7. The Magic Flute Holiday Presentation at The Met Opera
From December 10th through January 5th, the Met Opera will present an abridged English-language version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sublime fairy tale opera, The Magic Flute. First premiering in 1791 at Schikaneder’s Theatre in Vienna, The Magic Flute went on to gain critical acclaim and ended up being the final work produced by Mozart, who passed away three months later.
Moving freely between earthy comedy and noble mysticism, The Magic Flute is told in a singspiel (song-play) format characterized by separate musical numbers connected by dialogue and stage activity — bringing the story’s solemn and lighthearted moments seamlessly together. Its story is set in Egypt, traditionally considered to be the birthplace of the Masonic fraternity, whose symbols and rituals are heavily featured.Â
The Magic Flute’s cast will be led by tenor Matthew Polenzani as Tamino and soprano Hera Hyesang Park as Pamina. Rolando Villazón makes an exciting debut as Papageno, alongside Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night and Morris Robinson playing her nemesis Sarastro. Conducted by Jane Glover, the performance takes place over 1 hour and 55 minutes, with tickets available online for purchase.
