Simon McBurney’s richly inventive Zauberflöte arrives at the Met

Lawrence Brownlee (Tamino) and Met Orchestra principal flute Seth Morris

Kathryn Lewek (Queen of the Night) and Erin Morley (Pamina)

Erin Morley (Pamina) and Thomas Oliemans (Papageno)

Julian Knopf, Deven Agge, Luka Zylik (Three Boys) and Erin Morley (Pamina)

Act 2 finale of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte

Brenton Ryan (Monastatos), Thomas Oliemans (Papageno) and Bryan Wagorn (glockenspiel solo)

By Susan Stempleski, 23 May 2023

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“McBurney integrates a barrage of theatrical flourishes... all to stunningly magical effect”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 22 May 2023

Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

Metropolitan Opera

Nathalie Stutzmann, Conductor

Simon McBurney, Director

Michael Levine, Set Designer

Nicky Gillibrand, Costume Designer

Jean Kalman, Lighting Designer

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Finn Ross, Projection designer

Lawrence Brownlee, Tamino

Erin Morley, Pamina

Stephen Milling, Sarastro

Kathryn Lewek, Queen of the Night

Thomas Oliemans, Papageno

Ashley Emerson, Papagena

Harold Wilson, The Speaker (Der Sprecher)

Brenton Ryan, Monostatos

Alexandria Shiner, First Lady

Olivia Vote, Second Lady

Tamara Mumford, Third Lady

Julian Knopf, First Boy

Deven Agge, Second Boy

Luka Zylik, Third Boy

Asmik Grigorian strengthens the Met’s revival of Eugene Onegin

Susan Stempleski, 20th April

The Lithuanian soprano’s riveting performance as the central character in Tchaikovsky’s operatic masterpiece lights up Deborah Warner’s mostly bland production.

****1

Innocence: Saariaho’s final opera receives New York premiere

Kurt Gottschalk, 6th April

At the Metropolitan Opera, Innocence proves a gripping and perhaps divisive piece which feels real because it is a reflection of our reality, with no realistic hope of finding peace.

*****

Tristan und Isolde at the Met: staging gets in the way of the music

No’a L. bat Miri, 9th March

Michael Spyres shines in his debut as Tristan alongside powerhouse soprano Lise Davidsen as Isolde in Yuval Sharon's new, beguiling production at the Metropolitan Opera.

***11

Ailyn Pérez is the perfect Butterfly in the Met’s revival

Robert Levine, 13th January

Good Butterflys are not that difficult to come by but great ones are very very rare. Ailyn Pérez fits the bill in this revival of Anthony Minghella’s classic staging.

*****

Vocal thrills in Met’s traditional staging of Bellini’s I puritani

Susan Stempleski, 31st December

Marco Armiliato conducts a finely balanced rendition of Bellini's final masterpiece with a stellar cast headed by Lisette Oropesa and Lawrence Brownlee.

*****

Porgy and Bess returns stronger than ever at the Met

Robert Levine, 7th December

Back to Catfish Row for another revival of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and James Robinson’s show continue to wow our writer.

*****

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Susan Stempleski

Based in New York City, Susan is a retired specialist in second and foreign language teaching and the author/editor of several professional books for language teachers and many widely used textbooks for English language learners around the world. An avid concertgoer, she spends her time attending operas and other classical music events in New York and Paris. Since 2002, she has regularly published reviews on Classical Source. A keen Francophile, she has a particularly strong interest in French music, literature and film.