Die Zauberflöte

Simon McBurney’s uproarious full-length German-language production of Mozart’s beloved fable — with its ingenious theatrical concoction of projections, puppetry, and special effects — returns to the Met stage following its celebrated 2023 premiere. Tenor Ben Bliss and soprano Golda Schultz are the noble lovers Tamino and Pamina, and baritone Thomas Oliemans repeats his animated portrayal of the outlandish bird catcher Papageno. Soprano Kathryn Lewek reprises her hair-raising turn as the Queen of the Night, Stephen Milling is the priest Sarastro, and Evan Rogister conducts.

Premiere: Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna, 1791. Die Zauberflöte — a sublime fairy tale that moves freely between earthy comedy and noble mysticism — was written for a theater located just outside Vienna with the clear intention of appealing to audiences from all walks of life. The story is told in a singspiel (“song-play”) format characterized by separate musical numbers connected by dialogue and stage activity, an excellent structure for navigating the diverse moods, ranging from solemn to lighthearted, of the story and score. The composer and the librettist were both Freemasons — the fraternal order whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals — and Masonic imagery is used throughout the work. The story, however, is as universal as any fairy tale.