Oh, I don't know about Mozart having a lot to answer for. Hofmannsthal took the "Magic Flute" plot, already overloaded in various ways, robbed it of all humor, and inflated certain aspects of the story out of all proportion. I'm convinced that the focus on BABIES in "Frau" grows out of the thoroughly charming Papageno/Papageno scene where they're singing about their forthcoming little Papagenos and Papagenas.
Charm: not a word I would associate with "Frau," which has different virtues, to the extent that it has virtues.
I've been reading good things about Ausrine Stundyte for a few years and I'm very curious to hear her.
Lastly (I think) - the Berkeley Symphony Chamber Series program is also being done at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 19, at the Freight and Salvage, in Berkeley, which is where I'm planning to see it.
Oh, I don't know about Mozart having a lot to answer for. Hofmannsthal took the "Magic Flute" plot, already overloaded in various ways, robbed it of all humor, and inflated certain aspects of the story out of all proportion. I'm convinced that the focus on BABIES in "Frau" grows out of the thoroughly charming Papageno/Papageno scene where they're singing about their forthcoming little Papagenos and Papagenas.
Charm: not a word I would associate with "Frau," which has different virtues, to the extent that it has virtues.
I've been reading good things about Ausrine Stundyte for a few years and I'm very curious to hear her.
Lastly (I think) - the Berkeley Symphony Chamber Series program is also being done at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 19, at the Freight and Salvage, in Berkeley, which is where I'm planning to see it.
I only meant that the "tests and ordeals" segment is as tedious in Strauss as it is in Mozart. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
And thanks for the correction re: Berkeley Symphony, although why they wouldn't mention it on their own website is beyond me.
The Berkeley date is there if you let the carousel of graphics at the top of the page rotate far enough.
I didn't catch that you were only referring to the trials, it's true.
"echos" should be "echoes"
Thank you! Fixed.