If you have always wanted to attend an opera but were afraid of not comprehending or appreciating this form of entertainment, you may want to venture to New Haven this weekend to witness the Yale Opera's production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute.
With a new set constructed by the Yale School of Drama, this highly accessible opera will be sung in German with projected English translations and spoken English dialogue. This delightful Mozartian opera is known as a singspiel which the Oxford Companion to Music describes as "an opera in which relatively simple musical numbers are interspersed with spoken dialogue in German." It has the characteristics of a fairy tale with magical instruments, evil people, a scary serpent, an imprisoned heroine and unusual creatures; it showcases the absurd by utilizing Keystone Cop humor that children will adore. Supported by Mozart's memorable music, it demonstrates mankind's quest for enlightenment in a complex, baffling world.
This opera takes place on Friday and Saturday, February 13 & 14 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 15 at the Shubert Theater.
If you can't make it, please feel free to check out the compact disc or videorecordings at the library.
