Die Zauberflöte
Magic Flute
Constance and I have been impatiently waiting for the live performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute by our local Opera company – Pacific Opera Victoria!
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We do appreciate that POV always makes an effort to make opera work for a small stage and tiny orchestra pit. The results are sometimes impressive, sometimes laughable – last night we found the sets and costumes more distracting than complimentary, almost incoherent. The music was, of course, charming. The story is an 18th century Masonic version of a fairy tale, so it is taken for granted that women, uneducated people and foreigners are untrustworthy – unpalatable assumptions today. Well, we don’t go to the opera because the story makes sense!
Our favourite parts of the staging were Papageno’s Origami birds, and seeing the Queen of the Night in a two-story tall dress…we wish there had been more of a dragon! Still, we liked the monks with their light sabres, three ladies dishing out bad advice, three spirits good advice, and the hero and heroine struggling through dark moments before they reach the light!
Long live the arts, local live entertainment, and working to end darkness and return to light!
To view Constance’s other opera reviews go to this link
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Quimper Hittys 
I love ‘The Magic Flute’, even though, as you say, so much of the story line is utterly cringe worthy! Constance’s flute is truly magical!!! What is POV?
AND….your photograph is exquisite, as always!
POV is Pacific Opera Victoria – and Ingmar Bergman’s Magic Flute is one of my favourite opera movies of all time!
Mine, too!
Yes, dear Constance, continue to support your local artists! I often tell my actors, but for their efforts, Broadway could not survive. Indeed, without the “dress-up boxes” lavishly supplied by loving parents with hand-me-way-downs and cast-offs, Broadway could not continue. (P.S. Have you ever really listened to a show by Rogers and Hammerstein? More than enough unsavory characters…none politically correct…)
We love our local companies of dusty-footed thespians, and hope that arts funding stays intact throughout difficult conservative times – all the better to laugh and cry and find hope and inspiration!
The Country Hittys and I always enjoy the opera reviews by Constance. We are also quite impressed by her lovely flute. It sounds as tho a good time was had by all. We also applaud her support of the arts!!
We were sorry to miss the opera on the radio today, due to another obligation…we did hear the last half hour or so of Rusalka, and thought it sounded ravishing.
I so enjoy your opera critiques and the Hitty’s who accompany you. Love Constance’s flute and musical dress. Bravo.
One of our Hitty friends gave us the musical fabric – isn’t it perfect!? The flute is from a music store. We have quite the little orchestra in the Hitty cupboard!
Anything Mozart is always awesome. Constance has good taste and love the photograph of Constance and the flute
Thank you very much! We love Mozart too!
I love Mozart and Magic flute opera so much. Thanks…
You are welcome! The Magic Flute is a favourite here too!
Amazing detail in the flute, and the dress! Faaaabulous. I’m glad a friend sent me here.
Thanks very much 🙂 we do have fun around here, often involving food and music!