Die Zauberflöte , regardless of different views of its story and themes and how problematic it is to stage at times (especially with the character of Monostatos), has been a personal favourite for 7 years now since performing in the chorus in a production performed in English. Its story is compelling, its characters colourful and Mozart's music is some of his most beautiful and tuneful.
This 1995 La Scala production is just splendid, and one of the better productions personally seen of the opera, recently and in general. Unfortunately, it is not available on DVD (instead it can be seen on a very high quality video of the full production on Youtube), and considering it is on par with the best of the DVD competition and even better than most of them, it really does deserve to be.
It really is a gorgeous-looking production, the colourful sets are neither too simple or overblown (not grand-looking but with lots of detail), the lighting is clever, dynamic and varied in colour and shade and the costumes are both appealing and appropriate, even if Papageno looks more a Peter-Pan-like faun more than a bird man (nothing hugely wrong with that though) the elaborate costumes for the Three Ladies and Queen of the Night are pretty spell-binding. It's very intelligently directed too, the storytelling is always clear and engaging with the less eventful parts avoiding being static and the funny parts (all coming from Papagano) being sharply timed while never descending into over-silliness or mugging.
Musically, this production is similarly outstanding. The orchestra play with all the style, depth, beauty and power of tone and nuance the score needs (playing with the right amount of sprightliness and sensitivity) and the chorus sing warmly and fully as well as with engagement with the drama (tear-jerking in the Isis Und Osiris chorale). They are helped along by the superb conducting of Riccardo Muti, whose reading is both relaxed and alert to dramatic intensity, he paces the music beautifully (the faster than mostly done In Diesen Heil'gen Hallen actually accommodated Matthias Hölle's singing and it didn't feel rushed or interrupted the long legato lines) and phrases it with real elegance too.
The performances are very strong across the board, especially good were Simon Keenlyside in his La Scala debut as a vocally robust Papageno, showing also a very natural comic stage presence (that never feels like clowning), and Andrea Rost as a radiant, vocally pure and affecting Pamina. Paul Groves has a lovely honeyed tone that he phrases with a good amount of varied musicality and he manages to make a not particularly interesting character charming, likable and never stiff. Victoria Loukianetz attacks the Queen of the Night's treacherous colouratura tessitura fearlessly and cuts a suitably fearsome stage presence, while Matthias Hölle is a noble and vocally resonant Sarastro. Sergio Bertocchi is menacing and amusing as Monostatos, managing to not overdo it, the stage direction managing to make him a suitably loathsome character without causing offence. Lisa Larsson is a charmingly pert and characterful Papagena. The Three Ladies evoke the right amount of chills, the Three Boys are sweet without being cloying and the Speaker and Armed Guards have the right amount of authority in their performances.
Overall, a splendid production, despite not having a DVD release (inexplicably) it is well worth tracking down. 10/10 Bethany Cox
