Product Details

• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: View Video
• VHS Release Date: August 1, 1996
• Run Time: 42 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303445349
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,964 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Brings the magic of classical music to children in ways that are easy for them to understand includes a child-friendly narrative that brings the somewhat comedic story home --Billboard Magazine

Product Description

WINNER OF...
-Parent's Choice Approved
-The Dove Foundation Family Approved Seal
-The N.A.I.R.D. Awards- Finalist
-The Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence
-The Coalition For Quality Children's Video: Kids First! Endorsement

This version of Mozart's The Magic Flute-one of the best-loved comic operas of all time-will delight the whole family. With the story narrated in English and sung in the original German, this skillfully abridged production was created especially to introduce young audiences to the wonderful world of opera.

This is the tale of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, young lovers who use the powers of a magic flute to battle the forces of evil that threaten to keep them apart.

V.I.E.W. Video is proud to present "Mozart's The Magic Flute Story." Lavish sets and costumes compliment Mozart's brilliant score and unforgettable cast of comic characters.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where did the Great Scenes go?, July 5, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Mozart's Magic Flute Story [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video is really disappointing to me. I know a lot about Mozart, and Die Zauberflote in general. IF someone HAD to make an abridged version of Die Zauberflote (don't ask me why!) they could have done a better job than this. Most of the great scenes are cut out, and the story is changed a bit! Cutting out two thirds of the opening scene ("Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!") is a terrible idea, cutting out half of, "Der Holle Rache" is even WORSE, destroying the part where the Queen, Monastatos, and the Three Ladies are destroyed just as bad- Note: Cutting out the finale causes something like this to happen: "The Queen told Pamina to kill Sarastro. Sarastro says, 'That's okay,' Papageno finds a mate, and they live happily ever after." What happened to the Queen? Ugh! Also, the sound quality is terrible. The costumes are ugly, and the staging, with staircases leading nowherte on either side of the stage, just doesen't work. Put it all together and it spells disaster.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Elementary General Music Teacher is Disappointed, August 3, 2007

By 

Larry Vanmersbergen (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart's Magic Flute Story [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I purchased this video to supplement a composer lesson about Mozart. The video is an abridged version of the Mozart opera, The Magic Flute. I was disappointed by the poor video quality and poor production values. One of the reasons I purchased an abridged version is that the full opera would be much to lengthy for elementary school audiences and I thought I would be able to show this in its entirity due to its abbreviated length, but the video is so poor, it failed to capture even my interest as an ADULT with two music degrees (one in vocal music performance, no less). I DO NOT recommend this video. It is useful to be shown in short excerpts only. It is definitely not worth using the precious little funds you may already receive for equipment/supplies.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth your money!!, April 3, 2006

By 

K. Nash (MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MOZART'S The Magic Flute Story: An Opera Fantasy (DVD)

I found this version at the library and decided to check it out. I was amazed at how bad it was. For one thing, they changed the story around which was bothersome. The singing is really bad, and I think the thing that that bothered me the most is the strange costumes (Tamino looks like an elf!) I also hated all the strange creatures that come out, instead of animals coming out when Tamino plays his flute, they have people prancing out on stage dressed as who knows what. The whole thing was just horrible, costumes, the set, everything...and a lot of times when the commentator is explaining a certain part, it'll be playing a whole different aria (or the wrong part of the aria.) The whole thing is so chopped up, and the DVD is more blurry and grainy than I've ever seen anything on DVD before. I wouldn't buy it or even waste yout time getting it from the library. You're better off buying a REAL production on DVD of the Magic Flute for your kids, such as the one at the Met with Kathleen Battle.