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by Manos Angelakis
Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”, is a wonderful fairy-tale that premiered in Vienna in 1791 and has become a favorite of many Opera companies. The “Magic Flute”, an abridged English-language version (approx. 110 minutes instead of the 160 of the full production), with English translation/adaptation by J. D. McClatchy, and direction by Julie Taymore, is the Met’s holiday gift to New York’s opera-lovers, adults and children alike. The libretto specifies Egypt as the location of the action, but Julie Taymor has transformed the location to “a mythical land between the sun and the moon” as indicated in the program’s synopsis. And what a mythical land this is!
The Julie Taymor production has put magic back in the Magic Flute. In this production - the full version was first seen in 2004 - she directs, designed the costumes and co-designed the puppets; her signature contribution to the on-stage magic which becomes a surrealistic mélange of swooping birds, prancing bears, menacing dragons, a cornucopia of flying foods, all manipulated by black-clad (kabuki-style) puppeteers. The balletic dancing cranes were also a very nice touch. The set design by George Tsypin combines Asian motifs and Egyptian stylistic touches with 21st century overtones. And the performances of all the principals were simply outstanding. The adorable Pamina, Chinese soprano Ying Huang, sang with a consistently lovely, warm voice. Erika Miklósa, Queen of the Night, made the most of her one-dimensional character, and her coloratura work was absolutely spectacular providing lovely vocal pyrotechnics. Nathan Gunn was an ideal, richly resonant Papageno, though his role could have been edited a little more to bring the production closer to the 100 minutes advertised. Morris Robinson’s basso profundo low notes made a truly distinguished Sarastro. Greg Fedderly was excellent, and appropriately - at the same time - menacing, oily and dirty-old-manish, as Monostatos. Matthew Polenzani was suitably princely, but I expected a little more from his Tamino.
A magical performance well worth seeing, even in its truncated form. With the exception of the missing second act overture (it is now only a single act opera) I did not really miss the excised parts. Actually, the judicious editing has enhanced a rather long and sometimes tedious work.
© January 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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