Insights into Mozart's Magic Flute (The Royal Opera)

Join the cast of David McVicar's Royal Opera production as they explore one of the best-loved operas of all time. Find out more at www.roh.org.uk
The first Insights event of the 2016/17 Season will feature conductor Julia Jones exploring one of Mozart's most memorable scores, as well as insights from the cast including Siobhan Stagg (Pamina), Mauro Peter (Tamina) and Sabine Devielhe (the Queen of the Night). It will be presented by Roderick Williams, who will sing the role of Papageno in the upcoming run.
As well as being a comedy, The Magic Flute is an expression of its composer's profound spiritual beliefs with the search for wisdom and virtue are at its heart. The Magic Flute was an instant success with audiences and Mozart’s supposed rival Salieri described it as an ‘operone’ - a great opera. Two centuries later, it continues to be one of the most popular of all operas, second only to Verdi's La traviata in terms of performances staged over the last five years according to Operabase.
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Mozart wrote Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) for a suburban theatre in Vienna, the Theater auf der Wieden. He drew on the magical spectacle and earthy comedy of popular Viennese theatre. As well as being a comedy, The Magic Flute is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs: Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart of this enchanting tale. The Magic Flute was an instant success with audiences and Mozart’s supposed rival Salieri described it as an ‘operone’ - a great opera.
David McVicar’s classic production embraces both the seriousness and comedy of Mozart’s work. The audience is transported to a fantastical world of dancing animals, flying machines and dazzlingly starry skies. The setting provides a wonderful backdrop for Mozart’s kaleidoscopic score, from the Queen of the Night’s coloratura fireworks to Tamino and Pamina’s lyrical love duets and Papageno’s hearty, folksong-like arias.

[@rafademaldonado]

Diana Damrau is from another planet in this Queen of the Night!!!

[@freethrice]

None better!

[@DuffmaneB]

I feel the same as the conductor. I listen to Magic Flute almost every night and it never gets old.

[@talalal-kuwari1243]

Having only discovered Die Zauberflote for myself recently I greatly appreciate the effort put into this video and the insight provided by the genuinely charming and brilliant cast. Thank You ROH

[@jsmith3980]

This is a marvellous analysis and exploration of Die Zauberflote.It's coming back to the Royal Opera House 2019.The set design looks superb.We did not appreciate this back in the 70s at school however I was intrigued by its mysticism and some of the arias made a lasting impression.I'm really looking forward to going.

[@thingoclien]

Saw it at the ROH a few years ago, and enjoyed it tremendously.

[@operaanimelover369]

I'm really excited to review this production of Die Zauberflöte because the David McVicar production was always the one I love so much. And of course, the awesome cast headed by Siobhan Stagg, Sabine Devieilhe, Mauro Peter, and the charismatic Roderick Williams. :)

[@onechopbuddy3849]

I loved the insight and can't wait to see the production, my first ever live opera.... I'm so excited 😀

[@marmeecruz6191]

Wonderful, just wonderful! Bravo to all!

[@firstloveacrossthesea5835]

Love is the reason for living. I really like how they sing that line.

[@Chilcutte]

Absolutely fabulous specifically the queen but all of the black with the the sequins I'm just amazed and I would love to see it in detail

[@tepesobrejac4360]

Why can't I find the full opera on KZbin anymore?

[@AlperTanGandalf]

Was it on KZbin ever????? I am searching for it and I can't find it on anywhere. I so want to see the full performance even though I don't speak or understand German. If you find it, please share the link here.

[@lewisyoung4531]

This weekend, Saturday, 19June2020, 19:00BST(7PM British Standard Time=3PM Eastern USA Daylight Time ) ROH brings The Magic Flute back to facebook and youtube for a short time. I suspect it will be available for the weekend, perhaps longer. The Magic Flute ROH preview kzbin.info/www/bejne/inK0cn6wg9l7bNE

[@robertanatero6084]

@@AlperTanGandalf It took me a while to find it as well, here u go :) Act I: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYe3YoaBppVlb6c&ab_channel=%2ailGloboMagico Act II: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3fblGV-pN57Y5I&ab_channel=%2ailGloboMagico

[@megastalkergaming1577]

@@robertanatero6084 THANK YOU

[@nadinemclean1671]

@@megastalkergaming1577 Yes, thank you VERY MUCH Roberta Natero!

[@davidsosa538]

Amazing lecture, thank you very much

[@j.j.schlachtfeld9325]

12:16 What a funny way of saying Papageno

[@llamaddrama]

Thank you so much for posting this! It's wonderful!

[@paineite]

Incredible that the conductor, who noted the three chord fanfare, neglected to mention the KEY significance, namely that their meter corresponds to the three knocks given in a gentleman's lodge of master masons. Similary, after the pause in the middle of the overture, the next fanfare represents the knock sequence of a lodge of adoption ... a feminine lodge. This is absolutely ESSENTIAL to understanding Mozart and Schickeneder's intention in the opera.

[@RalfLippold]

Awesome - thanks for sharing. Greetings from Dresden - @SemperoperDD

[@dawnadriennetaylor970]

As this is a year ago, is the FreeFlute still available on the website, please? I didn't see anywhere to put it. Thank you.

