Why Mozart's Magic Flute is a masterpiece - an introduction (The Royal Opera)

The cast and creative team of The Royal Opera's Magic Flute explore what makes Mozart's The Magic Flute a classic. Find out more at www.roh.org.uk/...
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.

[@RoyalBalletAndOpera]

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[@lakwa.cher.a]

I lost count on how many times i've watched this wonderful production of Die Zauberflöte (with countless rewinds to my favorite parts of the opera). Thank you ROH for streaming this masterpiece, even for a very limited time, every minute watching this is so beautiful and magical. 💜💜💜 - from Manila, Philippines

[@hannibalthehuntur9228]

Diana Damrau.

[@zmijak24cm]

Karolos R she is absolutely phenomenal just like Luciana Serra or Zdzislawa Donat ❤️💥🧨

[@XPRT10R]

That's not Diana Damrau though

[@kairitkolk6641]

Periodt.

[@moctezumatzinaldobrandinic1332]

Diana Damrau is the best queen of the night!

[@orionsuniversepart2932]

Hey, wait a minute! I’m American! I used to live near the Lincoln Center Royal Opera and I have witnessed the play live!

[@gustavgans5609]

Wow, the pronouncement is really good. I mean because no one of the singers speaks german, but every single person could be born in Austria! It's amazing! I am from Vienna and if I hear the British (or French) speak german, it sounds... yeah, you know that they are not Austrians. And I think that "Die Zauberflöte" is one of the very best Operas.

[@swbn6673]

It is interesting that people can sing in a foreign language without being able to speak the language. Obviously, music is helpful to find the right pronunciation.

[@herryoung]

To become an opera singer you need to have two years of university German, 2 of Italian, and 2 of French, so they’re fairly conversant in the language, whatever it may be, of the opera.

[@roxanneginang5086]

I still prefer and go back to the Die Zauberflöte 2003 ROH Production with Damrau, Röschmann, Hartmann, Selig, Thompson, and Keenlyside with the conductors Davis & Syrus. But generally speaking, Die Zauberflöte played at ROH is overall a swell!

[@DionysianMadness]

New to opera and curious is this worth the watch? I would like to watch for my first opera

[@mariaelenavilaralvarez3815]

I would definitely recommend!

[@mariaelenavilaralvarez3815]

Also The Marriage of Figaro 😊

[@vodyanoy3088]

Also watch the Marriage of Figaro and absolutely Don Giovanni

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

Das Reingold will make you into a Wagner lover.

[@nai36821]

Wish I could see this performance 💔

[@guilhermeandriolo7951]

Now you can watch and donate to the Royal Opera House kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXi4lIGwoNd0e5I

[@nai36821]

@@guilhermeandriolo7951 yayyy

[@phamapollo3175]

It's a dream come true to see this great production in which the evil girls are not half bald

[@martinusng4723]

Try Listen Kids Version. The Kids Voice Indonesia. Sing by Adelways Lay. You will also be amaze.

[@isabelahart9377]

She looks like Blake lively!

[@9897431]

sabine!

[@vickygonzalez2205]

no blackface? Niiiice

[@mons3020]

Illuminati confirmed...

[@clivegoodman16]

Certainly Mozart and Schickenade were Freemasons. I am not sure whether they were Illuminati as well, but it is very likely.

[@defnot.her_]

How?

[@diego_celorio]

masons, actually hahaha

[@laurenth7187]

It's not a masterpiece. The Story has nothing to do with music, neither the costumes... For now, only the Overture is an absolute masterpiece. Mozart, sorry for him, wrote the most beautiful music, but not always.

[@randyventresca4152]

You are sadly in the minority with that opinion.

[@laurenth7187]

@@randyventresca4152 well i was so disappointed with M that it took me a whole life to listen to him again...

[@beethovenlovedmozart]

@@laurenth7187 more talent in his little pinkie than anything Beethoven had

[@dowhatyouwantdisco8076]

Yes, this is german!

[@LittleLotte616]

“I’m like the best person in this”

[@danielspiesl4553]

Neversmileatacrocodile he plays a misogynistic asshole

[@iadtag1853]

@@danielspiesl4553 Isn't every man in the story misogynistic? Even the boys, I would say.

[@dmitridmitriyevichshostako2548]

@@iadtag1853 YES! And I'm male, by the way, before those closet misogynists accuse me of being a misandrist.

[@dmitridmitriyevichshostako2548]

@@danielspiesl4553 True!

[@ryderbourque7582]

Diana Dramau was a better queen of the night.

[@russellbaston974]

Different.

[@abelreyes9760]

@@russellbaston974 Diana Damrau and Sumi Jo.

[@russellbaston974]

Damrau and Jo are definitely different.

[@zmijak24cm]

I love Diana Damrau, Luciana Serra and Zdzislawa Donat. My favorite trio!

[@PrimeBallard]

Best

[@dowhatyouwantdisco8076]

Do they sing in german?

[@musique7109]

Twenty Pentatonix at the Disco Yes, they do.

[@TheDearyayah]

Sophie Roper do you always understand it when you watch opera? If not, how do you understand it?

[@ArianaGramsci]

Sarah Azri Well, mostly we know the story beforehand, and also they give you a brochure which goes into better detail. Plus, there are real-time subtitles, so you can understand just about everything, from scene conception to the words they're singing! :)

[@s3cr3tpassword]

What about this video told you that it wasn’t going to be done in German?

[@parsasaedi1787]

It's a masterpiece because of the masons.

[@beethovenlovedmozart]

Then they probably killed him.

[@hkkhgffh3613]

Just hilarious a duck on his hat!

[@theresia1428]

3:12 I’m sure Papageno said “I’m Mensch wie du!” and not “Ich bin Mensch wie du.” which means “I’m human like you.” like he mixed English with German XD.

[@mareikekeller9688]

Jenny Li I think the line is: „Ein Mensch, wie du.“ (A human being, like you)

[@theresia1428]

@@mareikekeller9688 Oh I get it now thanks! XD

[@LCNWA]

Wunderbar!

[@paulquinn7282]

Like Bergman's 1975 film, the Knaben appear to be in a balloon. Was in the original stage directions? 1790 would have been about the same time as the Montgolfier brothers first hot-air balloons. Also one of the things that Bergman did that I really love was introducing the Drei Knaben at the end of the quintet, replacing the Queen of the Night's ladies with them.

[@ahmetfurkankara6846]

How we can watch this on internet

[@enminghee2926]

Does anyone realise this opera's plot is basically Disney's Tangled?

[@karlmortoniv2951]

Other way round, surely.

[@russellbaston974]

Have you looked at Star Wars?

[@venndiagram5981]

Isn’t “Tangled” based on Rapunzel ? The plot of the Magic Flute is different.

[@enminghee2926]

@@venndiagram5981 only on the surface. It has a lot more resemblance to the magic flute.

[@alegendamongmen]

Losers