into "I love to go a- wandering, a knapsack on my back." Much more stylish are the Three Ladies, emissaries of the Queen of the Night, shapely figures in their striking royal blue and red dresses.

The musical direction is in the safe hands of Wolfgang Gönnenwein, who favors the occasional swift tempo as in the "March" to Act II. The cast includes one exceptional singer, the soprano Ulrike Sonntag as Pamina, happily partnered by Deon Van Der Walt as Tamino. Thomas Mohr is the characterful Papageno, and Andrea Frei as the Queen of the Night does well with the coloratura runs of her fiendishly difficult arias, though she sounds less secure in her slow music. As Sarastro, Cornelius Hauptmann makes up for some wooden acting with his sonorous bass. One takes away from watching this production a renewed admiration for Mozart and his librettist for an opera that, in its mixture of spoken dialogue and musical numbers, anticipates by 150 years the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. --Adrian Edwards

Description

A passed out Tamino is rescued from a great serpent by the Three Ladies. When Tamino comes to his senses, the bird-catcher Papageno claims to have killed the serpent. The Ladies punish Papageno's lies. They give Tamino a portrait of a beautiful girl, by which he is immediately fascinated. This is Pamina, abducted, he is told, by a wicked magician. The Queen of the Night makes her terrifying appearance, and tells Tamino that he must rescue Pamina, her daughter. The Ladies give Tamino a magic flute and Papageno silver bells for their protection on their quest. "The conductor creates real suspense and excitement with music of effervescence and vitality. Avoiding all obsequiousness as well as sentimentality, leaving enough time for Mozart's heart-tones to calmly unfold and resonate, [conductor Wolfgang] Gonnenwein give this Magic Flute an inner tempo, which leaves no place for portentousness." --Horst Koegler in Opernwelt (Opera world). Andrea Frei, Cornelius Hauptmann, Deon VanDerWalt, Thomas Mohr, Ulrike Sonntag. Director: Axel Manthey

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2006-02-12

Unimpressive as to the quality of this musical presentation, and it is not staged as I would have expected. I wanted to learn more about this opera, having neglected to add it to my collection. From this version, I did not get a picture of what Mozart must have had intended. Maybe I should have read the description better. Having searched for a desirable version, I passed over the Met's presentation. More expensive is not necessarily better. Note that Amazon recommends ordering these two together. What I experienced tells me why they recommend buying two versions of the same opera. I missed getting a discounted price. Do order both, if you order this one.

An interesting go a minimalist staging.......2001-07-20

The 1992 production of , now available on ArtHaus DVD, performed by cast, chorus and orchestra of the Ludwigsburger Festspiele under Wolfgang Gonnenwein, is a good example of the current European minimalism that has taken over too many productions in opera houses. The entire work is performed on a white slab with occasionally colorful drapes along the back and some two-dimensional cutouts (the serpent, a branch to receive Papageno's rope) to relieve the visual monotony.

The Three Women are dressed spectacularly and sexily in red body stockings with half blue gowns, and when the Queen of the Night (Andrea Frei) first appears in a hemispherical gown she seems to emerge from the backdrop of stars. Tamino (Deon van der Walt), for once, is dressed in a vaguely Japanese fashion as the text demands; but Papageno (Thomas Mohr) looks like a cross between a carpenter and Big Bird. And those ubiquitous Three Boys simply look silly and ill at ease in their white shorts, beach hats, and wings. Monostros (Kevin Conners) and his minions, in Little Black Sambo outfits, would never be allowed on a more Politically Correct stage; while the chorus are uniformly bald and dressed in a sort of Indian mode, Sorastro (Cornelius Hauptmann) looking particularly unimposing. Paminia (Ulrike Sonntag) does not look a young girl and is made to wear an unbecoming gown throughout.

None of the singing is especially top notch, and the audience seems not to know when to applaud, being merely polite for the most part when they do. The two ordeals by Fire and Water are very poorly handled (as they usually are) , the animals responding to the flute very well done, and in general the scenes with the Three Women seem to come off the best. Perhaps the more traditional version from the Metropolitan would be a better introduction to this work; but this one certainly does have its moments.

It also has German subtitles for those who want to see exactly what is being sung, as well as English, French and Chinese....

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