~Claudio Arrau
Although I have heard Mozart's The Magic Flute opera, I haven't seen a performance of it before. It looks like I am missing out. Watch this video on the Lyric Opera of Chicago site for a description of The Magic Flute and you'll see what I mean. And look at these posters/covers:
for the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra
Emanuele Luzzati/Giulio Gianini
by Wiktor Sadowski
by Marc Chagall
Links:
* Metropolitan Opera DVD in English and a Covent Garden DVD in German with subtitles
* Ingmar Bergman's 1975 version, Kathleen Battle's, and Kenneth Branagh's. If you live in the UK, you can get Kenneth Branagh's for a good price.
* Download an entire MP3 album of The Magic Flute by the Berlin Phil for only 1.98
* Arizona Opera has a Magic Flute study guide that is worth checking out.
* LA Opera also has a study guide for The Magic Flute, which includes info on performing poetry.
I haven't seen The Magic Flute either, but the video certainly made me want to rent a DVD of a production!
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, if one has not seen the opera performed, one can look at the posters more for their stand-alone qualities than for their depiction of the opera.
That said, I think that the Amano cover/poster, the Sadowski piece, and the Hampstead Garden Opera poster are all wonderful ... certainly worthy of more than just a posted notice.
Lovely collection of posters--thanks. I've seen a number of productions, both live and on video. I even saw the Met production with Marc Chagall's sets and costumes. It was like seeing a Chagall painting come to life, accompanied by the most gorgeous music. Of the videos, Ingmar Bergman's is the best, though it's sung in Swedish and not German. Next best is the one on Philips with Lucia Popp, Kurt Moll (as Sarastro) and Edita Gruberova as Queen of Night. I think Colin Davis conducts. The Beecham audio version that you mention is the first one that I heard, and I still love it. For modern sound, my favorite is the one conducted by Sir Georg Solti (London recording). I'm am practically obsessed with this opera and collect just about every version I can get my hands on. Endless pleasure and inspiration.
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