MOZART: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), Blu-ray (2008)
Starring: Diana Damrau, Will Hartmann, Dorothea Roschmann, Simon Keenlyside, Franz-Josef Selig, The Royal Opera, Covent Garden conducted by Sir Colin Davis
Director: David McVicar
Studio: Opus Arte (Dist. by Naxos)
Video: 1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p HD
Audio: Uncompressed PCM 5.1, PCM Stereo
Extras: Illustrated Synopsis, Cast Gallery, Featurettes
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish
Length: 182 minutes
Rating: ****1/2
Mozart’s The Magic Flute was his final opera to be staged, and was not much of a success critically or financially until it took on an entirely new level of popularity in the mid-nineteenth century. Some of the difficulty probably lay with its difficult-to-follow libretto and confusing and convoluted story line; I think after a while, people just stopped trying to make sense of the piece and learned to just enjoy it based on the merits of its abundant wit and humor and exceptionally good music. Both Mozart and his librettist, Emanuel Schikaneder, were Freemasons – at a time when the monarchies and elite of Europe viewed Freemasonry as a threat and attempted to achieve its eradication. The Magic Flute was, in many ways, a reaction to this, and is filled with Masonic symbols and imagery. In the original story that was the basis for The Magic Flute, Sarastro was an evil sorcerer; now he has been transformed into the high priest of the (Masonic?) Temple, and so forth. This 2003 production by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Sir Colin Davis, offers a marvelously modern staging of this outlandish and fantastical classic, replete with magnificent performances from all of the principals.
A brief synopsis of the opera’s storyline is in order: Tamino (sung by Will Hartmann) is accosted by a giant serpent; just as it appears he will be overcome, the serpent is felled by the three ladies in waiting to the Queen of the Night (sung with true bravura by Diana Damrau). The Queen of the Night propositions Tamino to rescue her daughter, Pamina (the equally magnificent Dorothea Roschmann), who is imprisoned by the evil priest Sarastro (Franz-Joseph Selig). Incidental to the action is a bird watcher, Papageno (portrayed with hilarious aplomb by Simon Keenlyside), and the object of his affection Papagena (Ailish Tynan). Tamino accepts, and over the course of his journey discovers that perhaps Sarastro is not quite as villainous as he’s been portrayed; Tamino is drawn to Sarastro’s goodness, and he’s quite smitten with the beautiful Pamina.
This is a performance that is not only filled with magnificent singing, but superb acting as well. Diana Damrau is truly menacing as the Queen of the Night; her offerings of the two keynote arias are as good as anything I’ve ever heard on record. And Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina is heartbreakingly marvelous; she comes very close to stealing the show. That distinction is reserved for Simon Keenlyside, who as Papageno, literally brings down the house with his every appearance (especially when paired with his foil, Papagena), and indeed, garners the longest ovation at the shows’ end.
This Blu-ray disc, hands down, offers the finest presentation of an opera on recorded video disc I’ve ever seen. The contrast, clarity of image, and color presentation are all superb; only on a very rare occasion is there any intrusion of grain into any of the visuals. The audio content is fantastic as well; my only very minor quibble came with a very few instances of the video not being quite exactly in sync with the voices. Only on extreme close-ups was this truly noticeable, and your system might be so advanced that it’s a non-issue anyway. Very highly recommended!
— Tom Gibbs
