Die Zauberflöte
Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto von Emanuel Schikaneder
In German language with German and English surtitles
The story of The Magic Flute begins like an adventure: a prince rescues a princess from a dark ruler, accompanied by a birdcatcher and magical devices. But the boundaries between good and evil, light and dark become blurred and the characters are far more complex.
The story of The Magic Flute has been interpreted and reinterpreted in many ways. But one of the reasons it continues to captivate audiences to this day is that it features complex characters, who are portrayed as diverse and dazzling as real people. A mother, for example, who wants to save her daughter – or perhaps uses her as an instrument of revenge. A young woman who discovers a strength within herself she didn’t know she had. A coward who might actually be braver than he believes. A villain who, on second glance, no longer appears (only) evil.
In Lotte de Beer’s production, the opera remains a beautiful, magical fairytale. At the same time, however, she seeks an emotional anchor for the story – someone who draws the audience into the narrative. "For me, The Magic Flute has a lot to do with growing up," she says, "which is why a young person invites us into their world of imagination. Imaginatively animated videos open a path into this world." This gives rise to fantastical, striking, unsettling, and captivating places and spaces, where Mozart and Schikaneder’s fable is told in all its complexity.
Recommended from 9 years
Leading Team
Stage direction Lotte de Beer
Bühnenbild und Illustrationen Christof Hetzer
Animation Lead Roman Hansi
Costume design Jorine van Beek
Lighting design Alex Brok
Choir director Roger Díaz-Cajamarca
Dramaturgy Peter te Nuyl
Further dates and cast
FIRST ACT
- Prince Tamino is rescued from a monster by the three ladies of the Queen of the Night, but it is the bird-catcher Papageno who claims the praise.
- As punishment for his lie, the ladies seal his mouth shut.
- They show Tamino a picture of Pamina, the Queen’s daughter, who has been kidnapped by the powerful Sarastro.
- Tamino is immediately enchanted and wants to rescue Pamina.
- The Queen, deeply distressed, promises to give him Pamina as his wife if he succeeds in rescuing her.
- The three ladies give Tamino a magic flute and Papageno a magic glockenspiel. They promise that three boys will accompany them on their journey.
- Tamino and Papageno set off for Sarastro’s palace, where Pamina is being held captive.
- Sarastro’s supervisor Monostatos attacks Pamina, but is driven away by Papageno, who tells Pamina that Tamino is on his way to rescue her.
- The three boys have meanwhile led Tamino to Sarastro’s palace.
- There, an old guard assures him that it is not Sarastro but the Queen of the Night who embodies evil.
- Encouraged by the news that Pamina is alive, Tamino plays his flute.
- Pamina and Papageno hear the music and set off in search of him.
- But Monostatos catches the two and holds them captive.
- Papageno’s glockenspiel comes to their aid – the birdcatcher and Pamina manage to escape.
- Then they encounter Sarastro himself.
- Tamino and Pamina finally meet, but only for a brief moment; Sarastro orders Tamino and Papageno to undergo a series of trials.
SECOND ACT
- Sarastro wants to win Tamino over to his cause and reveals to his companions that he has chosen the prince for a higher destiny in his secret society.
- Papageno does not want to undergo any trials. Only when he is promised a companion who is similar to him does he grudgingly agree.
- The most important trial is to remain silent and have no contact with women.
- The three ladies try to disrupt Tamino and Papageno’s growing loyalty to Sarastro, but both remain steadfast and pass the first test.
- Monostatos tries to approach the sleeping Pamina, but this time he is prevented by the Queen of the Night.
- Seeking revenge, the Queen demands that her daughter kill Sarastro.
- Pamina is torn between loyalty to her mother and her love for Tamino.
- Sarastro recognises her dilemma. He dismisses Monostatos and assures Pamina that he seeks understanding and forgiveness.
- Papageno is visited by an old woman who wants to be his lover. The three boys bring food and drink. Papageno chats, eats, drinks and thus fails this test.
- Pamina finds the two, but believes she has been betrayed when Tamino refuses to speak to her.
- Desperate, she withdraws. However, Tamino has passed this test.
- The old woman reveals herself to be the young Papagena. However, as Papageno has failed the test, she is taken away from him again. Papageno sees no meaning in life anymore.
- The three boys prevent Papageno from killing himself.
- He is reunited with his Papagena forever.
- Pamina also considers suicide, as she believes Tamino has betrayed her. But once again, the three boys intervene and bring her and Tamino together for the final trials.
- Protected by the magic flute, Tamino and Pamina pass the trials of fire and water together.
- The Queen of the Night, her ladies and Monostatos launch a final attack on the palace, but are stopped by Sarastro.
- Tamino and Pamina realise that their experiences and trials have made them adults, and they set off together to start their new life.
Photos and Videos
For all those who use a screen reader, a description of the visual aspects of the performance (set design, costumes...) follows here instead of the photo gallery.
In this production, a 14-year-old boy illustrates the story of *The Magic Flute*. On stage, we see projections of these drawings, which resemble watercolor comic illustrations. The boy draws Tamino, Pamina, Papageno, the Queen of the Night, Sarastro, and all the other characters using simple line drawings, but he also draws landscapes reminiscent of forests or deserts. The characters often resemble him or his parents; he weaves his own story into that of *The Magic Flute*. His drawings are projected onto two white walls and panels that rise and fall; they come to life through video animations—that is, the drawn characters begin to move, becoming animated cartoon figures. The projections define the stage; otherwise, there are only a few built set elements and props, such as a large bed into which Tamino retreats and with which he also flies through the—drawn—landscape. The costumes of the singers on stage are reminiscent of the drawings projected onto the walls. In other words, it looks as if the singers are the boy’s drawings brought to life. The world depicted is imaginative, colorful, and full of fantastical elements.
Articles from our Weborello
Getting lost in a picture book
For Lotte de Beer, The Magic Flute has a lot to do with growing up. In her production, animated videos open the path into the fantasy world of a young person. On the occasion of the premiere on September 14, read an interview with stage designer Christof Hetzer and video designer Roman Hansi!
.jpg "Karl-Michael Ebner (Die Knusperhexe)")