Mozart's The Magic Flute 

Prince Tamino and Papageno are sent by the Queen of Night to save her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the evil lord Sarastro.

Director:

Gary Halvorson

Writer:

J.D. McClatchy (libretto: Englsh translation)

Stars:

Matthew Polenzani, Ying Huang, René Pape

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Polenzani	...	Tamino, the Prince on a quest
Ying Huang	...	Pamina, the Princess in distress
René Pape	...	Sarastro, the mysterious high priest
Nathan Gunn	...	Papageno, the unwillingly heroic bird-catcher
Erika Miklósa	...	The Queen of the Night
Wendy Bryn Harmer	...	First Lady
Kate Lindsey	...	Second Lady
Tamara Mumford	...	Third Lady
Stephen Paynter	...	First Slave
Kenneth Floyd	...	Second Slave
Gregory Cross	...	Third Slave
Greg Fedderly	...	Monostatos
Bennett Kosma	...	First Spirit
Jesse Burnside Murray	...	Second Spirit
Jacob Wade	...	Third Spirit (as Jacob A. Wade)

Storyline

In Act 1, Tamino is sent on a mission by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter from the evil lord Sarastro. He is accompanied by the friendly bird-catcher, Papageno. But Tamino will soon discover that what he has been told was false, and if he really wishes to win Pamina's hand, he himself will have to undergo his own personal transformation. Mozart turns the "rescue opera" formulas inside out - as he often did with other musical forms - and by the end of Act 1, we realize that everything we have been led to believe up to this point is untrue. Act 2 sets matters right. The opera is one of Mozart's last creations (he died two months after the premiere), but considering that he was only 35 at the time, he was a young man and still developing new styles; The Magic Flute hints at what "might have been" had he lived a longer life.

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Plot Keywords:

opera | classical | live performance | classical music | 

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Official Sites:

Metroplitan Opera [United States] PBS [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Metropolitan Opera, A Metropolitan Opera High-Definition Production

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Tryllefløjten (2003)

User Reviews

Even so...

This is the first time I've viewed a Julie Taymor production, and it was quite a treat. Normally, I listen to opera on DVD and skip to my favorite parts. When this version aired I came upon it by accident, not intending to sit through an entire opera. To my surprise, I found it entrancing. The integration of colorful costumes, technically marvelous sets, and what seems an adaption of Indonesian puppetry on a large scale made this version wonderful. On tape, the original libretto still holds its classic status. But on TV, the English version made it easier to appreciate, and the subtitles made the words, which were sometimes difficult to understand, much clearer, letting the plot make sense. Kudos to Julie Taymor. I look forward to seeing more of her work.