Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version features a water dragon that one of the 3 witches threw on the water for scaring off the prince, the 3 witches rode on dragons while saving the prince and the main wizards in the story have dragon-based headdresses. And we have a Sarastro who’s actually intimidating. They even showed the punishment meted out on Monostatos. Add to that, the dome-shaped stage was surrounded by 3 big effigies of dragons. That dome-shaped stage revolved and depending which scene is about to be presented. The effects created either a shady forest for the characters to frolic into or a coarse terrain for Pamina to run into in escaping “child services” headed by Sarastro.
There were no breaks in between acts. They might have intended to show at Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version that Sarastro is a quick decision-maker and all he had to wait from his minions is to say yes. So he decided to throw Tamino into the trials designated for anyone interested in joining the Circle. This despite the stark differences between the men of the Circle and their captives, Tamino and Papageno. Pamina wasn’t “jailed”. But she’s just as scared of Sarastro as that of Papageno.
The way Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version was staged really exploited the space allotted to them. Apart from the dome-shaped stage, there are “mini-stages” around it plus hanging bridges where the 3 witches were occasionally seen. From afar, they look like optical illusions as Tamino and Papageno were trying to watch their steps in the dark forest. With the swift light effects, it makes the witches look like they’re flying on their dragons or on the hanging bridges chastising their messengers. The quicker the lights go, the creepier the witches looked like. It was a thrilling view. Tamino and Papageno understandably looked scared. More scared than their threat perhaps of the Queen’s anger.
Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version made an effort to cover all bases. Like why did Monostatos in his second effort to rape Pamina? Because he’s limping from the 77 lashes he received as punishment from Sarastro. And how did Sarastro learn of the second attempt to rape Pamina and the murder plot? He’s been hiding behind the woods all along. It even suggested that Pamina’s father already told entrusted his daughter to Sarastro before he died, foreseeing the Queen of the Night’s behavior. Looks like he’s the kind who doesn’t trust everyone around him well enough to stay in his chamber and let the events unfold.
Even the costumes at Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version presented how much were Pamina, Tamino and Papageno were outsiders. While everyone else wore dragon armor and dragon-esque face-and-body paint, Tamino wore a white polo and white pants. Pamina simply wore a white dress. And Papageno wore a white cotton shirt with a yellow hoodie jacket and yellow shorts. Looks like the kind of outfit you’d wear on strolling at the park. Except that instead of a camera, what hung on his neck was his bird whistle.
This production of Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version also made the code of silence substantial to the story. And not just because Tamino can’t speak to Pamina when he had the opportunity. It’s that Papageno was so talkative. He went to the point of deliberately angering Tamino. Tamino was angry too. But he was more devoted to the trial compared to Papageno. So he could only stomp his feet and walk away from Papageno’s antics. Then again of course, Papageno would get his comeuppance through Papagena. And the Papagena here must have been the grossest version of Papageno I have seen so far. Papageno had to kiss here before she transforms to her real self.
The only characters perhaps that don’t go with the dragon theme that are not captives are the 3 young boys. I’m not even sure if they are really boys. They have these big, mascot-like heads with blue wings while guiding Tamino and Papageno. When even Sarastro ends up looking like the eye in the sky tracking your every move, who else would serve as the voices of reason at Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version? It also helped that the young boys looked like cherubs. They have 2 suicide attempts to thwart. So it helped to have some rational characters at Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version.
How could I forget commenting about Der Holle Rache a.k.a. second aria of the Queen of the Night? It’s a version by Ana Durlovski that I can distinguish from other versions for the rich texture of the voice. So rich, it doesn’t even screech that much. She was elevated on stage as if trying to loom over her daughter while trying to talk her into killing Sarastro. She managed to own the stage for the time allotted for her at Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version.
Little did we know a showdown of wizards to come before the end of Act 3. The Queen of the Night, with all her 3 witches with dragons, only to be defeated at the big boss battle with Sarastro. (I’m not a gamer. I am just familiar with these “epic boss battle” finales.) Finally, a version of The Magic Flute that made an effort to present Sarastro as the boss. Alfred Reiter lived up to expectations of a dominant Sarastro.
Norman Reinhardt and Bernarda Bobro looked like a believable couple that you would root for as Tamino and Pamina. Reinhardt may be supported by a lapel mic while singing the arias. But he has a voice that slices through the screen, mesmerizing audiences with the sympathetic singing. The acting is quite physical too. He presented how the flute in Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version has a mind of its own. It is practically playing on its own, occasionally pulling Tamino to Pamina’s direction. Bobro’s voice was also captivating. I look forward to seeing more of either Reinhardt or Bobro in the coming months. Then again, YouTube had always been helpful in directing me to the right talent to watch out for.
Die Zauberflöte 2013 Version is now out on Blu-Ray from ArkivMusic. Click here to get your own copy the soonest time possible and to enjoy it subtitled in other languages too. Perfect entertainment for the whole family. Musical director is Patrick Summers with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonic Chorus. Stage direction by David Poutney. Tips in appreciation of this article review would be much appreciated as well. Just click the “Donate” button below. Thanks for reading.
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