Die Zauberflöte

Wolfgang Sawallisch, Conductor

Francisco Araiza, Lucia Popp, Wolfgang Brendel, Edita Gruberova, Kurt Moll, Jan-Hendrik Rootering
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Emanuel Schikaneder

This one is a bit hard to find but it's worth seeing if you can lay hands on it. Overall, I would say that the DVD of a the Met production under James Levine is a bit better, but there are things I really like about this video too - particularly the wonderful cast.

We are given a chance to see a younger Araiza in the role of Tamino, which he sings with a rich voice and great characterization. He also appears in Levine's production, and it's difficult to say which performance I like better. He's a very consistent performer so there is not a huge difference between the two - both are excellent!

Lucia Popp once again demonstrates her great flexibility. She gave us the best Queen of the Night on the Klemperer recording, but here she proves that she is also a wonderful Pamina. She has an exquisite voice and is a much, MUCH better actress than Kathleen Battle under Levine. Her "Ach, ich fuhl's" is truly moving.

I was a little disappointed with Wolfgang Brendel's Papageno. His singing is faultless - he has a beautiful, strong voice - but he plays the role too seriously, often ignoring some of the comic possibilities presented by the dialogue. It isn't as much as a problem as it could be, since this is an unusually dark and serious production of the opera, but still a little more fun would have gone a long way.

Edita Gruberova is truly fantastic as the Queen of the Night. She is perfect for this part, because that kind of screaming high coloratura is what she does best. The exaggerated mannerisms that made her Donna Anna a little annoying are for the most part absent, and when they aren't they simply add to the character of the Queen (who you must admit is a bit theatrical as far as character development goes).

Both this and the Levine production feature Kurt Moll as Sarastro, and I'm completely at a loss to say which of his two performances I like better - both are amazing. Here he is a bit younger-looking. He just exudes all the warmth and wisdom that characterizes Sarastro; you feel that if you met him on the street you would immediately trust him with your life. One is reminded of that rare and valuable teacher who can control his class because he has won their love and respect, and who you'd rather get ten detentions from than see that he was disappointed in you. This is EXACTLY how Sarastro should be played.

I did a double take when I checked the cast list and realized that it was Norbert Orth under all that makeup. His perormance as Monostatos is great, emphasizing the human qualities of the role, but still acknowledging the character's comic moments.

The Three Ladies are lovely - they play off each other very well, giving us a picture of three women who may squabble among themselves occasionally but do everything else together.

The Three Boys have great voices, but they're just a little bit too exaggerated in their facial expressions and gestures. (As in, "Look, I'm acting!") I don't find it a serious detraction from their overall performance, though.

Special mention to Jan-Hendrik Rootering as the Speaker. (Which is an odd name for a character who never has a spoken line!) Great characterization here as well as an impressive vocal performance. A side note - how tall is this guy? He towers about a foot and a half over Araiza, who isn't tall but never appeared exceptionally tiny to me. This makes for a slightly amusing bit when Araiza rushes at him in anger.

The adjective I keep wanting to use for this production is "dark." The director took a very serious and introspective approach to the story. My copy of the video came with a little booklet in it that had an essay by the opera director, August Everding. I found it quite interesting as it explained the reasoning behind many of his choices. For example, I was weirded out by the "wild beasts" that come onstage for "Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton." They were presented as giant, ugly apelike creatures, not unlike the ones at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The essay explains that Everding wanted to show the audience that these were not amusing, cuddly creatures but instead truly wild things that would tear Tamino to shreds if not for the magic of the flute. I still think it was weird, but it does make some sense.

This is not a fun romp in fairy-tale land, but it's still a video I enjoy watching. The Levine production is slightly better (and much easier to get a copy of), but if you own that already keep your eye out for this. (I got mine on eBay for a dollar!)

Originally Reviewed:

25-Sep-03