Welsh National Opera |
| Welsh National Opera- The Magic Flute , Wales Millennium Centre , February 16, 2015 |
You look into three sides of a cube; they show a bright blue sky with waspish white clouds floating quietly by. It’s when you notice there are fifteen wooden doors in the sky you know you are in fantasyland. This is quickly confirmed when a giant lobster claw crashes through one of the doors then another through another door, then its head pokes through the middle door. This monster scares the life out of handsome young tenor, Tamino. No sooner we meet him he passes out before our eyes. Allan Clayton, a young, fast rising tenor sings his way through the demanding role splendidly. He gives Tamino a wide-eyed innocent air that charms us all. Although it has its serious moments, there is a pantomime quality in a number of scenes and with its colourful setting this production has already established itself as a favourite and a great way to introduce children to opera: there were quite a few in this audience. The enchanting story seemed to be holding them for all its three hours telling. Adding to the fantasy another feathery covered young man appears, a bird catcher, Papageno, he catches birds for the Queen of the Night in exchange for food and drink. Another lost young man looking for love. South African born baritone Jacques Imbrailo is a former winner of the Audience Prize in the Cardiff based BBC Singer of the World competition. Recently hailed by The Times “the hottest young baritone on the block”, he combines a smiling humour, and an endearing scattiness, with his fine musicality. He gets his first comeuppance when he claims to have rescued Tamino from the monster’s claws from three maids who lock up his mouth. They are the real Tamino rescuers who belong to The Queen of the Night. Camilla Roberts, Máire Flavin and Emma Carrington are perfect. They all sing with great clarity and have great delight in their roles. They show the now revived Tamino a picture of Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night. It’s love at first sight. It proves to be a good possible match as Tamino is a prince himself. The ladies return and tell Tamino that Pamina has been captured by Sarastro. Tamino vows to rescue Pamina. Off he sets with the magic flute he has been given and dragging Papageno , carrying his magic bells with him. He is clearly approved of by The Queen of the Night who appears out of the now starlight sky. She promises Tamino that Pamina will be his if he rescues her from Sarastro. Samantha Hay draws a strong character and in her opening aria she thrilled us with her masterly coloratura. Now, Mozart having shown us some of the highest notes the human voice can reach, takes us to the other end of the spectrum with the well rounded bass of Scott Wilde as the monster Sarastro. His low notes almost set the floorboards vibrating. Turns out he isn’t quite so bad as he is painted. He leads The Brotherhood, an organization demonstrating Masonic elements. He puts both Tamino and Pamina through some horrible tests, witnessed by the members of The Brotherhood, moonlighting, in bright orange suits, bowler hats and umbrellas, from the canvases of the painter Matisse. At one point their observations take place as their top hats and umbrellas emerge from beneath the stage. Blindfolded, our heroic couple has to survive fire and water. Pamina is sung with a beautifully engaging soprano by Sophie Bevan and she looks a fine catch for any dashing young man. With the aid of the flute and bells both sets of young lovers are united, Tamino with Pamina and Papagino with Papagina. They enter into a new era of love and The Brotherhood into a new era of wisdom. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
This review has been read 2312 times There are 115 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:
|
