Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the heart of a mystical forest, lived a curious young girl named Ella. Ella had always been captivated by stories of magic and adventure, and she often found herself daydreaming about the mythical creatures that roamed the enchanted forest. One sunny morning, as Ella was out exploring the forest, she stumbled upon an old, rusty key lying amidst the wildflowers. Intrigued by the key's peculiar design, she decided to follow her instincts and see where it might lead her. Unbeknownst to Ella, this key was a portal to an alternate dimension, filled with magic and wonder. As she turned the key in a hidden lock, a blinding light engulfed her, and she found herself transported into a realm she had only ever imagined.
Mozart’s final opera (written before La Clemenza di Tito but first performed later) premiered in Vienna in September 1791, just weeks before the composer’s death, with Mozart conducting the orchestra from the fortepiano. A timeless fairy tale, it was a major success from the beginning and never lost its place as one of the most popular works in the repertoire. Julie Taymor’s beloved Met production opened in 2004. Its abridged English-language version, which returns in December 2013 as the company’s annual holiday presentation for families, inaugurated the Met’s Live in HD series of performance transmissions to movie theaters around the world in 2006.
This abridged, English-language presentation for families launched the Met s Live in HD series of movie-theater transmissions and appeals to music lovers of all ages. If past productions of the opera at The Met by Marc Chagall 1967 , David Hockney 1991 and Taymor 2004 were brilliantly colorful, McBurney s production may seem dark but it emphasizes the opera s music-theater roots.
As she turned the key in a hidden lock, a blinding light engulfed her, and she found herself transported into a realm she had only ever imagined. The air in this new dimension crackled with energy, and the trees seemed to whisper secrets only the wind could hear. Ella's heart raced with excitement as she stepped forward, eager to explore this magical world.
Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' as a portal, at The Met Opera & beyond
I distinctly remember the first time I heard the vengeance aria, “Der Hölle Rache,” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. It was during Miloš Forman’s film adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus in 1984, at what is now Bryn Mawr Film Institute. Wolfie’s mother-in-law starts berating him for not being a good provider, and her anger morphs into a performance of the opera as the Queen of the Night urges her daughter Pamina to slay Sarastro. The effect on my 16-year-old ear, brain, and soul was magical. The glittering, bell-like qualities of soprano June Anderson’s voice literally took my breath away. I’d never heard anything like it. The aria was a pivotal entry point for me into the world of opera.
The opera is such a great onramp for new and younger audiences to opera that The Metropolitan Opera used it to inaugurate its holiday opera offerings in 2006 with Julie Taymor’s spectacular production in a family-friendly 100-minute abridgement in English. The Met continues to offer that production during the holidays, retiring it from use beyond December performances.
In its place is director Simon McBurney’s acclaimed 2012 Dutch National Opera production, which will be heard this Saturday, June 3 at 1 p.m. on 90.1FM WRTI or at wrti.org as part of the Toll Brothers - Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. If past productions of the opera at The Met by Marc Chagall (1967), David Hockney (1991) and Taymor (2004) were brilliantly colorful, McBurney’s production may seem dark — but it emphasizes the opera’s music-theater roots.
The Met OperaThe Magic Flute premiered at the Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna in 1791. Its composer had known the theater’s founder, Emanuel Schikeneder, since about 1780, when Schikeneder befriended the Mozart family during a stay in Salzburg. Schikeneder was highly regarded for his theatrical skills, and was one of the most-renowned German-language interpreters of the role of Hamlet in his day.
The Theater auf der Wieden performed plays, operas and singspiels; Schickeneder had an uncanny sense for what audiences wanted and liked. He worked with Mozart on the allegorical, Masonic-themed plot for The Magic Flute, which would feature actors from the Theater troupe that could sing, and opera singers who Mozart knew intimately. The role of the Queen of the Night was played by Mozart’s sister-in-law; Tamino was played by one of his best friends; and the part of Pamina, who was only 17 at the time, had premiered the role of Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro when she was merely 12! The opera was a spectacular success with 100 performances within 14 months of its premiere. But Mozart did not live to see this success, dying just over two months after the opera’s premiere.
If Mozart and Schickeneder captured the imagination of Vienna’s audiences with the opera’s fantastical elements and extraordinary music, Simon McBurney’s production brings the audience into the work by breaking the fourth wall with musicians coming out of the pit to play Tamino’s flute and Papageno’s chimes, raising the orchestra pit so that the players are easily visible throughout the performance, and starting the overture with the house lights still on. Costumes bring us into the story, too, with the cast in recognizably contemporary clothing that illuminate their characters — from the businessman Sarastro, the elderly wheelchair-bound Queen of the Night, and Pamina in athleisure wear.
