Mozart’s Enlightenment: the ENO’s ‘Magic Flute’

The central message of Mozart’s Magic Flute is that human enlightenment can defeat the dark forces of chaos and disorder. These dark forces are personified by the Queen of the Night, while Sarastro personifies Enlightenment. The text was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, a hugely innovative man of the theatre during the late 18th century, sometimes known as the Age of Enlightenment. The opera itself — more correctly a Singspiel, a light opera with spoken dialogue — had its first performance at the end of 1791 at Schikaneder’s theatre in Vienna, just two months before Mozart’s death at the age of 35.

The theatrical element is ever-present in this remarkable ENO production by Simon McBurney. On the right of the stage a production assistant creates sounds, such as the rustle of paper, or the tapping of bottles, amplified by speakers. On the left another assistant occasionally writes and erases words on a chalkboard that create images on the stage backdrop. These production assistants become part of the performance, along with the raised and raked orchestra. A flautist emerges from time to time, and a member of the percussion section occasionally appears stage front to play the magic bells. On one occasion he is absent and the bird catcher Papageno has to play the bells himself before the percussionist enters to take over — all part of a stage spectacle exemplifying the theatricality of McBurney’s witty production. Schikaneder would have approved.

The English translation by Stephen Jeffreys gives Papageno a vernacular of which David Stout made excellent use in his performance of the role. His flippant wit contrasted with the serious nature of Sarastro and the Queen of the Night. Papageno’s worn jacket (Ukrainian colours with blue on the upper part and yellow on the lower) cleverly showed a disrespect for authoritarians. His performance entertainingly embodied the essence of Viennese pantomime, and Alexandra Oomens as his lovingly hoped-for Papagena was a delight.

The entire cast was strongly applauded, even given a standing ovation by some. As Sarastro himself John Relyea exhibited wonderful priestly gravitas, with Jonathan Lemalu a firm vocal presence as the Speaker. On the dark side, Rainelle Krause gave a very fine exhibition of coloratura as Queen of the Night, a role she has sung in numerous opera houses abroad, and Peter Hoare as her servant Monostatos superbly showed his disreputably priapic side as he yearned for her pretty daughter Pamina. Sarah Tynan in this role, and Norman Reinhardt as Tamino, her hoped for partner for life, exhibited their determination to win through against obstacles of which they were not previously aware.

Under the firm and sensitive baton of Erina Yashima from the Komische Oper Berlin, this performance was an uplifting experience in what, as the Sarastro of John Relyea intoned, is a time of crisis. “This assembly is the most important any of us has ever attended” — hence the Ukrainian colours of Papageno’s weather-worn costume.

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