User reviews

I haven't seen all these animations, but I remember being thrilled by the Wagner piece when I saw it on television a good number of years ago. It was, of course, a drastically shortened version of the opera, but what was exciting was how wonderfully appropriate animation was. Giants, Rhine maidens, castles in the air - all perfect for animation, in fact (I hope this isn't heresy), much better than on stage. You must see this if you get a chance. I saw one or two of the other animations in the series and wasn't quite as excited by them, probably because animation was just so particularly well suited for myths and "tall stories" like Wagner's but not necessarily for other operas.

I have to admit I was somewhat taken aback by the depiction of the young lady everyone was fighting over. She came straight out of a comic book aimed at teenage boys, shapely to the point of exaggeration, dressed ... well, not dressed very much. Pure sexuality. Anyway, it did suggest why everyone wanted her.

Well worth seeing. Maybe it can open the door to opera for somebody who's not drawn to it in the usual form.

All the operas are condensed versions redone in the English language. "The Magic Flute", "Das Rheingold" and "Turandot" are done in traditional animation style. "Carmen" has a morphed look to it that seems to have first filmed live actors and then an animation was layered over the actors to give it a very different look. My favorites are "The Barber of Seville" and "Rigoletto" that are done with puppets and sets that are visually incredible! WARNING: True to the plots in the operas there are adult themes that show murder and sex and is not appropriate for young children. This DVD is now out of print but copies are available for rent from companies like Netflix or for for purchase at a very expensive price. Worth watching!