Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73238 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-31
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: NTSC, Subtitled
• Original language: German
• Subtitled in: German, English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Customer Reviews

'Magic Flute' For Kids -- From Salzburg and in German
After an acclaimed Magic Flute was mounted at the Salzburg Festival in 1978 by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and starring singers like Christian Boesch, Ileana Cotrubras, Edda Moser, Peter Schreier, Zdzislawa Donat and Kurt Rydl, and with James Levine conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, the Papageno (Boesch) fashioned a version for children which was given in the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg. No adults were admitted to the performance unless they were accompanied by two children and the place was packed. Boesch's version has Papageno as a narrator who with grace and humor (and no little comic arrogance) explains both the plot and the notion of why there is even such a thing as opera where words are sung rather than simply spoken. The whole thing is, of course, in German and there are excellent English subtitles -- and subtitles in German and French as well -- and the whole thing has a joyous quality to it. The children in the audience certainly seemed to respond positively to the whole performance. This DVD is taken from the telecast of the performance aired on Austrian TV; it is beautifully filmed and recorded.

My only concern about this DVD is that for English-speaking audiences, for whom this review is being written after all, the notion of having to read subtitles does interfere somewhat with the spontaneity of the event. And of course we can presume that in the not too distant future the children's version of Magic Flute based on Julie Taymor's Metropolitan Opera production will be out on DVD. For English-speaking children it would undoubtedly be the preferred version.

But for what it is, this is a marvelous DVD. Boesch does a bang up job both as writer and narrator as well as being a truly funny Papageno.

Sound: LPCM Stereo; Format 4:3 NTSC; Subtitled: English, German, French; Region Code 0 (worldwide); Disc format: DVD9; Running time: 106mins

Scott Morrison

Not for English-speaking children who don't read
This is a wonderful performance, no doubt about it...although it is abridged...for example, the Queen of the Night's first aria is skipped entirely, much of the masonic music is gone, and almost half of the performance is a series of extraneous explanations by Papageno and others of the role of the director, the nature of opera, and explication of plot. Everything is ganz auf deutsch. Kein Wort English..except as subtitles..this might be ok for kids with rapid reading skills, but it was totally lost on my 2 granddaughters, age 5 and 3. It was so disappointing for them not to understand anything that was being said...yet they responded beautifully to the music and singing. Goes to show you that for kids of all ages, nothing is really necessary beyond a fine performance of the original!!

too much talk, not enough opera, aimed at older children and their parents
I am disappointed in this DVD: Levine, Salzburg, Vienna Philharmonic, Ponnelle ... If your child is older and already an opera fan, and can read quickly (or doesn't care that it's in German and there is a LOT of talking (vs. singing), then this DVD will be of interest to them. But for a first taste of opera for the younger child, this DVD is too long, with too much talk and not enough music, and not quite right for younger age groups. My 5-year-old son and I have seen 2 children's versions of The Magic Flute here in Ottawa, both very low budget but very high quality, and both better than this (probably very expensive) production. For younger children probably a better idea is to play one of the classic versions of the opera available on DVD and then explain some of the plot twists which will catch their interest -- why Pagageno has a lock on his mouth, for example. Even better, buy the CD by Classical Kids, "Mozart's Magic Fantasy", which is simply perfect for children -- it has been a huge favourite in our house for several years now -- bringing the music fully to life with a plot line which engages children very well -- and all in English including the (abridged) libretto. That entire CD series -- there is a story for Handel, Vivaldi, another for Mozart, and our favourite, "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" -- is simply fantastic and a wonderful and educational intro to classical music and its many joys.