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Mozart undersold

Michael Tanner

Wednesday, 6th February 2008

Die Zauberflöte
Royal Opera House

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Linbury

There is a hard core of central works which any major opera house needs to have, in a production that can survive many changes of cast and conductor, even of obtrusive revival director. Die Zauberflöte is unquestionably among them, a work that we constantly need to remind us of those easily mocked truths about what we should do with our lives, how high we should aspire and what the cost of aspiration may be. David McVicar’s production seems to serve the purpose, if not ideally: the overpowering settings of John Macfarlane are more notable than anything that we see the characters doing. Huge quantities of masonry slide noiselessly around, though often without a clear object; lots of dry ice, mainly dim or crepuscular lighting; sudden moments of enlightenment when children are shown being instructed with the help of an orrery, and other arresting images which don’t actually have much to do with Mozart’s opera.

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