Germany Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Refrain and Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Giulio Cilona (conductor). Deutsche Oper, Berlin, 11.1.2024. (MB)
Manufacturing:
Director – Günter Krämer
Revival director – Gerlinde Pelkowski
Designs – Andreas Reinhardt
Refrain director – Thomas Richter
Solid:
Sarastro – Tobias Kehrer
Tamino – Kieran Carrel
Speaker – Padraic Rowan
First Priest – Kyle Miller
Second Priest – Jörg Schörner
Queen of the Evening – Hye-Younger Moon
Pamina – Elena Tsallagova
First Girl – Flurina Stucki
Second Girl – Arianna Manganello
Third Girl – Davia Bouley
Papagena – Meechot Marrero
Papageno – Philipp Jekal
Monostatos – Burkhard Ulrich
First Armoured Man – Patrick Cook dinner
Second Armoured Man – Youngkwang Oh
Three Boys – Soloists from the Kids’s Choir of the Deutsche Oper
Premiered on 24 September 1991, six days wanting 200 years from the work’s first efficiency, Günther Krämer’s The Magic Flute has accomplished sterling service for the Deutsche Oper. The corporate would have had greater than a 12 months’s price, if it carried out this single work every day with no break, the efficiency complete having reached 379. The work isn’t any stranger to longstanding productions: Achim Freyer’s really magical staging (I noticed it twice in Salzburg) did the rounds for few years; David McVicar’s Covent Backyard manufacturing has been seen commonly (overview right here), although not so commonly as that, for greater than 20 years now. Nearer to dwelling, August Everding’s tedious providing for the Berlin Staatsoper has been round since 1994 and clocked up 300 in 2021, although it has now been joined in repertoire by a extra progressive staging from Yuval Sharon (overview right here). I don’t know what holds the report; it could not shock me if there had been one thing sooner or later in Vienna, or certainly at one other German theatre, small or giant, in repertoire for a couple of extra many years, although that’s pure hypothesis. Krämer should certainly, although, be a contender in a piece whose specific German circumstances appear to conspire in the direction of countless revival: in style right here, there, and in all places ever since 1791; written within the vernacular; rightly or wrongly (to my thoughts, at the least questionably), thought of by many to be appropriate for youngsters; thereby presenting one thing approaching box-office certainty for one thing that’s not La bohème, Carmen, or La traviata.
It was the primary time I had seen it, so I can’t declare any of the attachment some veterans will probably really feel for it. It did its job nicely sufficient, I assumed, although by now it is going to certainly lie at some take away from both the director’s ‘intention’ or what it might need been as we speak. It doesn’t look drained in the best way some productions, desperately needing to be put out of their (and our) distress do; Andreas Reinhardt’s designs, clear, vibrant, and never with out thriller, proceed to fulfil their temporary. It’s tough at this take away to discern a selected standpoint, not to mention idea; maybe there by no means was one, although I think there might have been components of that when. Particularly, I think a level of social criticism would as soon as have come throughout stronger, not least with respect to the therapy of Pamina and thus girls extra broadly. Her uncertainty and one thing approaching momentary horror within the closing scene, realising an obvious lack of company and, simply maybe, resolving to revive that sooner or later have been intriguing. Regarding racial politics, I ponder whether the portrayal of Monostatos and different slaves in what gave the impression to be native American garb as soon as made some extent that has now been misplaced (at the least for me). It was deeply uncomfortable to view in 2024, and never in an clearly productive approach. I ponder whether one thing would possibly but be accomplished about that by a future revival director, ought to there be one, while taking into consideration the dearth of rehearsal such revivals are prone to be allotted.
Finally extra detrimental to the dramatic stream have been the cuts in dialogue. There isn’t any should be a purist about that: only a few productions use Schikaneder full, and never just for causes of intercourse and gender. However the exact nature of the cuts typically made motivation and even simple motion unclear. Many may have recognized what to fill in, however many in such an viewers additionally is not going to. Nobody want be bored in a largely German-speaking viewers by a little bit extra pertinent spoken content material.
The opposite main downside was Giulio Cilona’s conducting. All of us, in fact, have totally different conceptions of the work and the way it ought to ‘go’. Not everybody responds as I do to Klemperer, Böhm, or Furtwängler; nor do I anticipate everybody to take action. In any case, the query is basically irrelevant since none of them is with us, and nobody conducts Mozart fairly like several of them anymore. (Having heard Colin Davis a number of instances on this and different Mozart operas, I’ve certainly had my share of fine fortune for some time, even perhaps for a lifetime.) Disconnection between pit and stage can occur to anybody, although ideally much less often than right here, even on what was in all probability minimal rehearsal. However the lack of sense that something would possibly matter, taking an excessive amount of at an all-purpose allegro and detached mezzo piano, ‘Ach, ich fühl’s’ a merciful exception, led to a desultory orchestral efficiency all spherical. I initially assumed the string part will need to have been very small. Nonetheless, although I couldn’t see the remainder of the part, I may see 4 double basses, so it couldn’t have been that small. The angel of demise gave the impression to be on strike for what must be the terrifying scene with the Two Armoured Males. An previous manufacturing wants all of the extra to be delivered to life by comprehending, sympathetic conducting. Such was not the case right here.
There was, luckily, nothing to disappoint within the vocal performances — once more taking into consideration the realities of an final repertoire piece in a repertoire home. Kieran Carrel’s Tamino was nicely sung, personable, very a lot in recognisable character. Likewise our Papageno, Philipp Jekal’s efficiency bringing along with talent flippantly worn a lot of totally different theatrical and emotional worlds. Tobias Kehrer’s Sarastro made essentially the most of his low notes particularly, alert to deeper which means with out sacrificing important or at the least obvious ‘simplicity’. Hye-Younger Moon’s Queen of the Evening implored and sought vengeance with spectacular accuracy and sparkle. Burkhard Ulrich’s Monostatos was correctly sung, no mere caricature: significantly vital given the character’s problematical portrayal. Performances from the Three Girls and Three Boys all deserve beneficial point out. For me, although, the stand-out vocal efficiency was Elena Tsallagova’s as Pamina: clear of line, comfortable of musical and dramatic mix, and with true emotional depth that noticed no want to attract consideration to itself. Although I can’t assist however really feel it is likely to be time to attract the ultimate curtain on Krämer’s manufacturing, a couple of extra performances akin to Tsallagova’s would possibly assist delay the inevitable.
Mark Berry
