05.10.2016
A classic without edification
Die Zauberflöte, which premiered in the spring, shows how well Mozart suits the Mikhailovsky Theatre. “The production seems to bring out the true character of the theatre’s old interior, and its golden boxes begin to glimmer with a completely different sparkle”, enthused a reviewer in the Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti newspaper.
The spirit of Mozart permeates the entire production, thanks to the well-conceived and fine-tuned action on stage. Critics agreed that the production would be of equal interest to fans of modern visual aesthetics and those who appreciate fine music — as well as to those who do not see themselves as connoisseurs, but go to the opera purely for pleasure.
“The director very lightly (but not carelessly) and precisely (but not pedantically) balances epochs and styles, as should happen in a genre like Singspiel, allowing the elevated and the common, the complex and the simple, the great and the ridiculous to merge and come through”, one St. Petersburg reviewer wrote. “I would recommend this production for family viewing. The production team stages a classic without edification, simply making a diligent effort to read the libretto in a way that reveals the intentions of Schikaneder and Mozart to the twenty-first century audience.”
The Moskovsky Komsomolets critic shared the view of his St. Petersburg colleagues, singling out in particular the lightness with which Schikaneder’s tricky libretto was staged: “The stage director did not muddy the waters by delving too deeply into the story or uncovering its roots, going into all that Freemasonry”, the newspaper noted. “It is a priori embedded in Schikaneder’s witty text, and ascertaining its true meaning, decoding this seemingly amusing cipher, would be impossible for us sinners today, no matter how hard we try. And there’s no point. Mozart left us a score in which all heavenly meanings are expressed at the highest, and at the same time, the deepest level. He who has ears to hear, let him hear... The main thing is that the production’s creators and performers were able to get the beauty of Mozart’s music across, while retaining the sense of humour inherent in the libretto.”
“The perennial problem with all stagings of Die Zauberflöte is the two parallel storylines which should, as it seems, come together, but which never do”, noted Izvestia. The first storyline, driven by Papageno, the lover of worldly pleasures, is very lively and humanistic. The second storyline is philosophical and moralistic, swayed by those with abstract notions of world justice. In the Mikhailovsky production, ‘abstraction’, brought to life through realistic characters, no longer comes across as an annoying supplemental afterthought to a lyrical tale, and this is without doubt a great achievement."
The next performances of Die Zauberflöte will take place at the Mikhailovsky Theatre on 7 and 9 October..
The spirit of Mozart permeates the entire production, thanks to the well-conceived and fine-tuned action on stage. Critics agreed that the production would be of equal interest to fans of modern visual aesthetics and those who appreciate fine music — as well as to those who do not see themselves as connoisseurs, but go to the opera purely for pleasure.
“The director very lightly (but not carelessly) and precisely (but not pedantically) balances epochs and styles, as should happen in a genre like Singspiel, allowing the elevated and the common, the complex and the simple, the great and the ridiculous to merge and come through”, one St. Petersburg reviewer wrote. “I would recommend this production for family viewing. The production team stages a classic without edification, simply making a diligent effort to read the libretto in a way that reveals the intentions of Schikaneder and Mozart to the twenty-first century audience.”
The Moskovsky Komsomolets critic shared the view of his St. Petersburg colleagues, singling out in particular the lightness with which Schikaneder’s tricky libretto was staged: “The stage director did not muddy the waters by delving too deeply into the story or uncovering its roots, going into all that Freemasonry”, the newspaper noted. “It is a priori embedded in Schikaneder’s witty text, and ascertaining its true meaning, decoding this seemingly amusing cipher, would be impossible for us sinners today, no matter how hard we try. And there’s no point. Mozart left us a score in which all heavenly meanings are expressed at the highest, and at the same time, the deepest level. He who has ears to hear, let him hear... The main thing is that the production’s creators and performers were able to get the beauty of Mozart’s music across, while retaining the sense of humour inherent in the libretto.”
“The perennial problem with all stagings of Die Zauberflöte is the two parallel storylines which should, as it seems, come together, but which never do”, noted Izvestia. The first storyline, driven by Papageno, the lover of worldly pleasures, is very lively and humanistic. The second storyline is philosophical and moralistic, swayed by those with abstract notions of world justice. In the Mikhailovsky production, ‘abstraction’, brought to life through realistic characters, no longer comes across as an annoying supplemental afterthought to a lyrical tale, and this is without doubt a great achievement."
The next performances of Die Zauberflöte will take place at the Mikhailovsky Theatre on 7 and 9 October..
