“A dazzling live-action cartoon far too adorable to offend.” – Los Angeles Times
“… a quixotic enterprise that buzzes and whirrs and spins with manic energy and joy.” – The Guardian
Tamino flying on the elephant’s back, the Queen of the Night as a giant spider, dancing constellations, butterflies and mechanical monkeys fill the “screen” – the fascination which this Magic Flute exerts over audience of all ages seems endless. This critically acclaimed production by Komische Oper Berlin and the British theatre group “1927”, with its blend of film animation and live singing, has been rapturously received by over 500,000 audience and critics around the globe.
The Magic Flute appears to give rise to more questions and mysteries rather than provide answers. At the end, the immense fantasy of this magical opera defies all logic and reason. Its secret lies in deeper layers of fundamental human experiences for which the fairytale appears simply to be the most adequate form of expression and only music finds the appropriate language. It is with good reason that the “eponymous hero” of the opera is an instrument, or quite simply: music.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one interval
Performed in German, with surtitles in Chinese, Portuguese and English
Conductor: Hendrik Vestmann
Directors: Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky
Animator: Paul Barritt
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Vocalconsort Berlin
Production: Komische Oper Berlin and 1927
Characters and Cast
Pamina: Kim-Lilian Strebel (4, 6/10) and Iwona Sobotka (5/10), Sopranos
Tamino: Tansel Akzeybek (4, 6/10) and Adrian Strooper (5/10), Tenors
Queen of Night: So Young Park (4, 6/10) and Danae Kontora (5/10), Sopranos
Sarastro / Speaker: Tijl Faveyts (4, 6/10) and Magnus Piontek (5/10), Basses
Papageno: Mikolaj Trabka (4, 6/10) and Bartolomeiji Misiuda (5/10), Baritones
Papagena: Monika Buczkowska, Soprano
Monostatos: Emil Ławecki, Tenor
First Lady: Inga Britt Andersson (4, 6/10) and Mirka Wagner (5/10), Sopranos
Second Lady: Karolina Gumos (4, 6/10) and Marta Mika (5/10), Mezzo-sopranos
Third Lady: Karolina Sikora, Soprano
Three Boys: Tölzer Knabenchor
