Ross On Taymor's Zauberflöte

New Yorker music critic and weblogger Alex Ross of The Rest Is Noise writes:

Just saw Julie Taymor's debut production at the Met. Since I'm writing a review for The New Yorker, I won't upstage myself by saying anything too specific here, but suffice to say this was one of the most bloody marvelous things I've ever seen on stage — one joyfully imaginative tableau after another, a dream world dancing to Mozart's time.

Yes, yes! I knew it could be nothing other. Last week, on a music list of which I'm a member, another member wrote to me:

ACD: I'm thinking of trading in my Zauberflöte tickets for Walküre. Much as I love Mozart, I've heard that one live many times, and never heard Walküre live.

Thoughts?

To which I responded:

You mean the new Julie Taymor Zauberflöte? If so, don't trade in those tickets! My guess (and it's only a guess as all I know of the production is that Taymor is doing it) is that the production will be thoroughly magical as befits Mozart's work. I say this with absolute certainty even though the limit of my exposure to Taymor's work is but a mere 5-min excerpt for a TV promo some few years ago for her Broadway production of Lion King. I was so blown away by the imaginative and eloquent folk-fairy-tale inventiveness of it that when it was announced she would be doing the new Met production of Zauberflöte I knew instantly the match would be perfect.

Whatever you do, don't let go of those tickets.

For his sake, I trust that list member took my advice.

Alex also wrote:

Also (special for ACD): Taymor must direct the Ring.

Again, Yes, yes! Indeed she must. It's time that ancient Met production had a proper makeover, and I can think of no better person for the job than Julie Taymor.

In the meanwhile, I look forward with great anticipation to reading Alex's New Yorker review of the Taymor Zauberflöte which I trust will be available online.