BBC4 Magic Flute 25/12/19

[LeMartinPecheur]

Did anyone else watch?

I'm sure the c1900 Vienna hotel-setting will bring down coals of fire as making no sense at all, but as the original masonic setting probably made little sense at time of 1st perf and even less now, it worked surprisingly well for Mrs LMP and me.

[Pianorak]

Posted yesterday under What are you listening to now?

Listened and watched the splendidly inventive Glyndebourne production of The Magic Flute on BBC4 this evening. Would the setting of an Edwardian hotel work? I thought it did. Bjorn Burger, in the role of Papageno, showed he could act as well as sing.

[oddoneout]

I did watch yes. There were aspects of the production I really did not like, and others that niggled a bit, but the music and some excellent singing smoothed the bumps.
I read this review https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...c-flute-mozart when it came out and it was interesting to be able to go back to it after yesterday's viewing.

[Dave2002]

The most fun this year was Scottish Opera’s production. The naked chef version was ok - good singing, IIRC, but we didn’t go to Glyndebourne to see it. Maybe watch again on iPlayer later on.

[David-G]

I saw this at Glyndebourne, and again at the Proms. While I am an enthusiast for Glyndebourne and for the Flute, this was I am afraid not one of their better efforts. In my view, the comic parts of the Flute were not very funny in this production, while the serious aspect of the opera was totally absent. In addition, the usually wonderful OAE were rather below par due to Wigglesworth's flabby conducting - nothing like their electric performances of Rinaldo at about the same time with the great Emelyanychev. I felt no need to watch this again. A great pity that they did not broadcast the wonderful "Cherubin" production instead.

[ardcarp]

Did anyone else watch?

I'm sure the c1900 Vienna hotel-setting will bring down coals of fire as making no sense at all, but as the original masonic setting probably made little sense at time of 1st perf and even less now, it worked surprisingly well for Mrs LMP and me.

I'm sure the c1900 Vienna hotel-setting will bring down coals of fire as making no sense at all, but as the original masonic setting probably made little sense at time of 1st perf and even less now, it worked surprisingly well for Mrs LMP and me.

Late to the party as usual but Mrs A (a one-time Papagena) and I watched it last night. One has to expect gimmicks these days* (see bold type) but we thoroughly enjoyed the singing and playing (I thought the OAE was good, once I'd got used to the low pitch!) were excellent. I'd single out Papageno as being on top form, both acting and singing. My youngest daughter (also watching) was intrigued that one of the 3 ladies (the one with specs) was an old university friend. Everyone except possibly Sarastro had a lot of 'business', and managed it without affecting their vocal delivery.

Of course Mozart eclipsed everything. It hardly needs to be said, but what incredible music.

*There was an amusing bit in Michael Frayn's Shetchbook where a load of luvvies were debating with the director the production of a newly written play. Suggestions ranged from translating the script to Mandarin or Russian, setting it in the Stone Age or The Future perhaps on another planet. Maybe in the nude on ice or on pennyfarthing bicycles. A young intern put her hand up and stammered "why not in the present, as written and in England?" There was an awkward silence followed by derisory laughter from all. Then a moment's hush followed. The Director then said "That's BRILLIANT!! A truly novel idea!!!

[Keraulophone]

To conduct this foodie production

Emelyanychev

would do.

[David-G]

*There was an amusing bit in Michael Frayn's Shetchbook where a load of luvvies were debating with the director the production of a newly written play. Suggestions ranged from translating the script to Mandarin or Russian, setting it in the Stone Age or The Future perhaps on another planet. Maybe in the nude on ice or on pennyfarthing bicycles. A young intern put her hand up and stammered "why not in the present, as written and in England?" There was an awkward silence followed by derisory laughter from all. Then a moment's hush followed. The Director then said "That's BRILLIANT!! A truly novel idea!!!

I love it! This puts me in mind of what for me takes the wooden spoon for opera productions I have seen - Fidelio with the Opera de Lyon at the Edinburgh Festival several years ago. Set in outer space, on the doomed spaceship Aniara. Why? Because the producer thought it would be entertaining to conflate the two stories and see what happened. The singers were all on Segways and spent the evening trying to keep their balance and not collide with each other. A gauze covering the entire proscenium was covered with moving video projections right through the opera, and was also very effective in preventing the sound from reaching the audience. To make the great Act 2 confrontation totally devoid of drama was really quite an achievement.

[David-G]

To conduct this foodie production
Emelyanychev
would do.

!!

[LHC]

I love it! This puts me in mind of what for me takes the wooden spoon for opera productions I have seen - Fidelio with the Opera de Lyon at the Edinburgh Festival several years ago. Set in outer space, on the doomed spaceship Aniara. Why? Because the producer thought it would be entertaining to conflate the two stories and see what happened. The singers were all on Segways and spent the evening trying to keep their balance and not collide with each other. A gauze covering the entire proscenium was covered with moving video projections right through the opera, and was also very effective in preventing the sound from reaching the audience. To make the great Act 2 confrontation totally devoid of drama was really quite an achievement.

That reminds me of the Berlin production of Rigoletto set on the Planet of the Apes. A recent production of La Boheme at the Paris Opera was also set on a space station, with the male characters dressed in space suits (Mimi and Musetta wore dresses as normal). And then there was Achim Freyer’s production of Eugene Onegin in Berlin:

sets are exclusively black and white, with a completely naked stage except for some chairs. All characters (except Gremin) are on stage for the duration of the opera and all are masked/dressed assembling clowns or pantomime figure including grotesque amounts of black/white face paint.

The choreography is very strict down to the tiniest arm movement. Each character is allotted a stripe in the floor along which he/she perpetually moves slowly backwards and forwards. Just like a puppet show. The sequence of movements is repeated four times during the performance. All characters look straight forward with no facial expressions whatsoever and at no point do they look at each other or interact. There is no attempt to match the action to the text or music at any point in the performance.

[LMcD]

Glyndebourne's 2019 Magic Flute can be seen on iPlayer until 2140 on Tuesday (24th of March)

[Bryn]

Glyndebourne's 2019 Magic Flute can be seen on iPlayer until 2140 on Tuesday (24th of March)

Phew! Around 6GB. Too big for FAT32. I just hope my OPPO deck can read an NTFS formatted USB stick.

[Dave2002]

Phew! Around 6GB. Too big for FAT32. I just hope my OPPO deck can read an NTFS formatted USB stick.

Couldn't possibly comment!

You could split it across two machines - surely you must have some spares.

Or you could support the musicians and buy the DVD or Blu Ray, which I think might be available by now.
Actually it isn't .... but I expect it will be eventually.