Die Zauberflöte (Sharon)

musical director

Alondra de la Parra

Director

Yuval Sharon

Set Designer

Mimi Lien

Set Design Assistance

Marc Löhrer

Costumes

Walter Van Beirendonck

Light

Reinhard Traub

Videodesign

Hannah Wasileski

Sound design

Markus Böhm

Chorus Master

Anna Milukova

Dramaturgy

Krystian Lada

Benjamin Wäntig

Zweiter Geharnischter

Erik Rosenius

Pamina

Serena Sáenz Molinero

Papagena

Sarah Aristidou

Sarastro

Kwangchul Youn

Tamino

Julian Prégardien

Papageno

Florian Teichtmeister

Königin der Nacht

Tuuli Takala

Sprecher

Lauri Vasar

Monostatos

Florian Hoffmann

Erste Dame

Adriane Queiroz

Zweite Dame

Cristina Damian

Dritte Dame

Anja Schlosser

Erster Geharnischter

Stephan Rügamer

Erster Priester

Linard Vrielink

Zweiter Priester

Lauri Vasar

Drei Knaben

Solisten des Tölzer Knabenchors

STAATSOPERNCHOR

STAATSKAPELLE BERLIN

BACKGROUND

In a mythical past, a king and queen ruled together over a kingdom of day and night. Their daughter was called Pamina. When the king died, he gave his power – symbolized by the mighty circle of the sun – not to the queen, but to the Brotherhood headed by Sarastro, thereby dividing the realm of light and shadow in two. After the king’s death, however, his wife attempted to win back the power she had lost as the Queen of the Night. In order to remove Pamina from her mother’s negative influence, Sarastro has had her kidnapped.

ACT ONE

While hunting, the young prince Tamino is lured into the realm controlled by the Queen of the Night and threatened by a monster. Fearing for his life, he loses consciousness. The Three Ladies who attend the Queen of the Night quarrel over the unconscious young man. When the prince awakes, the bird catcher Papageno tells him where he is. On the queen’s orders, the Three Ladies give Tamino a portrait of the princess Pamina, and he falls instantly and deeply in love. The queen attempts to use this love to recover Pamina and, with her, the powerful circle of the sun from Sarastro. Tamino is determined to free Pamina from Sarastro. Papageno is told to accompany him, and both are equipped with magic instruments, a flute and a set of bells. Three Boys are to guide them as good spirits. In the meantime, Pamina attempts to flee Sarastro’s control in order to escape the cruel slave overseer Monostatos. Papageno, however, finds her and tells her that Tamino loves her, and they flee together. When Tamino meets the Speaker of the Brotherhood at the gates of the temple, he begins to doubt what he has heard of Sarastro’s evil intentions. In his uncertainty, he turns to the invisible higher powers and, for the first time, discovers his flute’s magic powers. Pamina and Papageno’s attempt to flee is thwarted by the arrival of Sarastro, but Pamina decides to tell Sarastro the truth. She and Tamino meet. Sarastro has Tamino and Papageno brought to the Temple of Wisdom. As a woman, Pamina cannot accompany them.

ACT TWO

Sarastro asks the members of the Order to let Tamino face the trials that will initiate him into the Brotherhood and, at the same time, announces that he intends for Pamina and Tamino to wed. As their first trial, Tamino and Papageno are forbidden to speak, an utter impossibility for Papageno. The Queen of the Night sees that her plans are being foiled by Sarastro. She forces her way into the temple and calls on Pamina to kill Sarastro. Sarastro, however, uses humanity and forgiveness to fight the queen’s desire for vengeance. The Three Boys return to Tamino and Papageno the magic instruments that were taken from them before their admission to the temple. Pamina cannot understand Tamino’s silence and doubts his love. She decides to kill herself and is stopped by the Three Boys at the last moment. In the end, the two lovers pass the final, decisive test in the temple of fire and water together. In the meantime, Papageno, too, decides to kill himself because the Papagena he had found at last has been taken from him. Here, too, the Three Boys arrive to save him. Monostatos allies himself with the Queen of the Night, but their attack is thwarted and the sun banishes the darkness. Together with the Queen of the Night, Sarastro is able to turn over the mighty circle of the sun to the new king and queen, Tamino and Pamina.

»Sharon’s ‚Flute‘ is a hit.«

(Los Angeles Times)

»If opera is to have a future, this ‚Flute‘ – love it or hate it – is where to begin.«

(Los Angeles Times)

»[…] the house was full and the audience included the young and stylish. Parents had children in tow. Most – young and old – demonstrated a fascinated enthusiasm, even wild enthusiasm. The children were downright enthralled.«

(Los Angeles Times)

»One final thought about this ‚Flute’: Mozart not only infuses comic-book androids with life but also turns on young people in the audience to the music.«

(Los Angeles Times)

»It was an interesting, wild take on a cherished masterpiece, visually colourful and busy […], but engaging and original, with a well-defined vision and intent.«

(Bachtrack)

»The result was a bold but refreshingly non-preachy production, modern and entertaining, which refrained from forcing societal issues into the story.«

(Bachtrack)

»Tamino was Julian Prégardien, his tenor heroic and elegant at the same time. His ‚Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön’ was beautiful and exciting, his high notes well placed, his phrasing remarkable.«

(Bachtrack)

In German language with German and English surtitles