Die Zauberflöte

Die Zauberflote is one of my favourite operas and a contender for Mozart's masterpiece when it comes to his operas. Anybody here looking for a traditional production will be disappointed, however anybody looking for something provocative and different will love this production.

I as a lover of the opera and a keen opera enthusiast loved it. Some of it does shock, and it does stray from the story, on the other hand it is visually stunning with inspired costumes and interesting sets and camera angles and is well performed.

The music is magnificent, no problem whatsoever here, and it is performed beautifully by the orchestra and Nicholas Harnancourt conducts enthusiastically.

The performances are overall great. Monostatos perhaps is a little over-played, as I can find sometimes. Christoph Stehl is a well-sung Tamino if a little stolid in the acting. Faring much better are Julia Kleiter as a heartfelt Pamina, Ruben Drole as a hearty and hugely entertaining Papagaeno and Eva Leibu as a sparkling Papagaena.

My favourites of the principals are Elena Musuc as a vocally dazzling and imperial Queen of the Night and the great Matti Salminen(a superb singing actor excelling particularly as Hagen and Daland) as a firm and noble Sarastro.

The chorus are well balanced and pitched, and the three ladies are beautifully blended and animated. However the biggest surprise and in a good way were the three boys, they have lovely angelic voices with the middle boy holding his own against the alto(the strongest of the three) and treble.

All in all, very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox