Spain Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Cor Infantil Amics de la Unio (chorus director: Josep Vila Jover), Chorus and Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu / Gustavo Dudamel (conductor). Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 20 & 21.6.2022. (JMI)
Production:
Director – David McVicar
Sets and Costumes – John Macfarlane
Lighting – Paule Constable
Casts:
Tamino – Javier Camarena/Julien Behr
Pamina – Lucy Crowe/Serena Sáenz
Papageno – Thomas Oliemans/Joan Martín-Royo
Queen of the Night – Kathryn Lewek/Sara Blanch
Sarastro – Stephen Milling
Speaker – Matthias Goerne
Monostatos – Roger Padullés
Papagena – Mercedes Gancedo
Three Ladies – Berna Perles, Gemma Coma-Alabert, Marta Infante
Priests and Armed Men – Albert Casals, David Lagares
Mozart opera Die Zauberflöte was last seen at the Liceu in 2016. Two different casts have been scheduled on this occasion, with names of strong interest both in the pit and on stage. That means that expectations, at least on my part, were running high and, unfortunately, high hopes are not always met. Something like that happened on this occasion, although the performances were satisfactory overall.
The staging is by British director David McVicar, and it replaced the initially announced one by Simon McBurney (no reason was given). The McVicar production comes from London’s Covent Garden where it premiered in 2003, and it has been revived on numerous occasions: it is a classic, appealing work that narrates the plot of the opera well. The set design by John Macfarlane allows for quick scene changes, his period costume designs are attractive and Paule Constable’s lighting is successful. The stage direction is not particularly brilliant, but it moves both soloists and members of the chorus competently.
A significant interest in these performances of The Magic Flute was the presence in the Liceu pit of Gustavo Dudamel, the current director of the Paris National Opera and one of today’s major conductors. My hopes ran very high, since I have had the opportunity to see him conducting Mozart operas before and with excellent results. However, Dudamel’s conducting did not reach the level that I expected, especially in Act I where his reading was all right but not brilliant. Things improved in Act II, and he gave us a reading closer to what one had been awaiting. There were good performances by both the Liceu Chorus and the Children’s Chorus.
Another point of serious interest in these performances was the presence of tenor Javier Camarena as Prince Tamino, which had caught my attention since it is not usual for top singers to play this role. He was good and his singing nuanced, although the score does not allow him to shine as he has done on other occasions. I don’t think this is going to be a character that he will sing often.
The second Tamino was tenor Julien Behr, whose vocal performance was somewhat disappointing. He has a light tenor and a rather small voice, and the difference from Javier Camarena was clearly noticeable. Nor did he offer anything special as an interpreter.
Pamina in the first cast was played by soprano Lucy Crowe, who gave sang her arias with gusto. As on other occasions, it seemed to me that her voice changed throughout the performance and became less attractive towards the end of the opera. In the second cast, Pamina was sung by soprano Serena Sáenz, whom I found better than other times when I had heard her.
Papageno requires a singing actor, and this is what baritone Thomas Oliemans offered. His vocal and stage performances were correct, although in neither of these two aspects was he outstanding. The second Papageno was Joan Martín-Royo, who is a true specialist in the character. He was excellent, in terms both of his wonderful stage presence and his voice.
Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night was outstanding, with a beautiful, well-projected voice and no problems in the complicated tessitura of her arias or the required coloratura. In the second cast, Sara Blanch was good but did not convince me in her first aria. She improved remarkably in her second aria, where she gave a terrific performance and earned a huge ovation.
Bass Stephen Milling brought Sarastro to life. His voice is suited to the character, especially in the middle range, although it seemed to me that he is tighter on the lower notes than in the past. I have to say that the same thing always happens to me with Sarastro: I cannot help but think of the great Kurt Moll of decades ago and René Pape of today.
The presence of baritone Matthias Goerne as the Speaker, a rather secondary character, was surprising. A luxury, if you prefer, but he went almost unnoticed.
Soprano Mercedes Gancedo impressed in the role of Papagena, in terms both of singing and acting. The Ladies of the Queen of the Night, played by Berna Perles, Gemma Coma-Alabert and Marta Infante, did nicely, as did tenor Roger Padullés in the part of Monostatos and Albert Casals and David Lagares as the Priests and Armed Men.
José M. Irurzun