Originally commissioned by the Viennese music-hall impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, The Magic Flute has triumphed over these humble beginnings to become the most widely performed and best-loved opera in the international repertory. Over the centuries, Mozart's inspired whimsy and symbolism have been interpreted by artists as varied as Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Marc Chagall, David Hockney, and now Davide Pizzigoni. With elegant verve, Pizzigoni translates Mozart's celebrated musical motifs into such visual motifs as quirky faces, extravagant shoes, and of course, musical instruments. The new translation of the Schikaneder/Mozart libretto by poet and librettist J.D. McClatchy takes an equally fresh and amusing approach.