For all its allegory, Flute has problematic elements today. Act I tells us that the Queen of the Night is good and Sarastro is bad, yet in Act II we confusingly learn the opposite is true.The opera treats the Moorish character of Monastatos with racist overtones that are downplayed or ignored today. And the libretto is decidedly misogynistic: at one point, Sarastro tells Pamina that “A man must guide your heart, for without that, every woman tends to overstep her natural sphere.” But aside from any dramaturgical or content challenges, McBurney sees the story as a fairy tale, a flight of the imagination, and more.
Still, at the heart of any Flute is its music. It is a work of musical extremes, from the aforementioned Queen of the Night’s Aria,with its vocal acrobatics, to Tamino’s noble utterances and Papageno’s earthy comedic moments. Within those extremes is a central musical energy of profound goodness and love. We can hear that in Pamina’s duet with Papageno in Act I, “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” (In men, who feel love) and in Sarastro’s profundo “In diesen heil'gen Hallen.” (Within these sacred halls.) The intensity of Pamina’s love for Tamino is easily sensed when she fears that all might be lost between them in “Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden.” (Ah, I feel it, it is vanished).
There are undeniable riches in Mozart’s final opera. The cast for this performance could not be bettered, with Lawrence Brownlee (Tamino), Erin Morley (Pamina), Thomas Oliemans (Papageno), and Stephen Milling (Sarastro). Soprano Kathryn Lewek has sung the Queen of the Night at The Met more than any other soprano in the company’s history. She took to YouTube to share a little bit about the role and this production.
And if the Queen’s vengeful aria was a pivotal entry point for me into the world of opera, it is certainly familiar to many on Earth — and beyond: soprano Edda Moser’s iconic dramatic-soprano interpretation was the only recorded opera excerpt to be included in a collection of music from Earth on the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. Maybe extraterrestrials will fall in love with Mozart, too!
This production runs: Dec 8 - Dec 30
Wandering deeper into the forest, Ella encountered creatures she had only read about in fairy tales - a mischievous fox with glowing blue eyes, a wise owl who offered advice, and even a friendly dragon who taught her how to breathe fire. As Ella journeyed further, she stumbled upon a meadow filled with brightly colored flowers. In the center of the meadow stood a majestic unicorn, its shimmering mane flowing like a river of stardust. Drawn to the unicorn's beauty, Ella approached it cautiously. To her surprise, the unicorn spoke! "Welcome, young one," it said in a voice that sounded like bells tinkling. "You have entered the land of the Magic Flu5e. In this realm, dreams come to life, and the impossible becomes possible." Ella's eyes widened in awe as she realized the magnitude of her discovery. This was no ordinary forest; it was a place where dreams could become reality. Overwhelmed with joy, Ella spent days exploring this wondrous land, befriending creatures, and unlocking new magic with each passing day. However, as much as Ella cherished her time in this enchanted realm, she knew she had to find her way back home. With a heavy heart, she bid farewell to the magic creatures and embarked on a journey to find the magical portal that had brought her here. After days of searching, Ella finally stumbled upon the keyhole that matched the key she had found. With a sigh of relief, she turned the key, and in an instant, she was back in the familiar forest of her village. Ella realized that her adventure in the land of the Magic Flu5e had changed her forever. It had taught her to believe in magic and never to stop chasing her dreams. From that day forward, she vowed to live her life with the same sense of wonder and enchantment she had experienced in that mystical world. And so, Ella became a storyteller, sharing tales of her magical encounters with others and inspiring them to seek their own adventures. The land of the Magic Flu5e remained a cherished memory, a place where dreams truly came true..
Reviews for "Understanding the Origins of the Magic Flu5e Met"
1. John - 1/5 - I really didn't enjoy reading "The Magic Flu5e Met". The plot was all over the place and the characters were incredibly underdeveloped. It felt like the author was trying to cram too many ideas into a short book, resulting in a confusing and disjointed storyline. Additionally, the writing style was very basic and lacked any depth or creativity. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written and engaging fantasy read.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - "The Magic Flu5e Met" didn't live up to my expectations. The concept seemed interesting initially, but the execution fell flat. The pacing was off, with certain events being rushed and others dragging on unnecessarily. Additionally, the characters lacked depth and emotional connection, making it difficult to become invested in their stories. While the book had potential, it ultimately failed to deliver a captivating and memorable reading experience.
3. Mark - 1/5 - "The Magic Flu5e Met" was a complete disappointment. The writing was sloppy and filled with grammatical errors, making it difficult to comprehend the intended meaning of certain sentences. The dialogues felt forced and unnatural, further exacerbating the poor writing quality. The plot itself was unoriginal and predictable, lacking any elements that would make it stand out from the numerous other fantasy books out there. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone.