FULL DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE Harrison NY 2023 Simon Brea, Rachel Schlesinger, Olivier Zerouali, Sophia Orrico
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Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Die Zauberflöte
- Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, Harrison, New York
- Recorded: March 30, April 1 & 2, 2023
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Simon Brea, Rachel Schlesinger, Olivier Zerouali, Sophia Orrico, Robert Frazier, Rhys Stermer, Madeleine Cucullu, Zoe Brooks, Leah Gray, Zoe Mitchel, Brandon Roque
- Conductor: Hugh Murphy
- Orchestra: Purchase Symphony Orchestra
Information about the Recording
- Published by: PurchaseCoM Recital
- Date Published: 2023
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 3 Audio:3
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Synopsis:
Act I
Mr. Paul Papageno is a “successful” Hedge Fund Manager living the life of excess he has always imagined. He has an abundance of wine, women, and money to burn. His misogynistic tendencies have not made working for a woman easy, especially one he considers a tyrant. Despite achieving everything he believed he wanted, he has found himself miserably unhappy and surrounded by darkness.
He spends his evenings searching for happiness in a quasi-alcoholic stupor. One evening in a local bar he realizes “he’s done” and decides to take his own life. He roams the streets of the city in agony and walks onto the roof of his building. He is about to jump when he is stopped by a kind of “divine intervention” which directs him to a cloaked figure who beckons him to a Tarot card reading. Despite his reluctance to participate in what he considers to be foolish “hocus-pocus”, he does so. As the cards are dealt, Mr. Papageno is reluctantly pulled into the world of Tarot, where his first experience has him being pursued by a serpent of his past. Prince Tamino seeing Mr. Papageno’s flight intervenes and attempts to slay the serpent.
The Queen of the Night sends her emissaries, the Three Ladies to assess the bravery of Prince Tamino. Seeing that he does everything in his power to slay the beast, the Queen and her Three Ladies, represented by the Moon card are satisfied that he has met the test to rescue her daughter.
Pamina the daughter of the Queen of the Night, represented by the Empress card, has been “kidnapped” by order of Sarastro, The High Priest of the Temple of Wisdom, represented by the Sun card. The Three Ladies entrust the Prince and Papageno with magic instruments and three spirits to help them in their quest to rescue Pamina.
Pamina fails in her attempt to escape from her captor, Monostatos, represented by the devil card. Papageno discovers Pamina and tells her of his and Tamino’s mission to rescue her. The Three Spirits lead the prince to Sarastro’s Temple where the Speaker of the Temple informs Tamino that the Queen has deceived him.
Monostatos discovers Pamina and Papageno, but they evade him and his henchmen with the help of the glockenspiel.
In another hall of the temple Sarastro forgives Pamina for her attempt to escape but refuses to return her to her mother.
Monostatos arrives with Tamino and demands that he be punished for attempting to take Pamina. Tamino and Pamina are briefly reunited before Sarastro declares that Tamino and Papageno be taken into the Temple to begin the trial of initiation.
INTERMISSION
Act II
Tamino and Papageno are led to a dungeon in the temple where the priests order that silence be their first test. To thwart their test, the Queen’s Three Ladies appear telling them that they are doomed if they remain in the temple. Papageno chatters but Tamino refuses to speak, and the Three Ladies are swept away into darkness.
The Three Spirits appear with food, telling Tamino to be courageous and admonishing Papageno to be silent. Pamina enters and not understanding why Tamino will not speak to her assumes that Tamino’s love for her has ended. She laments that she will find peace only in death. Sarastro enters and tells Tamino that he has done well by keeping his oath of silence and that it is time to continue to the final stages of his trial. Papageno consoles Pamina by singing her to sleep and leaves to look for a counterpart of his own, Papagena.
Monostatos enters and finds Pamina sleeping. His lascivious plans for her are interrupted by the Queen who orders her daughter to kill Sarastro. Monostatos overhears their exchange and tries to blackmail Pamina into a sexual liaison. Sarastro arrives and hearing this, banishes Monostatos. He tells Pamina that forgiveness and understanding reign within the Temple’s walls and that he will not seek revenge on her mother. However, a distraught Pamina leaves in tears.
Papageno enters with the priest declaring that he does not wish to become an initiate and desires only wine, and women. An old lady appears and is eventually revealed to be Papagena in disguise, but the Priest takes her away because Papageno has proved unworthy.
The Three Spirits see Pamina preparing to commit suicide and convince her that Tamino loves her. The Spirits bring Pamina to Tamino as he prepares to begin his final test. Protected by the power of the flute’s music they pass safely through the trials of fire and water. Emerging triumphantly, they proceed into the temple.
Papageno searches frantically for Papagena. Unable to find her, he decides to hang himself. However, the three Spirits materialize and advise him to use the power of the bells.
The Queen, Monostatos, and the Three Ladies prepare to storm the Temple, but light overcomes the Queen’s powers of darkness, and they are struck down.
With great joy all celebrate the triumph of courage, wisdom, and virtue.
Papageno returns with Papagena (the Oracle) who indicates that the reading of the Tarot is complete, leaving him to contemplate lessons learned.