The cast at the end of the Staatsoper's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Photo: Leonard Turnevicius
(Berlin, Germany) If you thought the kids had fun at last night’s showing of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Deutsche Oper, today’s matinee performance of said work at the Staatsoper Berlin also brought out the kids, both small and big.
This August Everding production was geared to families, and with this being a holiday week, the Schiller Theater (where the Staatsoper has now set up shop due to renovations at their usual house) was completely sold out.
Fred Berndt’s set gave everyone much to look at. Backdrops exhibiting both a classical and Egyptian strains were changed frequently, sometimes lowered from the flies. So too, some characters—Deus ex machina—such as the Queen of the Night, the Three Genii, and so on. There was a fountain gushing from the stage floor, and costumed animals. The kids got a big kick out of the little bird people that appeared out of nowhere after Papagena and Papageno had sung about “Kinderlein” (little children).
Needless to say, Klaus Haeger’s Papageno—in full birdman costume—was a hit. So too, Rinnat Moriah’s Old Hag/Papagena.
Stephan Ruegamer’s Tamino often had a nasally tone. Adriane Queiroz’s Pamina had some darker vocal colours.
Ana Durlovski hit her money notes as the Queen of the Night, but her timbre as well as her German pronunciation betrayed her Slavic roots.
Alexander Vinogradov was a booming Sarastro.
The Three Genii, unnamed in the program, were from the Aurelius Boys’ Choir. They were good though not quite the match for the lads at the Deutsche Oper.
The Staatsoper Chorus, led by Eberhard Friedrich—who also leads the Bayreuth Festival Chorus—was quite good, though the sopranos were a tad strident at times.
In the pit, Julien Salemkour had the Staatsoper Orchester playing with verve.
High standards all round. Would that be the case at the Komische Oper's La Traviata later tonight?
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