The Operavox series is really quite an intriguing little series. Mainly to see different animation styles and how they manage to fit in mostly 2-and-a-half-hour operas into 30 minutes. While you will feel the need to see the respective opera in its entirety to get the full punch, the Operavox series does do a very good job, especially in introducing opera to younger audiences. The Magic Flute-one of Mozart's best- I have always loved as an opera, and this was a decent animated version of it. It is my least favourite of the series and there are things that didn't quite work, but of the 6 operas featured The Magic Flute is the most accessible.
It is mostly good visually. The animation is traditional and kind of like in a half-anime/half-picture-book sort of style. The colours are elegant, and the backgrounds have good detail, it does remind me of some 80s animated shows(a good thing for me, though others will disagree) and the style is perfect for the fantastical nature of the story. The character designs are not always consistent though. The Queen of the Night and Three Ladies are wonderfully mysterious and Pamina is lovely and dutiful. The dragon at the start is also quite foreboding, and the fire and water effects are good. Tamino however looks as though he's constantly changing size, and Monostatos looks weird. I also imagined Sarastro as a tall and regal character, but I did find it very difficult to describe how he was animated here(ie. somewhat of an over-sized spirit perhaps?)
And I wasn't entirely keen on the voice work either. The best was that of Papagaeno, who was every bit the lovable rogue he should be. Though Sarastro was very nobly voiced and while she doesn't have that much to say the Queen of the Night rightly gives the impression that she is not one to get on the wrong side of. I wouldn't say they are entirely great though because there is a tendency to over-enunciate which does get a tad patronising. The voice work of Tamino and Pamina is very bland. And while this animated version does deserve credit for doing its best to adapt the opera into half-an-hour and for keeping the spirit of the story intact, I wasn't crazy about the cuts. Inevitably, there was going to be some, but while the three boys were very sweet their presence seemed useless and even though her role is fairly brief in the first place the Queen of the Night's role here is even briefer. Only the second half of her first aria and the bit everybody knows in Der Halle Rache remains, and in regard to the former the first half of the aria is really the place where Tamino learns how urgent the outcome of his quest is.
Mozart's wonderful music is superbly performed by the orchestra though, and the chorus do wonders with the little music here that they have to do. The conducting is brisk allowing for the story to be swiftly told- all without rushing it through as well- and also ensuring that it never feels dull. The dialogue is fairly faithful to the libretto and flows well. Of the singers, the best were Simon Keenlyside and John Connell. Keenlyside is a hearty and warm Papagaeno, more youthful than what I've heard from him of late, and has a sly, charming delivery of words. Connell has the perfect resonant voice and kindly presence for Sarastro. Jennifer Rhys-Davies' Queen of the Night have plenty of power and agility, and definitely strikes fear into people's heart. Her diction is fairly unintelligible however. The Three Ladies have lovely voices and are superbly blended, and the Speaker, a small but important role, is authoritatively sung.
Rebecca Evans is a charming and funny Papagaena, while Alwyn Mellor is an affecting Pamina with an enchanting and clear soprano voice, you really feel for her during Ach Ich Fuhls. Neill Archer has a pretty lyric voice for Tamino, but it does sound like a lovely voice with not much presence. The Monostatos of John Harris is strongly sung and crisply articulated, but not particularly funny. In duets and ensembles the blending is very professionally done, and renditions of big arias range from competent to great. The storytelling is charming and has the right spirit of that of the opera, for an opera so condensed here the drama is still quite effective. On the whole, decent and well worth the look, but my least favourite of the Operavox series(Rigoletto was the standout for me). 7/10 Bethany Cox
It is mostly good visually. The animation is traditional and kind of like in a half-anime/half-picture-book sort of style. The colours are elegant, and the backgrounds have good detail, it does remind me of some 80s animated shows(a good thing for me, though others will disagree) and the style is perfect for the fantastical nature of the story. The character designs are not always consistent though. The Queen of the Night and Three Ladies are wonderfully mysterious and Pamina is lovely and dutiful. The dragon at the start is also quite foreboding, and the fire and water effects are good. Tamino however looks as though he's constantly changing size, and Monostatos looks weird. I also imagined Sarastro as a tall and regal character, but I did find it very difficult to describe how he was animated here(ie. somewhat of an over-sized spirit perhaps?)
And I wasn't entirely keen on the voice work either. The best was that of Papagaeno, who was every bit the lovable rogue he should be. Though Sarastro was very nobly voiced and while she doesn't have that much to say the Queen of the Night rightly gives the impression that she is not one to get on the wrong side of. I wouldn't say they are entirely great though because there is a tendency to over-enunciate which does get a tad patronising. The voice work of Tamino and Pamina is very bland. And while this animated version does deserve credit for doing its best to adapt the opera into half-an-hour and for keeping the spirit of the story intact, I wasn't crazy about the cuts. Inevitably, there was going to be some, but while the three boys were very sweet their presence seemed useless and even though her role is fairly brief in the first place the Queen of the Night's role here is even briefer. Only the second half of her first aria and the bit everybody knows in Der Halle Rache remains, and in regard to the former the first half of the aria is really the place where Tamino learns how urgent the outcome of his quest is.
Mozart's wonderful music is superbly performed by the orchestra though, and the chorus do wonders with the little music here that they have to do. The conducting is brisk allowing for the story to be swiftly told- all without rushing it through as well- and also ensuring that it never feels dull. The dialogue is fairly faithful to the libretto and flows well. Of the singers, the best were Simon Keenlyside and John Connell. Keenlyside is a hearty and warm Papagaeno, more youthful than what I've heard from him of late, and has a sly, charming delivery of words. Connell has the perfect resonant voice and kindly presence for Sarastro. Jennifer Rhys-Davies' Queen of the Night have plenty of power and agility, and definitely strikes fear into people's heart. Her diction is fairly unintelligible however. The Three Ladies have lovely voices and are superbly blended, and the Speaker, a small but important role, is authoritatively sung.
Rebecca Evans is a charming and funny Papagaena, while Alwyn Mellor is an affecting Pamina with an enchanting and clear soprano voice, you really feel for her during Ach Ich Fuhls. Neill Archer has a pretty lyric voice for Tamino, but it does sound like a lovely voice with not much presence. The Monostatos of John Harris is strongly sung and crisply articulated, but not particularly funny. In duets and ensembles the blending is very professionally done, and renditions of big arias range from competent to great. The storytelling is charming and has the right spirit of that of the opera, for an opera so condensed here the drama is still quite effective. On the whole, decent and well worth the look, but my least favourite of the Operavox series(Rigoletto was the standout for me). 7/10 Bethany Cox
