Two years ago, I wrote that I would think twice before seeing another Mozart opera. Well, I did think twice. And I am glad that I did. We recently saw the Komische Oper Berlin's production of Die Zauberflöte, and I must say, it was amazingly fantastic.
I actually had this production on my radar already. I have been aware of Barrie Kosky's production of Die Zauberflöte since almost ten years ago. And I am glad that it was been continuously running since then. What is interesting about this production is the use of 1920's-style silent movie animation, and it is definitely not your typical Zauberflöte production. The actors were all dressed in the style of Charlie Chaplin, and the singing was also amazing.
Die Zauberflöte is actually a love story, encapsulated as a fantasy. There's Tamino and Pamina, a boy and a girl, and they eventually end up with each other. But before they do so, there's plenty of magical trials that they have to successfully complete. The storyline has many complicated twists and turns, but of course, due to magic - yes, the magic flute rescues them at some point - they all succeed.
As I mentioned earlier, I am not a big fan of Mozart's music - this is an opera dating from 1791 after all. But compared to my previous experience with a Mozart opera, I actually liked this one. Perhaps that is because Die Entführung aus dem Serail is from 1782, and a decade can definitely result in a drastic change in style for Mozart. Or perhaps I was simply distracted by the great performance that evening. In any case, I definitely enjoyed the music this time.
Overall I had a great time. I definitely would wonder whether this was due to the atypical production, or due to the music. Alas, I wouldn't want to watch a different production of Die Zauberflöte just to figure this out. There's plenty of other operas I also want to watch. But in case you want to watch this one, pick the one produced by the Komische Oper Berlin.
