David McVicar’s classic production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote) returns to The Royal Opera for its seventh revival. Embracing both the seriousness and comedy of Mozart’s work, the production transports the audience to a fantastical world of dancing animals, flying machines and dazzlingly starry skies. David McVicar’s musically-informed direction, combined with beautiful designs by John Macfarlane, atmospheric lighting design by Paule Constable and lively movement direction by Leah Hausman, combine perfectly with Mozart’s kaleidoscopic and stunning score.
Prince Tamino promises the Queen of the Night that he will rescue her daughter Pamina from the enchanter Sarastro. He begins his quest, accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno – but all is not as it seems.
Mozart wrote The Magic Flute for a suburban theatre in Vienna, the Theater auf der Wieden. He drew on the magical spectacle and earthy comedy of popular Viennese theatre. However, as well as being a comedy, The Magic Flute is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs: Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart of this enchanting tale.
David McVicar made his Royal Opera House debut in 2001 directing the Kirov Opera’s production of Macbeth, and made his Royal Opera debut the same year directing Rigoletto. He has since staged many productions for The Royal Opera, including Le nozze di Figaro, Salome, Les Troyens, Adriana Lecouvreur and Andrea Chénier. In November 2019 he stages a new production of Death in Venice for the Company.
British conductor Leo Hussain, former Music Director of Opéra de Rouen Haute Normandie, returns to The Royal Opera to conduct; he made his Royal Opera debut in 2016 with Enescu’s Oedipe.
British tenor Benjamin Hulett leads the cast as Tamino for this revival. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2014 as Edmondo (Manon Lescaut) and has since returned to sing Beppe (Pagliacci). Various artists make their Royal Opera debuts in this production: French-Danish soprano Elsa Dreisig as Pamina, Finnish soprano Tuuli Takala as Queen of the Night (sharing the role with Greek soprano Christina Poulitsi, who last sang Queen of the Night for The Royal Opera in 2017), and German bass Andreas Bauer Kanabas as Sarastro. Bauer Kanabas shares the role with Austrian bass Stefan Cerny, also making his Royal Opera debut. Filipino tenor Rodell Rosel makes his Royal Opera debut as Monostatos.
Among artists returning to The Royal Opera, Italian baritone Vito Priante, who most recently sang King of Naples (L’Ange de Nisida in concert) for The Royal Opera, makes his Royal Opera role debut as Papageno, and Chilean soprano and Jette Parker Young Artist Yaritza Véliz sings Papagena.
The Magic Flute opens at the Royal Opera House on 1 November 2019, with subsequent performances on 4, 8, 12, 16, 18, 22, 25 and 27 November 2019.
