Die Zauberflöte is one of Mozart’s most famous works and one of the most beloved of the entire operatic repertoire. Generations of audiences have been fascinated by the melodies and adventures of Papageno, the Queen of the Night, Tamino, and Pamina, the ordeals faced by the young lovers, and the work’s inexhaustible allegorical depth. The director Romeo Castellucci has deliberately stepped back from the narrative dimension of the opera in order to explore its raw emotion and its philosophical heart. For his part, the conductor Antonello Manacorda brings Mozart’s immortal music to life with the help of an outstanding cast that includes Sabine Devieilhe, one of today’s finest interpreters of the Queen of the Night.
Casting & credits
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Opera in two acts based on a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Creation at la Monnaie, Bruxelles — 2018
Conductor Antonello Manacorda / Ben Glassberg Director, sets, costumes and lighting Romeo Castellucci Choreography Cindy Van Acker Algorithmic architecture Michael Hansmeyer Artistic collaboration Silvia Costa Additional dialogues Claudia Castellucci Dramaturge Oiersandra Di Matteo, Antonio Cuenca Ruiz Chorus master Martino Faggiani Sarastro Gábor Bretz / Tijl Faveyts Tamino Ed Lyon / Reinoud Van Mechelen Sprecher Dietrich Henschel königin der nacht Sabine Devieilhe / Jodie Devos Pamina Sophie Karthäuser / Ilse Eerens Erste dame Tineke Van Ingelgem Zweite dame Angélique Noldus Dritte dame Esther Kuiper Papageno Georg Nigl Papagena Elena Galitskaya Monostatos, ein mohr Elmar Gilbertsson Erster priester / zweiter geharnischter mann Guillaume Antoine Eweiter priester / erster geharnischter mann Yves Saelens Drei knaben axel basyurt Sofia Royo Csóka, Alejandro Enriquez, Tobias Van Haeperen, Elfie Salauddin Crémer, Aya Tanaka Dancers Stéphanie Bayle, Maria De Duenas Lopez, Laure Lescoffy, Serena Malacco, Alexane Poggi, Francesca Ruggerini, Stefania Tansini, Daniela Zaghini, Timothé Ballo, Hippolyte Bouhouo, Louis-Clément Da Costa, Emmanuel Diela Nkita, Aurélien Dougé, Johann Fourrière, Paul Girard, Nuhacet Guerra, Guillaume Marie, Tidiani N’Diaye, Xavier Perez Amateur actors Dorien Cornelis, Joyce de Ceulaerde, Monique van den abbeel, Katty Kloek, Lorena Dürnholz, Jan van Bastelaere, Michiel Buseyne, Johnny Imbrechts, Yann Nuyts, Brecht Staut Actors Sophy Ribrault, Cinzia Robbiati, Michael Alejandro Guevara, Gianfranco Poddighe, Boyan Delattre / Amos Sucheki La Monnaies La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and Chorus MM Academy & La Monnaie's Children's and Youth Chorus lead by Benoît Giaux Production La Monnaie Coproduction Opéra de lille (2019) With the support of the Belgian federal government’s tax shelter, in cooperation with Prospero MM productions sa/nv and Taxshelter.be, powered by ING
About
“For its 2018-2019 season opener, La Monnaie rolls out the red carpet for Romeo Castellucci’s inhabited and mystical genius. No break with the immense heritage of The Magic Flute, but rather an incisive stripping down, a liberation from the initiatory fable in order to reach the fundamental and absolute structure of the work.” – Soline Heurtebise, Olyrix, 21 September 2018
“Deprived of any coherent narrative, the first act is a series of elegantly choreographed symmetrical tableaux (by Cindy van Acker), of padded whiteness, with set elements (algorithmic sculptures by architect Michael Hansmeyer) that are slightly cryptic but visually rich. This is hardly surprising from Castellucci, an expert in the art of creating powerful, graphic images. It’s very beautiful, quite fascinating, with an abstraction that borders on the icy: we look in vain for a trace of emotion.” – Sophie Bourdais, Télérama, 29 September 2018
“Director Romeo Castellucci deliberately moves away from the narrative dimension of the work to explore its raw emotions and philosophical essence.” – France Culture, 2 October 2018
Images
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
© B. Uhlig / De Munt La Monnaie
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Dates
18.09 — 04.10.2018
La Monnaie, Bruxelles, BE
30.04 — 18.05.2019
Opéra de Lille, Lille, FR