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Royal Opera House: Die Zauberflote

3 February 2011 by Mark Prescott

The Royal Opera House, to coin a well known advertising expression, is ‘reassuringly expensive’. As soon as you enter you are in Michelin 3 star territory: slightly snooty staff, the best coat check and loos in any theatre in the UK I’ve been to, gorgeous bars and public areas and everyone dressed to the nines (some to the tens or elevens.) And there’s not a warning bell alert that the opera is about to start but a fully fledged trumpet fanfare.

The luxury also applies to the casting, the costumes and the scenery. It’s what you would expect for £185 a ticket. A shame then that this performance is so lukewarm, stodgy and overcooked.

Mozart’s Zauberflote or Magic Flute was a runaway success for a composer who had suffered his fair share of failures. A ‘singspiel’ meaning the singers speak as well sing, its charm, exoticism (the plot involves snakes, trials by fire and water, Queens of the Night and birdcatchers) and wit were immediately popular although it is interesting to note that it later fell into obscurity before being revived in the 20th century. These days it’s definitely one of the more popular operas in the repertory although that doesn’t mean it’s not without its difficulties both in staging and music.

This production was first conceived in 2003 by David McVickar, one of the leading opera directors in the World. Staging wise it’s beautiful, well directed and with some wonderful coup de theatre moments – for example when Sarastro (one of the good guys) defeats the Queen of the Night with the rising sun – a circular golden disc is wheeled on stage and the effect is to blind the audience – a great way to point out the dramatic high point in the piece.

However, musically it was poor. The general tempos were leaden. All the way through it felt as though a sports car was being driven in too low a gear.

The Royal Opera House orchestra which in the right hands is, in my opinion, the best in London made a really aggressive, hard edged sound. I wonder whether that is because they have been rehearsing for a contemporary opera (Anna Nicole – based on the eponymous Texan femme fatale) and that sound was still with them.

I’ve rarely sat in a classical music concert and literally winced at the abrasiveness of the loud sections. There were plenty of ensemble problems between singers and orchestra and during the section where the hero – Tamino – plays his flute to calm the fire and water, flute, timpani and brass were all out of tune with each other. I enjoyed Kate Royal’s Pamina and Christopher Maltman’s Papageno but these were the only bright spots in a frustrating evening.

This was the second musically disappointing show that I’ve attended in a row at the Royal Opera House. Both were revivals and I wonder if there’s an issue here? On song, the Royal Opera House is one of the best on the planet, but like the Michelin Universe, consistency as well as brilliance is important.

My advice: read the reviews first and if they’re good, beg, borrow or steal a ticket otherwise save your pennies.

Die Zauberflote, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD until February 26th, www.roh.org.uk

Find out more about Mark Prescott, our new Classical Music Writer, here :