United Kingdom Mozart, The Magic Flute: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North / Oliver Rundell (conductor). Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, The Quays, Salford, 15.11.2024. (MC)
This revival of James Brining’s Opera North production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, given in English as The Magic Flute, was premiered in 2019 at Leeds. It was Jeremy Sams who prepared the English translation of Emanuel Schikaneder’s German libretto. I do prefer original language libretti nevertheless this change to English didn’t bother me a jot.
With his opera The Magic Flute Mozart collaborated with the Bavarian impresario Schikaneder who wrote the libretto. It was a match made in heaven. It is a magical work that has endured in popularity ever since its premiere in 1791 at the Theatre auf der Wieden, Vienna, with Mozart conducting and Schikaneder in the role of Papageno with other of his family members given roles. It is quite remarkable that Mozart achieved such a masterwork close to the end of his life as he must have been tormented by failing physical and mental health, was grieving over the death of four of his six children in eight years and had crippling mounting debts.
In tables that rank the number of opera performances The Magic Flute is always in in the top few. Certainly, it is the opera that I have seen the most. Only in June this year I reported from ‘a whip sharp’ Dresden Staatsoper production by Josef Ernst Köpplinger from the Semperoper, Dresden (review here).
As both Mozart and Schikaneder were Freemasons it comes as no surprise that various mysterious rituals of the fraternal order are imbued in the The Magic Flute score. Of course, a stage director may choose to emphasise or ignore references to Freemasonry beliefs, symbolism and rituals such as overtly using the number three etc. However, Brining uses a group of men and women, that designer Colin Richmond dressed in crimson cassocks, members of Sarastro’s order, commune or cult. It isn’t too much of a stretch to see how Brining has exchanged one order namely the Freemasons with another.
It is quite common to see a director adding another character to a production as Brining has done here. Prior to the overture, on the open stage, a young girl in a yellow dressing gown can be seen in her bedroom looking through a window to a party in an adjacent room. She takes a vinyl LP of The Magic Flute to a record player and that is cue for the orchestra to strike up the overture. My guess is that the girl is in a rough tug-of-war between parents. For this idea, it seems that Brining was inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s film The Magic Flute (1975). Did this cameo detract me from concentrating on Mozart’s much-loved overture? Yes, it did, a little.
In addition to the costumes Richmond has also designed the set of a modular construction consisting mainly of easily moveable, tall flats, and it worked well being practical and was not over sophisticated. Only that annoying girl’s bed got in the way. On the downside I found nothing magical about the nurses forcibly giving injections of drugs so blatantly rather than say offering magic potions to drink.
Prince Tamino sung by tenor Egor Zhuravskii looked dashing, dressed in a royal blue suit with gold braid on the jacket, white shirt, cummerbund and red sash, looking as if he had just come off a military parade ground. Oh, and let us not forget that Tamino is holding a magic flute. It is always a joy to hear Tamino’s only aria This Portrait is enchanting and beautiful (Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön). Soprano Claire Lees was a girlish Pamina dressed in a pale coloured, button through, midi dress. Lees made a peasant impression with Pamina’s aria Ah, I feel it, it has disappeared (Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden). In their roles as the two lovers Zhuravskii and Lees gave pleasing, if standard performances.
Full of authority Msimelelo Mbali was a tall and regal Sarastro, the king of the sun, standing out in a cream-coloured suit under a matching, floor length cape, both embossed with ornamental gold braided cord. Mbali’s striking bass, notably when he appeals to the gods with the dark aria O Isis and Osiris, made me sit up, although he seemed less comfortable with the lowest notes.
Praise is due to bass-baritone Emyr Wyn Jones as the simple bird catcher Papageno a timid man who seems afraid of his own shadow. Having set his heart on finding a girlfriend Papageno wants to find love and settle down. After seeing Jones’s outstanding performance, I don’t think I have ever seen a better Papageno on stage. His voice had clarity and a rich tone together with splendid expression and such comedy timing, indeed Jones had the audience in the palm of his hand. With his panpipes and bells, decked out in a hotch-potch of clothing, I wondered why these days it is rare to see Papageno in the famous suit of feathers that Schikaneder wore when creating the role? As Papageno’s soul mate Papagena, Pasquale Orchard did herself proud in the soprano role that was acted delightfully and well sung too. Who can fail to be charmed by Papageno and Papagena’s famous love duet Pa-pa-ge-na! Pa-pa-ge-no!
Spectacular and iconic the coloratura soprano role of The Queen of the Night was taken by soprano Anna Dennis. She really looked the part, imposing in her long royal blue dress with a black sinewy overlay, and extravagant head dress. In the Queen’s famous ‘Vengeance’ aria Dennis sang well, with a boiling anger, and achieved her devilishly challenging high notes successfully, although her delivery seemed just a touch raspy. Sarastro’s callous servant and temple overseer is Monostatos who is out to molest Pamina. In the role of Monostatos, tenor Colin Judson gave a rather ordinary rendition of his short aria Everyone Feels the Joys of Love (Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden).
Sometimes The Three Women are given extra comedy lines but not here. Dressed as nurses wearing long blue work uniforms and oversized white head wear Charlie Drummond, Kathryn Sharpe and Hazel Croft showed energy and proficiency in the roles and were pleasing to see on the stage. It was highly amusing to see the three of them attacking the giant serpent with weapons, and how it ended up sticking out on both sides of the stage.
Dressed in boy scout-like outfits The Three Boys, who were actually two girls Isla Jones and Isabelle Baglio and one boy Hector Wainman, were a delight to see and hear.
Clearly well drilled the Opera North Chorus made a splendid sound and really added to the impact of the production. Under conductor Oliver Rundell the Orchestra of Opera North performed with real credit.
This revival comes only five years since Opera North premiered James Brining’s production of The Magic Flute with his set and costumes designer Colin Richmond. I hadn’t seen this English language production previously and it felt both fresh and splendidly entertaining.
Michael Cookson
Featured Image: Anna Dennis (The Queen of the Night) and Egor Zhuravskii (Tamino) © Tristram Kenton
Production:
Stage director – James Brining
Set & Costumes – Colin Richmond
Lighting – Chris Davey
Video design – Douglas O’Connell
Choreography – Tim Claydon
Assistant director / Revival choreographer – Lauren Poulton
Chorus master – Anthony Kraus
Cast:
Tamino – Egor Zhuravskii
First woman – Charlie Drummond
Second woman – Kathryn Sharpe
Third woman – Hazel Croft
Papageno – Emyr Wyn Jone
The Queen of the Night – Anna Dennis
Monostatos – Colin Judson
Pamina – Claire Lees
Three boys – Isla Jones, Isabelle Baglio, Hector Wainman
Speaker – Andri Björn Róbertsson
Sarastro – Msimelelo Mbali
Papagena – Pasquale Orchard
First priest – Tom Smith
Second priest – Paul Gibson
First armed man – Satriya Krisna
Second armed man – Richard Mosley-Evans