Review: “The Magic Flute” @ Glimmerglass Festival, 7/26/15

Flute“Magic Flute” full of pleasant charm

By Joseph Dalton

COOPERSTOWN — “The Magic Flute” at the Glimmerglass Festival is a sparkling pageant, mixing together mystery, romance and comedy. The new production, which opened on July 10 and was seen Saturday afternoon, continues in repertory through August 23.

Best of all, the musical performances are consistently strong, starting with the robust and driving Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra, lead by conductor Carolyn Kuan. The musicians weren’t always note perfect, since the strings wavered in passages of the second act. But on the whole, the ensemble sounds like a different beast than the meager creature that slumbered in the pit five or more years back.

Of the sizeable cast, soprano Jacqueline Echols as Pamina had a standout moment midway through the second half. It was an aria of lonely dejection that captured the refined beauty of her voice and also offered some lovely stillness and humanity amidst the frenzy and confusion of the familiar plot.

Tenor Sean Panikkar as Tamino was earnest and likeable, and baritone Ben Edquist never overplayed Papageno for laughs, though his finale scenes were still plenty fun. As the Queen of the Night, So Young Park’s soprano voice was a tad austere but still accurate and arresting in her two hit arias. Bass Solomon Howard was a youthful and contained Sarastro, whose lowest notes were unusually smooth and comfortable, never forced or growling.

The entire opera is performed in English, this being another of the original translations by Kelley Rourke. It’s by far her best effort in memory, fluent and rhyming, contemporary without being sarcastic or profane. It includes insightful emphasis on the aspects of initiation and spiritual discovery.

The wooded set by Troy Hourie is functional and varied and Mark McCullough’s ever shifting lighting helps keep the stage picture interesting. The costumes by Kaye Voyce are a playful hodgepodge. Hard to say that Pamino is wearing anything more than a white cocktail dress, while the trio of ladies are in a rainbow of tie-died frocks. The Queen of the Night is a silver haired goddess in blue, with patterns of the moon on her long, slim dress.

As for the men, Tamino sports a business suit and tie, while Papageno’s getup is a combination of grey camouflage and day glow orange, topped off with big fur hat. Sarastro wears a translucent greyish overcoat and his entourage seems drawn from the casts of both “The X Files” and “The Big Bang Theory.” Somehow it all sort of works, a cross section of worlds, suitable enough for another pleasant outing with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer based in Troy.

***

Opera review

Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Glimmerglass Festival, Cooperstown
Length: Two hours, 30 minutes; one intermission
Continues: Eight more performances through August 23.
Tickets: $10-$95. Call (607) 547-2255.
More information: http://www.glimmerglass.org/

 

 

Joseph Dalton