The magic flute - Opera - Season 22/23 Programming - Opéra national de Paris

  • Opera

    The magic flute

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Opéra Bastille - from 17 September to 19 November 2022

    Agathe Poupeney / OnP

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The magic flute

Opéra Bastille - from 17 September to 19 November 2022

Opera

The magic flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Opéra Bastille - from 17 September to 19 November 2022

3h05 with 1 interval

Language : German

Surtitle : French / English

  • Opening night : 17 Sept 2022

About

In few words:

In Die Zauberflöte, a prince from a far‑off land on a quest to liberate a princess meets a giant snake, a cocky bird‑seller, the Queen of the Night and a High Priest who imposes strange rites of passage. How does one approach Mozart’s last opera, first performed in Vienna in 1791, two months before the composer's death? As a fantastical tale for children, as the reflection of the masonic allegiance of Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder, or as an ardent meditation on human existence? The director Robert Carsen attempts to go beyond the libretto's simplistic opposition of good and evil, represented by Sarastro and the Queen of the Night, suggesting that each of them guides the young Tamino and Pamina on the path to wisdom. An optimistic reading that does not exclude the idea of death, described by Mozart in a letter to his father as “our best friend”.

CHARACTERS

Tamino: In love with Pamina.
Papageno: Bird-catcher in the service of the Queen of the Night.
Sarastro: High Priest in the Temple of Wisdom.
La Reine de la Nuit: Pamina’s mother.
Pamina: The Queen of the Night’s daughter.
Monostatos: Sarastro’s servant.
Papagena: Promised to Papageno.
Les trois Dames: In the service of the Queen of the Night  

  • Opening
  • First part 70 mn
  • Intermission 30 mn
  • Second part 85 mn
  • End

Media coverage

  • This is Carsen's strong point: the primacy of the theatre, with its gestures, movements and surprises, in a variety that constantly arouses attention.

    Guillaume Tion, Libération.fr, 10 février 2017
  • A strength and coherence that still fascinates the audience.

    François Lehel, Opéra Magazine, Mars 2017
  • This revival of Carsen's production at the Opéra Bastille simply expresses the magic of Mozart's famous Singspiel (played and sung).

    Olyrix, 2017

Performances

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Audio clips

La Flûte enchantée (saison 22/23) - Mauro Peter (Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton)

La Flûte enchantée (saison 22/23) - Ouverture

La Flûte enchantée (saison 22/23) - Huw Montague Rendall (Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen)

La Flûte enchantée (saison 22/23) - Chœur (O Isis Und Osiris)

Backstage

  • Fire in The Magic Flute

    Article

    Fire in The Magic Flute

  • Opera word for word – Die Zauberflöte

    Podcast

    Opera word for word – Die Zauberflöte

  • Draw-me The magic flute

    Video

    Draw-me The magic flute

  • Imaginarie The Magic Flute

    Video

    Imaginarie The Magic Flute

© Elena Bauer / OnP

Fire in The Magic Flute

Article

Fire in The Magic Flute

A production remembered

04’

By Alexis Mazaloubaud

In his production of The Magic Flute, first performed at the Paris Opera in 2014, Robert Carsen uses the seasons as a metaphor to develop the characters of this initiatory tale. He also works with the elements: as a result, the “Trial by Fire” which occurs at the beginning of Act II, takes on a particularly striking aspect. Alexis Mazaloubaud, responsible for special effects and pyrotechnics at the Opéra Bastille, talks about the conception of that scene.


The first time I worked on fire effects for Robert Carsen, it was in 2001 for the production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka: an immense flame six metres high and ten metres wide, with a soloist nearby, it was incredible! But the request he made to us almost fifteen years later for The Magic Flute represented another major challenge: we had to put in place two fire ramps measuring 13 and 15 metres for scarcely 90 seconds, which the two characters Pamina and Tamino could cross.

It is not customary for us to work on such large surfaces. Usually, we deal with smaller combustible elements, such as candles and torches. In this case, though, it took a considerable amount of time to find a suitable method. In the end, we designed ramps resembling metal pipes that had been cut lengthwise. We then placed a series of wicks impregnated with a flammable product inside them. These were then lit with a lighter located on either side of the ramps and ultimately extinguished by a mechanical suppression system.

We realised right away that it would be impossible for the singers to cross the flames in bare feet. So we came up with a specific solution: igniting the fire in two stages. First, on the wide lateral sections. Then, the central parts would burst into flames once the singers had crossed them, after moving from downstage to upstage. The two singers then would turn to face the audience from behind the two burning ramps.

To set this impressive effect in motion, four technicians were positioned on the sides and two under the stage of the central section in order to ignite and mechanically extinguish the two ramps. In reality, the rain which comes down at the end of the scene plays no part in extinguishing the flames! Incidentally, at Robert Carsen’s request, that rain is actually comprised of tiny glass beads.

Robert Carsen's production of “The Magic Flute”
Robert Carsen's production of “The Magic Flute” © Elena Bauer / OnP

Of course, safety is our top priority. There are always trained firefighters present in the wings. The numerous Chorus-members, wrapped in white sheets, are positioned close to the fire so they must keep at least one metre away from the flames. Even so, when they rise to step over the extinguished ramps a few small flames can sometimes remain which can be unnerving for them. When that happens, technicians in costume can come on stage with smothering cloths and be barely distinguishable from the other characters!

I returned to this production with a great deal of enthusiasm. Since I am in charge of special effects, I also get to use water, smoke and wind. With these four elements there is an infinite number of possibilities. This season, for The Snow Maiden for example, I will have to work on a number of large wooden fires positioned around the stage. As for Carmen, I will be ensuring that the Spanish flag truly flies…

Interviewed by Juliette Puaux

© plainpicture / Tilby Vattard

Opera word for word – Die Zauberflöte

Podcast

Opera word for word – Die Zauberflöte

Literary podcast evoking an opera and a stage director’s vision

09:51’

By Benoit Maubrey, Marion Mirande

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Robert Carsen's production, in the words of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ismail Kadaré et Friedrich Nietzsche  

Copyright :

  • Mozart, Correspondance complète, Flammarion, 2011
  • Ismaïl Kadaré, Avril brisé, Fayard, 1982
  • Friedrich Nietzsche, Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra, (Traduit de l’allemand par Geneviève Bianquis), GF-Flammarion, 2006

Draw-me The magic flute

01:20’

Video

Draw-me The magic flute

Understand the plot in 1 minute

By Octave

Mozart’s last opera can be seen as a marvellous tale for children or as an ardent meditation on human existence. A prince from a far-off land on a quest to find a slightly suicidal princess encounters a giant snake and a swaggering bird catcher, the Queen of the Night and a mysterious High Priest imposing strange rites of passage… Drawing inspiration from the words of the composer in a letter to his father, the director Robert Carsen provides an elegant and sober Magic Flute, a dark jewel that conquers Death and makes it “our best friend”, – a source of reassurance and consolation.  

Imaginarie The Magic Flute

01:09’

Video

Imaginarie The Magic Flute

A repertoire work narrated in a visual poem born of popular culture

By Marc de Pierrefeu

The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from january 12 to february 22, 2021 at the Opéra Bastille.

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