Many years ago I saw Cosi Fan Tutte at the old Palace Theatre in Manchester and didn't like it. I counted myself as anti-opera ever after. Until, that is, last Thursday at Covent Garden when I saw The Magic Flute. Count me as a convert. I think one important difference is that in the intervening years I've become less demanding - I no longer expect any of that plot or characterisation malarkey from opera - the plot is just an excuse for the arias. Also if I recall rightly CFT has recitative and Magic Flute hasn't: recitative always did seem like a very silly and deeply irritating thing.
To me it looked like the allegory was clear enough: the Queen of the Night was the Catholic Church, who started out positively enough saving Tamino from the serpent (i.e. the power of sin, or the evil one himself) but is unwilling to accept the passing of her influence in the new world that Sarastro brings.
Nice tunes, anyway.