The Magic Flute for Children (Blu-ray)

As mounted by The Zurich Opera House, this production offers something unique and widely unprecedented: a version of a classic opera reworked and considerably abridged for children - designed as a series of initial steps into the operatic realm for young minds. The opera on display in this instance is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's fantasy-themed 1791 Singspiel The Magic Flute, where Papageno describes his adventures with Prince Tamino, who has fallen deeply in love with Pamina and must rescue her from the empire of Sarastro. This release actually includes two versions of the opera, one in English and one in Japanese. Peter Kálmán plays Papageno in the English version, Katsunori Kono in the Japanese; Franziska Rabl plays Papagena in the English version, and Rebeca Olvera in the Japanese; and Bogus'aw Bidzi'ski plays Tamino in the English version, while James Elliott plays him in the Japanese. The Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House provides musical accompaniment.