The (Not So) Magic Flute

 

Another month, another ROH filmcast, this time The Magic Flute. 

Regular readers will be aware that I am not a huge fan of the plot of this opera, perverted and bonkers being about the best things I have to say about it. However I can often be reconciled to it because of the beauty of the music. It's also a huge favourite of the OH's, so when he pointed out there was an ROH filmcast at the Arts Centre at the University, given that he has recently gone to two operas on his own (Wagner, need I say more?) I felt sort of obliged to go with him. After all I reasoned, the music IS fantastic and it's Covent Garden so the cast and the playing will be great. 

Alas for such confidence. The cast was not great,and nor was the orchestra. The playing was mechanical and, bar the Queen of the Night who was excellent, the rest of the cast were either competent, uninspiring or underpowered. It was a revival of David McVicar's 2017 production and I can sort of see why people think it's wonderful; puppets, people with animal heads, a 12 section snake ( rather than a dragon!) to open. I wasn't charmed myself. They had also put in a lot of the spoken dialogue which is usually heavily cut ( and rightly so),  so it was l-o-n-g. 

No production I have ever seen has beaten Bergman's film, although the performance at Savonlinna a few years ago came close. We would have done better to stay at home and watch that instead. 

Never mind, it was a night out. Next month it's the Met's production of Evgeny Onegin and I'm hoping that will be really good. I was going to write 'hoping that will be better' but I can't see that it could be less enjoyable to be honest.