Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Simon McBurney’s new human-scaled staging of DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE basks in low-tech spectacle and literally elevates the music

• By drediman
• May 24, 2023
• No Comments

Last week, the Metropolitan Opera unveiled its new production of Die Zauberflöte. Helmed by British theater director Simon McBurney, the production partially replaces Julie Taymor’s long-running staging (I say partially because the Met is retaining The Lion King director’s production for its family-friendly one-act holiday presentation of the tuneful singspiel). The production also marks the Met’s second new production of a Mozart opera this spring, following the premiere of Ivo van Hove’s wonderful Don Giovanni just a few weeks ago.

McBurney’s witty staging is a “180” from Taymor’s lavish production. Instead of the previous production’s overt opulence, McBurney instead opts for a deceptively simple, decidedly low tech staging. Like van Hove’s Don Giovanni, this Die Zauberflöte is conveyed on an insistently human scale, turning the fantastical work into a serious meditation on family, society, and marital union. This is not to say that McBurney’s  version is not without spectacle. True to his past theatrical efforts for Complicité, his work here is filled with theatrical goodies, including hand crafted projections, a dynamic Foley sound design, traditional but poetically rendered acrobatics, and an intimate and dynamic connection to the music-making. In summary, the overall impact is one of the most comprehensively satisfying stagings of the opera I’ve seen.

In the pit, maestro Nathalie Stutzmann conducted the Met Orchestra — which was raised and visible throughout the performance — with a spirited and well-balanced account of Mozart’s beloved score. For the production’s maiden run, a solid cast has been assembled, including lovely soprano Erin Morley (whose bright voice is sounder fuller than ever) as Pamina, reliable tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Tamino, baritone Thomas Oliemans in his Met debut as Papageno, scene-stealing soprano Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, and sturdy bass Stephen Milling as Sarastro.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
3 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
In repertory through June 10