Above: the finale of the McBurney/Levine Zauberflöte at the Met; watch an informative video here!
Author: Oberon
Saturday June 3, 2023 matinee - I wasn't much interested in seeing the Met's new Zauberflöte, but there were several names in the cast that definitely made me want to hear it. And, after her wonderful Don Giovanni last week, I certainly did not want to miss a chance to hear Nathalie Stutzmann conduct another Mozart masterwork.
I started my afternoon at a score desk without a view of the stage. Musically, everything was fabulous, and I was not even put off by various sound effects that were part of the production. After the interval, I moved to my usual primo desk, which affords a view of the stage...if you stand up and lean out. At first I only checked out a few moments of the production, but I found myself increasingly drawn in by the staging; I began to realize this is very much a Zauberflöte for our time.
Mythic operas like Zauberflöte, Frau ohne Schatten, the Ring Cycle, and Orfeo ed Euridice can work well in a variety of settings. The Met's last three Flutes have been the Chagall, the Hockney, and the Taymor: each different, but each valid and fascinating in its own way. Now the McBurney/Levine can proudly join the pantheon: it is dark, noisy, sometimes junky and/or quirky, and often cryptic - much like the world we live in now. But in the end, it brings the story's various factions together, united in a sense of our common humanity. The Queen of the Night, a wheelchair-bound sorceress of faded glamour and diminished powers, is embraced by Sarastro and cured of her physical disability as the chorus sings of the triumph of love and light.
The orchestra, elevated to stage level, played superbly, and Ms. Stutzmann gave us the score in a performance that was curiously both weighted and airy. Her take on the overture was brisk and clear, and she eschewed this season's trend of conductors drowning out the voices.
Above: Lawrence Brownlee as Tamino with flautist Seth Morris
Larry Brownlee's is the first voice we hear in the opera, and what a mellifluous and tender sound it is. His 'Portrait Aria' was ardently phrased, and the pivotal scene with the Speaker (the excellent Harold Wilson) was appropriately central to the evening, with Larry's "O ew'ge nacht!" having the perfect heart-stopping effect. This leads to the scene where Tamino tests the power of the magic flute, deliciously played by Seth Morris (photo above).
One of the great things about experiencing the full score - after several seasons of the pared-down English-language Taymor setting - was hearing all of the music for the Three Ladies: Alexandria Shiner, Olivia Vote, and Tamara Mumford made a finely-blended trio.
Above: Thomas Oliemans as Papageno casts a spell over Monastatos (Ryan Benton} and his slaves; watch this scene here...
The Dutch baritone Thomas Oliemans was just the right Papageno for this production: with a handsome voice, and a casually scruffy stage presence, this Papageno effortlessly endeared himself to the audience. The staging makes lots of physical demands on the Papageno: like Roy Kent in Ted Lasso, "He's here, he's there...he's every-fucking-where!", including materializing on the audience level of the house whilst searching for Papagena,
Brenton Ryan's crafty Monastatos was a gem. The voice is finely projected and his singing full of insinuation and malice. Banished by Sarastro, he goes over to the Queen of Night's camp, there to make more mischief.
At Mr. Oliemans's first meeting with Papagena, she is completely shrouded in black. Ashley Emerson, the go-to Papagena of the Taymor era, didn't use her 'old lady' voice in the new production; instead, she spoke to Papageno in an alluring tone. This kept the bird-catcher interested, despite Papagena's admitted age. After her girlish prettiness is revealed, the Emerson/Oliemans team duetted blithely in the "Pa-pa-pa-pa" number before scampering up the theatre aisle to a noisy ovation.
Above: Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night and Erin Morley as Pamina
As the mother and daughter leads, Kathryn Lewek and Erin Morley excelled. In Ms. Lewek's first aria, she gave us thoughtful turns of phrase with some insinuatingly soft singing in "Zum leiden..." and then cut loose with the fioratura fireworks at "Du wirst sie zu befreyen gehen..." up to a brilliantly sustained top F. Later, with her "Der Hölle Rache", Ms. Lewek stopped the show with her dazzling power and agility. At her curtain calls, the soprano was greeted with deafening roars of approval from the standing crowd: a real prima donna salute. The Met really should ask this fascinating singer to do some of her other roles here in New York City.
Erin Morley's Pamina was sung with girlish lyricism, commencing with the wonderful "Bei Männern" duet with Mr. Oliemans - cruelly cut in the Taymor English-language version - and then in the forlorn tenderness of "Ach, ich fühl's..."
Ms. Morley and Mr. Brownlee were perfectly matched vocally, and their quartet with the Armed Guards (Errin Duane Brooks and Richard Bernstein) was a highlight of the afternoon. The scene of the trials of Pamina and Tamino was a theatrical treat. First, the Trial by Fire found the entire stage engulfed in flames as sirens went off, smoke filled the air, and firemen arrived. Then, the Trial by Water showed the couple floating in a blue-green pool; how that effect was achieved is beyond me.
Above, Stephen Milling as Sarastro. How wonderful to have this towering Danish basso back at The Met! His singing was profound and tender: a voice to soothe away the woes and worries of daily life...and to draw people together. Both his arias were ideally expressive and his rapport with Ms. Morley and - later - his healing of the Queen were hallmarks of his characterization.
The Met Chorus sounded great this afternoon, as they have all season. It was especially pleasing to hear the Chorus of the Priests again today: it was one of the unkindest cuts in the Taymor English-language staging
The opera ended with everyone united and past animosities forgotten...or at least forgiven. The curtain calls were joyous, and when Ms. Lewek came forward - celebrating, I believe, her 50th Met Queen of Night - the house lights came on so she could see everyone standing and cheering her. Then Ms. Stutzmann appeared; I cannot thank her enough for these two Mozart matinees, and for all the thought, care, and love that she puts into her music-making.
Metropolitan Opera House
Saturday June 3, 2023 matinee
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Pamina.......................................Erin Morley
Tamino.......................................Lawrence Brownlee
Queen of the Night...........................Kathryn Lewek
Sarastro.....................................Stephen Milling
Papageno.....................................Thomas Oliemans
Papagena.....................................Ashley Emerson
Monostatos...................................Brenton Ryan
Speaker......................................Harold Wilson
First Lady...................................Alexandria Shiner
Second Lady..................................Olivia Vote
Third Lady...................................Tamara Mumford
Genie........................................Deven Agge
Genie........................................Julian Knopf
Genie........................................Luka Zylik
Priest.......................................Richard Bernstein
Priest.......................................Errin Duane Brooks
Armed Men....................................Errin Duane Brooks
Armed Men....................................Richard Bernstein
Foley Artist.................................Ruth Sullivan
Visual Artist................................Blake Habermann
Flute Solo...................................Seth Morris
Glockenspiel Solo............................Bryan Wagorn
Conductor....................................Nathalie Stutzmann
I went to the stage door after the performance where a big crowd had gathered. As the singers and musicians emerged, they were besieged by fans for autographs and 'ussies'.
I didn't get to speak with everyone I'd planned to, but Ms. Stutzmann, my longtime friend Ashley Emerson, the great basso Stephen Milling (who we hear at The Met far less often than we should), and Richard Bernstein, an invaluable member of the Met family, were all very enthused about the production and pleased with the audience's delirious response; their autographs are below. A very special afternoon!
~ Oberon