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Die Zauberflöte
© Anna-Maria Löffelberger

The Magic Flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder / In German with English surtitles

Premiere 02/28/2021 / Salzburg State Theatre

Synopsis

It is a close call – and love at first sight: When three ladies save Prince Tamino from a monster in the nick of time and show him the picture of an unknown beauty, he is instantly spellbound. He sets out to find his love, who – as he is told – has been captured by the high priest Sarastro. He is accompanied by Papageno, a bird-catcher who is looking for his very own Papagena.

Mozart’s opera takes the audience on a magical trip. In a world where imagination speaks when words fall silent and love conquers all when logic fails, a small magic flute can save the day. But the opera also touches on the basic questions that reflect the essence of our humanity. “The Magic Flute” combines worldly wisdom with lofty philosophy and the lightness of being with the existential crises of the human soul. All of this is achieved by its fairy-tale plot, which is rooted in the tradition of popular theatre and is yet profoundly meaningful, and of course also by Mozart’s wonderful music, but also by the loving, deeply human portrayal of the characters.

The opera will be directed by Christiane Lutz, who has shown her talent for tactful modern interpretations with her version of Massenet’s “Manon” in the 2018/2019 season.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and Emanuel Schikaneder (1751–1812) met when Schikaneder was chief director at the Court Theatre (now the State Theatre) in Salzburg. Twelve years later they worked together to create “The Magic Flute”, which premiered on 30 September 1791 in Vienna. Mozart himself conducted the orchestra and Schikaneder sang the part of Papageno.

Musical director Leslie Suganandarajah teams up with director Christiane Lutz, who has made a name for herself with her opera productions, for instance at the Bavarian State Opera, the Theater an der Wien and the Semperoper in Dresden. Lutz again works with stage designer Julia Müer and costume designer Dorothee Joisten, with whom she previously staged “Manon” in Salzburg.