Mozart Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) opera to libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Directed 2017 at the Royal Opera House by Revival Director Thomas Guthrie after the 2003 production directed by David McVicar. Stars Mauro Peter (Tamino), Roderick Williams (Papageno), Sabine Devieilhe (Queen of the Night), Peter Bronder (Monostatos), Siobhan Stagg (Pamina), Mika Kares (Sarastro), Darren Jeffery (Speaker of the Temple), and Christina Gansch (Papagena). Julia Jones conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev) and the Royal Opera Chorus (Chorus Director William Spaulding). Set designs by John Macfarlane; lighting designs by Paule Constable; revival movement direction by Angelo Smimmo after Leah Hausman. Directed for TV by Jonathan Haswell. Sung in German. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound . Grade: NA
This was the sixth revival of the 2003 McVicar production that was recorded in 2003 and published in Blu-ray in 2008 (as one of the first opera Blu-rays to be released). The cast is all new. Diana Damrau’s depiction of the Queen of the Night in the 2003 became perhaps the most famous icon of opera in the 21st century—a tough act for Sabine Devieilhe to follow!
Critics who saw this live in 2017 report that conductor Julia Jones was intent on speeding up the tempo overall to shorten the run time. This interfered with some of the singing, especially that of The Three Ladies. But otherwise there were no serious complaints about this ROH warhorse. The 2017 Blu-ray was reviewed by Richard Lawrence in the February 2022 Gramophone at pages 75-76. He tries hard to walk along the top of the fence between the 2003 and 2017 versions. He concludes, “ If your preference is for more gravitas, then Colin Davis (the 2003 version) is your man.” But if your special interest is sopranos, Lawrence would urge you to buy both the 2003 and the 2017 versions. With Damrau and Devieilhe on your shelf, you maybe have a lock on Queen of the Night.
Die Zauberflöte is a long opera packed full of action and wonderful music. Contrary to what you may have read, the opera is completely logical (as a fantasy tale) if the production you watch has all the spoken recitatives as well as all the singing parts. If you would like to learn more about the plot of this opera, see my complete story of the Zauberflöte in outline form, which tells the whole story. This ROH production omits much of the recitatives, but follows the score and libretto pretty closely, so it’s a good way to learn this opera.
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