Richard Bratby

Reduced me to a tearful, choked-up mess: Royal Opera’s Magic Flute reviewed

Plus: ENO stages a remarkable rarity

Willard White and Christine Rice, who burns the house down as Elizabeth I in Gloriana. Credit: Nirah Sanghani  
issue 21 January 2023

‘The rays of the sun conquer the night’ sings Sarastro, at the end of Mozart and Schikaneder’s Die Zauberflöte. It was the Royal Opera’s first performance of January 2023 and there’s something profoundly consoling about seeing this of all operas at the midnight of the year. The lights dim; five chords ring out and that first triplet from the violins falls quietly into place as Mozart engages the gears and together we move off on our long, sweet journey towards light.

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