[ad_1]
What is the magic flute? Irrelevant fairy tales or even a great world theater? Deep and mentally demanding Masonic drama or just the suburban entertainment theater expected of a Schikaneder at the time?
For the Vienna Volksoper, where Mozart’s “Magic Flute” premiered on Saturday, Henry Mason chose the path of entertaining theater, but with deep and precise messages. Mason is not afraid to let the dialogues speak largely in its entirety, and places a lot of emphasis on personal orientation and intensive setting of what defines the piece. A fantastic story that brings this opera to romanticism and with it a timeless humanist message. Thus, the seemingly harmless fairy tale turns into a socio-political discourse and consequently Tamino and Pamina do not assume the golden circle of the sun as a symbol of the power inherited from Sarastro, who is already too young to abdicate, but simply leave it behind. standing in the final scene. You are the new generation that wants to get rid of false traditions. The use of the dolls designed by Rebekah Wild and brought to life with her team is also fascinating, imagining the animal world on the one hand and bringing the magic flute and magic bells to life on the other.
Initially, the three children can only be experienced as moving puppets and only come “to life” in their third appearance in interaction with the puppets. There is a lot of childish imagination in Mason’s staging, but also a lot of intelligence, without preventing the desire to look.
Musically the production is very decent, which is due to the energetic and energetic conducting of Anja Bihlmaier, who forms an excellent Mozart ensemble with the Volksoper orchestra.
The most compelling voices are Stefan Cerny as Sarastro, Martin Mitterrutzner can also lend a hand to his Tamino with all the beautiful singing. Consequently, his Pamina Rebecca Nelsen is not just the Pamina that floats lyrically. As Queen of the Night, Anna Siminska may not be the most powerful voice, but she certainly masters coloratura. Karl Michael Ebner is the perfect monostat, Juliette Khalil a strident Papagena somewhat soubrette and Jakob Semotan actually an ideal cast for Papageno. The other roles and the chorus also contribute to the great success.
Conclusion: A magic flute that inspires by its apparent naivety and has a lot to convey in terms of wisdom.
Volksoper: Premiere of “The Magic Flute” by Mozart, directed by Henry Mason, 17.10.
