by Martin Brisland.
Mozart’s final opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) first premiered in 1791 just months before his death at 35.
This opera, about the triumph of good over evil, love over hate, counts as one of the most popular of all time. Its message is to pursue truth and love to find what we have in common rather than that which divides us.
Yet, it is of its time with many uncomfortable undercurrents of Masonic ritual that Mozart practised, misogyny and racism. A new version for our modern world would seem a logical step for the Welsh National Opera who are now in their 50th year.
Witness the work of Jonathan Miller in the past with opera and the highly successful reworkings of classic ballet by Matthew Bourne. Traditionalists may not be pleased but art evolves over time.
This new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute has the excellent thirty plus strong orchestra under the baton of Teresa Riveiro Böhm, the 2022/23 WNO Associate Conductor.
Director Daisy Evans returns to WNO following recent successes with Don Pasquale and Cherry Town, Moscow. This new production has sets and costumes designed by Loren Elstein. The rewritten libretto of Mozart’s joyous pantomime mainly works yet at times is a muddled affair in Act 2. This Magic Flute goes down as a valiant attempt to modernise an all time classic and is definitely worth seeing.
The double cast features Welsh tenor, Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, and South African tenor, Thando Mjandana, sharing the role of Tamino. Sopranos Jenny Stafford and April Koyejo-Audiger, both make their WNO debuts as Pamina. April’s standout performance on Tuesday was a joy.
The iconic coloratura role, The Queen of the Night, is shared by Samantha Hay and Julia Sitkovetsky, and Papageno the bird-catcher by baritones Quirijn De Lang and Neal Davies.
Sung in English and with surtitles, Daisy Evans’s rewritten libretto creates a psychedelic mix of colour, glowing globes, LED batons and some costumes that look like they came straight from Eurovision.
The childhood friends Pamina and Tamino become separated when Pamina is spirited away from her manic mother, Queen of the Night, by Sarastro, King of the Day.
In this version there is no magic flute but a lightsaber and no magic bells but a pair of luminescent drumsticks. The deadly serpent is a sheet and there are no animals to be charmed, just puppet birds.
Julia Sitkovetsky as Queen of the Night delivered her standout aria faultlessly. It is perhaps the most difficult female vocal in opera and provided the evening’s highlight. I grew up hearing operatic arias sung at the kitchen sink. My mother was a good soprano, a member of an amateur operatic society and told me how technically difficult this aria was.
At the end, as their realms are reconciled through Tamino and Pamina’s union, the king and queen stand on high watching the jubilations. Harmony is restored.
The WNO are at the Mayflower Theatre until Saturday 20th May with The Magic Flute and a new opera Blaze of Glory!
Tickets from mayflower.org.uk or 023 8071 1811
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