Die Zauberflote is in the top 5 of Mozart's best operas with some of his most beautiful operatic music. This 2012 production from Salzburg is one of those productions that is better musically than it is visually. The production is too darkly lit at times, with sets that are too stark and a setting and costumes that are very vague. The staging is problematic too, the best moments are with Papagaeno and with the Three Ladies but scenes like with Sarastro and the priests have a too serious approach and are rather ponderously paced. And the beginning scene with the snake was laughable, the snake wasn't threatening at all and could easily have passed for a large snake toy. Nikolaus Harnoncourt's conducting is musical and controlled enough and credit should be given in the effort to recreate it from a historical perspective, but some of his tempos are rather pedestrian which gives the production an even more serious feel to it. The orchestra have a lovely powerful sound as well as being able to appropriately lighten it when it is called for. The chorus sing very nicely as well and take care to blend with each other, the Isis Und Osiris chorale was just beautiful. The principal singing is terrific. Bernard Richter is a charming Tamino and has a beautiful unstrained voice. He works well with Julia Kleiter, whose Pamina is radiant and poignant with a voice that is very easy on the ears. And with Markus Werba who plays Papagaeno with a roguish charm and he's very funny too, liked his virile voice too. The Queen of the Night of Mandy Fredrich is vocally dazzling and her facial expressions and stage presence made Queen of the Night's anger and fearsome evil convincing. Georg Zeppenfeld is a commanding Sarastro, while his voice doesn't come across as large his music is sung with nobility and authority. Elisabeth Schwarz's Papagaena is appealingly pert, while the Three Ladies are outstanding in every way and the boys are adorable. Only Rudolf Schasching wasn't so good, because of the seriousness of the production his Monostatos came across as under-characterised. To conclude, very good musically but visually it doesn't appeal and it takes itself too seriously. 6/10 Bethany Cox
