Glenn Gould Faculty Spring Opera — Mozart: Die Zauberflöte. Elias Theocharidis (Tamino), Olivia Morton (Pamina), Gennady Grebenchuk (Papageno), McKenzie Warriner (Queen of the Night time), Matthew Li (Sarastro), Jeffrey Liu (Monostatos), Julia Kennific (Papagena), Emma Pennell (First Woman), Charlotte Anderson (Second Woman), Jessica Lyublinsky (Third Woman), Nora Jane Montana (First Spirit), Meghan Linnington (Second Spirit), Marie Conceiçao (Third Spirit), Nicholas Kluftinger (First Armed Guard), Tyler Prince (Second Armed Guard) / Allison Grant, Director / Royal Conservatory Orchestra, Jennifer Tung, conductor. Koerner Corridor, March 19, 2025. Repeats on March 21; tickets right here.
Following the massively profitable, sold-out performances final November of its double-bill operatic providing of L’enfant et les sortilèges and L’enfant prodigue, the Glenn Gould Faculty Spring Opera at the moment on provide is the beloved Mozart masterpiece, Die Zauberflöte. It’s restricted to solely two performances. It opened on March 19, with the final present on March 21.
As an alternative of staging it within the intimate, 237-seat Mazzoleni Corridor, which was the venue for the double-bill final November, Die Zauberflöte is staged within the extra spacious, 1,135-seat Koerner Corridor, with its state-of-the-art technical tools, permitting for a extra elaborate manufacturing. I’m informed that each performances are utterly offered out, though it doesn’t damage to contact the field workplace for potential returns.
It ought to come as no shock that this Mozart opera could be a scorching ticket. In line with the Operabase web site, Die Zauberflöte is the second hottest opera on the planet based mostly on the variety of performances, which stands at 21,352 worldwide since 1996. It beats out such warhorses as Carmen (19,405) and La Boheme (18,948), in third and fourth place respectively.
Provided that Koerner Corridor will not be an opera home, substantial variations within the staging are wanted. As an alternative of mounted units, designer Kim Sue Bartnik makes use of small props to be carried on and off stage by supernumeraries. Very efficient are the massive clean canvases upstage, on which varied photographs are projected based on the dramatic conditions. The lighting by Jason Hand and the usage of recorded sound are very efficient in creating the proper environment. I joked that the thunder and lightning as executed on opening evening have been startling sufficient to strike worry of God into the hearts of the viewers!
The Efficiency
Die Zauberflöte requires an enormous forged, and the GGS singers have been totally as much as the duty. The principals all have fantastic voices, to make sure. As Tamino, Elias Theocharidis’s massive spinto tenor and heart-on-sleeve appearing made a powerful impression. Soprano Olivia Morton (Pamina) sang a lovely “Ach, ich fühl’s,” marked by silvery tone and wonderful excessive piano. Additionally glorious was coloratura soprano McKenzie Warriner who stratospheric prime notes in “Der Hölle Rache” earned her the most important ovation of the night.
As Papageno, baritone Gennady Grebenchuk injected the requisite humour into the proceedings, and his scene with Papagena (soprano Julia Kennific) was enjoyable. Bass Matthew Li was a youthful sounding Sarastro, who additionally occurred to have essentially the most eye-catching costume of the night, designed by Alex Amini.
The opera was sung in German, with some cuts and modifications to the voluminous spoken dialogue. Nevertheless, what remained was nonetheless substantial for a non-German talking forged. Kudos to the German diction coach.
Remaining Ideas
Via all of it, the singers have been fantastically supported by the wonderful RCM Orchestra beneath debuting conductor Jennifer Tung. Die Zauberflöte is a posh present to stage, particularly on the subject of scenes just like the trials by hearth and water, given the bodily limitations of Koerner Corridor.
Director Allison Grant did it in addition to may be anticipated. Furthermore, the dearth of a refrain meant that the scenes involving Sarastro, the temple, and all of the inherent Masonic references lacked the requisite solemnity.
I used to be additionally puzzled by the stage motion within the first couple of minutes of the overture, which actually left me scratching my head. It was solely afterwards once I learn the director’s notes that I spotted it was an obscure reference to the theme of household dysfunction linking all three GGS operas this 12 months. Effectively, I’m wondering what number of within the viewers figured this one out! By no means thoughts, for me the best pleasure of Die Zauberflöte is within the music, and we viewers members obtained it in spades.
All in all, a really satisfying night on the opera.
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Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent College and Affiliate Editor of Opera Canada.He’s additionally a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His curiosity in music journalism focuses on voice, opera in addition to symphonic and piano repertoires. He seems recurrently as a panel member of the Large COC Podcast.He has co-edited a ebook, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Tradition, Efficiency, printed by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
