In Die Zauberflöte, a prince from a far‑off land on a quest to liberate a princess meets a giant snake, a cocky bird‑seller, the Queen of the Night and a High Priest who imposes strange rites of passage. How does one approach Mozart’s last opera, first performed in Vienna in 1791, two months before the composer’s death? As a fantastical tale for children, as the reflection of the masonic allegiance of Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder, or as an ardent meditation on human existence?
The director Robert Carsen attempts to go beyond the libretto’s simplistic opposition of good and evil, represented by Sarastro and the Queen of the Night, suggesting that each of them guides the young Tamino and Pamina on the path to wisdom. An optimistic reading that does not exclude the idea of death, described by Mozart in a letter to his father as “our best friend”.
Performances run 17 September – 19 November.