The Magic Flute

Originally commissioned by the Viennese music-hall impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, The Magic Flute has triumphed over its humble beginnings to become a widely-performed and well-loved opera in the international repertory. Over the centuries, Mozart's whimsy and symbolism has been interpreted by artists as varied as Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Marc Chagall and David Hockney, and in this work Davide Pizzigoni offers his interpretation. He translates Mozart's celebrated musical motifs into such visual motifs as quirky faces, extravagant shoes, and musical instruments. There is a translation of the Schikaneder/Mozart libretto by poet and librettist J.D. McClatchy. The accompanying CD features the 1937 recording of Arturo Toscanini conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.