[@angelinaalvarado9586]

#roh. I adore and love this play!❤️❣️❤️❣️❤️❣️❤️❣️since birth

[@AlperTanGandalf]

Will you ever upload the full performance of Diana Damrau? I am sure there are a lot of people searching for it... Please upload it :( please...

[@livadace1745]

Thank U!!!

[@laurenth7187]

No kidding... this channel is becoming so funny.

[@therosaceous404]

This is against the law to only have 1k likes.

[@MrZofer]

where can find the opera complete?

[@nadinemclean1671]

Look above for the question from Tepes Obrejac. Then look under "replies". Roberta Natero gives you the links.

[@iristhehooman]

Papageno! I love Papageno!

[@Sk33rd]

Where can this full production be found on DVD?

[@gattiniregola]

The full ROH production from 2003 (an excerpt was shown at the beginning of this Insight presentation) is available on DVD from Opus Arte, and it is highly recommended. The performances are stellar, both acting and singing. You can find it with an online search for "ROH Zauberflote 2003 DVD"). Even better, you might find it in a pack of 3 ROH DVDs of Mozart productions, all of which are excellent., at a discount price. Thank goodness these were preserved on DVD. Enjoy!

[@enminghee2926]

I suspect this opera's plot is the REAL basis for Disney's TANGLED, not the story of Rapunzel.

[@juanjuan-xr5vc]

What happened to the full version of the opera ? Why did you turned it down?

[@yl6004]

Could someone tell me the name of the chorus at 2.08?

[@luisa3431]

i'm not quite sure, but i think this is all the royal opera chorus...

[@lindacowles756]

If you mean the name of the song, it's "Heil sei euch Geweihten" ("Hail to the Initiates")

[@techwiz7947]

Diana Damrau is absolutely amazing but she us nothing compared to Cristina Deutekom's 1971 Queen of the Night from the Hamburg State Opera. She sang queen of the night in 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1984 aswell. The 1969 studio recording of Cristina Deutekom singing O Zittre Nicht would likely be the most beautiful and best in history! Mozart would be bamboozled by her singing.

[@nklaar]

DIANA DAMRAU is the best queen of the night of all....❤love her dearly

[@FionaPlaysGaming]

Wow ❤😊

[@somekindofflower2024]

2003 performance? I didn't think it was so old.

[@PlAy-mf7dl]

"

[@TheSharoncat]

Mozart

[@derfrieda2254]

They sing quite wonderfully, but the non-native speakers hardly ever manage to sing understandably. No comparison to the performance of Diana Damrau, who has the advantage of being a native speaker of German.

[@erik878]

Hey I write operas I've got a ton of operatic and symphonic material on my channel which is catchier than much of mozart but I get no respect

[@paineite]

Margaret Reynold's survey of the characters of the opera was FAR too presentist and anachronistic in my judgment. Mozart must be judged by the standard of HIS time, not ours. No individual character, moreover represents the intention of the opera: this is found ONLY in the alchemical fusion of the characters at the end. Her analysis also utterly overlooks the masonic content and intention of the opera. I was personally disappointed at the shallowness of her approach. I'll continue to listen in the hopes that others do better

[@NeoclassicYT]

Mozart was the George Lucas of his day!

[@tainorosario8902]

I agree, he did start as the Lucas, but continued as the Spielberg. Bub to be technical, Hyden was the Lucas, and Mozart the Spielberg.

[@alfonsoparrado3112]

I came here to listen about the magic flute which is an opera I love, and instead I just got a 3rd wave feminist talking nonsense and pretending it's unbelievable people were sexist in the past. And there's no male gaze, there's nothing wrong with Tamino falling in love with the picture, women do that all the time too. It's not sexist, it's just how our brains work, we fall in love with the physique and then hopefully everything else too

[@LF-bm8fe]

no doubt. glad someone said this. feminazi she is!

[@mrlopez-pz7pu]

The comments from the red head were absurd, over analytical nonsense.

[@demolicionesdemexico]

Why why.. oh why let a woman starts tarnishes the libreto wirh the poissonous ideas of women femminisism?? Horrid and awkward... terrible

[@demolicionesdemexico]

Had to fastforward when the little woman with her big glasses started to spit women hatred ocer the libreto...

[@ajdc88]

wow, you couldn't just sing the songs, could you? you have to add in the commentary that'll age about as well as bell bottoms

[@unknownk5455]

Why do British people talk so weird

[@armin3620]

Boring, this woman will never think what men thinks in terms of literature and story telling, drama is all about tradegy and what better way to look at tradegy is on women. There is not a pro feminist point of view here.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

the lecture is like a satire on scholarly over-thinking.....feminism in search of validation. and this duet is not on the highest level..... it seems like college music school conservatory stuff.......are they students?? the soprano? no.

[@davidsosa538]

Nothing is good enough, no one is a good performer, there´s always something wrong with the music, or the concept, or the stage...bla...bla...bla. It´s because of people like you and your unmindful shallowness, that the magnificent art of Opera is considered for many as something weird and distant. Watching a simple lecture like this one can make anyone interested in watching and understanding the full opera.

[@jsmith3980]

@@davidsosa538 Here here...well said