Die Zauberflöte

As in the cases of two other operas, Aida and Carmen, that were filmed in 1999 at the St. Margarethen operatic festival in Austria's state of Burgenland, and released upon DVDs, this German language effort may displease those to whom subtitling translation from a foreign tongue is of first concern, as there is none, but any abiding interest within a viewer for Mozart's piece will be more affected by severe abridgement that eliminates numerous pages of the score. German text of the plot abstract, with voice-over, utilized during the playing of the overture leads into this stunning achievement that features inspiring outdoor special effects ably executed by a crew under the leadership of Robert Herzl. Numerous widely disparate interpretations of Zauberflöte exist, with Herzl's staging emphasis here upon the fabulous being not only effectively accomplished, but permissive of all denotations, even to some of a revisionist attitude. A stylized setting created by the Stagione D'Opera Italiana production is, as ever during this Festival, ensconced within a Roman quarry that provides a superb acoustic fundament for the talented soloists, Junge Bundesländer Philharmonie conducted by Michael Lessky, as well as a choral group frequently employed by the Stagione team: Honved Ensemble Budapest, the sole professional male choir based in Europe. The plot of the opera, a tale of lovers unwillingly separated and compelled to succeed at a challenging series of trials in order to be reunited, presents to Mozart an opportunity to construct a portmanteau of scenes suffused with bright moments, while free from longueurs. Although originally intended by the composer to be in singspiel format, numerous memorable arias are to be found throughout, and an able cast offers clinker-free singing, with Erika Miuklosi as Queen of the Night additionally earning acting honours here, with all giving performances that greatly pleased the sold-out live audience, only a surfeit of cutting bound to disgruntle DVD viewers.