Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!

Subject: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 11:11 AM

Did anyone else watch the 2006 production, by Julie Taymor, of the Magic Flute on PBS recently? We saw it last night and while it was cut down to just under two hours, we were thrilled by all of it, the acting, singing, costuming, sets and directing. Even my brother, the classical composer who worships Mozart, was tearful with elation and awe after watching it. I found it breathtaking as a whole. Click Here for more. My favourite performers were Pamina and Papageno. We also thought the English translation was the best we'd ever heard.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 12:28 PM

I have heard that a portion of the Magic Flute was included on a golden disk when PIONEER11 was sent into space:

Launched on 5 April 1973, Pioneer 11 followed its sister ship to Jupiter (1974), made the first direct observations of Saturn (1979) and studied energetic particles in the outer heliosphere. The Pioneer 11 Mission ended on 30 September 1995, when the last transmission from the spacecraft was received. There have been no communications with Pioneer 11 since. The Earth's motion has carried it out of the view of the spacecraft antenna. The spacecraft cannot be maneuvered to point back at the Earth. It is not known whether the spacecraft is still transmitting a signal. No further tracks of Pioneer 11 are scheduled. The spacecraft is headed toward the constellation of Aquila (The Eagle), Northwest of the constellation of Sagittarius. Pioneer 11 will pass near one of the stars in the constellation in about 4 million years.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: GUEST,bobcat
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 05:54 PM

Just returned from THE GRAND theatre in Leeds where Opera north have a young and very lively production of The Magic flute. All voices are strong and clear, singing in English...you should go and see it..will be on tour so look out for it.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 08:38 PM

The version of the Magic Flute that always sticks with me is the one Ingmar Bergman directed - here is the only extract from it I could find, on youtube as the Queen of the Night lets rip...

(But it's on DVD)

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 11:46 PM

Um, McGrath, I didn't know it was in Spanish!*bg* (Think you got the wrong addy.)

Here is a write-up about Bergman's film.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 10:04 PM

A fine, visually exciting Die Zauberflöte was produced at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, sets by the painter David Hockney. It is available on DVD, ArtHaus Musik.
The performance by Moll, Araiza and Guberova at the Bavarian State Opera is the best on DVD, but the Glyndebourne is fresh and young at heart. I enjoy both.

I watched part of the Taymor on PBS, and switched it off. The translation departed too far from Mozart, and the direction made both Papageno and Tamino appear as complete louts, rather than young innocents. Stage design and costumes good.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: CapriUni
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 02:29 PM

I saw the Taymore production Katlaughing speaks of, and loved it (unfortunately, a trip to the bathroom meant I missed the last part. But maybe my station will rebroadcast it some day). Of course, I had Papageno's song stuck in my head for the next 24 hours, at least ;-).

And I think it was Igmar Berman's film that mother took me to see when I was about ten or so, in a real, live movie theater, on the big screen, and this has been one of my favorite operas ever since.

And yes, I thought Taymor's staging, choreography and puppets were particularly well suited to the fairy tale nature of the story -- I loved the dancing bears, and the giant bird, especially.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 02:54 PM

Fairy tale- yes. Perhaps OK on this level.
But not quite the spoof of Masonic initiation degrees that Mozart wrote (he was a member).

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: CapriUni
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 03:00 PM

Yeah, I know, Q. As I understand it, that got him in quite a bit of trouble with his Masonic brethren...

And even though it was a spoof, it was always something of a fairy tale, no?

I mean, it can be both at once...

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 03:04 PM

*sigh* I remember trying desperately to force my voice down a register to sing Zorastro's spine-tingling 'Isis et Osiris' aria. Sadly these days I'm hard pushed to hold some of Papageno's simpler lines.
Pa, pa pa, papapapa etc.
It's still a magical opera in so many ways - for me music has rarely been as enjoyable and exuberant as when it was in the hands of Mozart and da Ponte. I must have seen the Magic Flute in seven or eight different productions and heard a score of recordings, but never tire of it.

Subject: RE: Taymor's production of Magic Flute - Wow!
From: GUEST,touchthearth
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 04:50 PM

Does anyone know where I can get a DVD of Taymor's version of the Magis Flute? The tape I used to record it was defective!! When will they show it again. Sigh.