An awful lot has already been written about Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte. All possible symbolism has already been highlighted and explained. You can learn all about the philosophical, historical and political backgrounds. After all, the opera is drenched in a mystical atmosphere that is linked to the rituals of Freemasonry, of which Mozart and Schikaneder (the librettist) were members. Yet Die
… Zauberflöte is at first sight (and perhaps above all) a fairytale: with a prince and a princess, an evil queen, an old wise man and a scary giant snake. It is a Singspiel, an opera with spoken dialogues that Mozart composed for the Volksoper in Vienna. That is why conductor Sigiswald Kuijken - as he explains in the textbook - opted for a simple approach. Kuijkens production for the Baroque festival in Beaune is certainly not bad, but there is a lot of competition. Singers and conductor are unable to lift the recording above average. Suzie LeBlanc, after all a wonderful singer in the baroque repertoire, is somewhat disappointing, because her voice, miraculously, turns out not to be really suitable for the role of Pamina. However, audio enthusiasts can enjoy SACD quality. (CP)more