Mozart’s last opera is a firework display that takes the form of a tale of initiation. A prince from a far‑off land in search of a vaguely suicidal princess rubs shoulders with a giant serpent, a boastful but cowardly bird catcher, the Queen of the Night and a seemingly tenebrous High Priest imposing strange rites of passage… From this improbable mixture emerges a magical and dramatic work that can be appreciated either as a marvellous tale for children or as the most profound meditation on life and death. After an initial production for the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Robert Carsen renews his relationship with Mozart’s operatic works after a gap of twenty years. His new perspective on the work brings to life a Magic Flute that is both refined and elegant: a sober jewel in which appearances often prove misleading…