The Magic Flute Is Dec. 28, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Mozart’s The Magic Flute is the Dec. 28, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as fourth in the season’s 23 radio matinees.

Lothar Koenigs returns to conduct Mozart operas in two successive Met Opera seasons, with La Clemenza di Tito (2018-2019) and now The Magic Flute (2019-2020): Thomas Malesys @tmalesys, via Twitter March 30, 2019

Wolfgang Mozart’s The Magic Flute is the Dec. 28, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and numbering as the fourth of 23 scheduled Saturday radio matinees during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season.

The Metropolitan Opera’s holiday performances of The Magic Flute offer an abridged, English-language version of Die Zauberflöte by 18th century Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). The opera company’s family-friendly staging aims to establish a holiday tradition for young audiences.

Mozart set his musical score to a German libretto written by Emanuel Schikaneder (Sept. 1, 1751-Sept. 21, 1812), stage name of Bavarian playwright and impresario Johann Joseph Schickeneder. The fairy-tale opera premiered Sept. 30, 1791, at Schikaneder’s theater, the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden, located near the center of Vienna, northeastern Austria. Mozart conducted the orchestra for the opera’s first two performances. Schikaneder sang the role of Papageno.

Die Zauberflöte received its Metropolitan Opera premiere March 30, 1900, as an Italian-language opera. Five performances were offered in the 1899-1900 season. The MetOpera Database notes that the Italian libretto of Il Flauto Magico was composed by an unknown translator.

The Metropolitan Opera premiered its abridged, English-language, one-act version Nov. 29, 2006, as a matinee. American literary critic and poet J.D. (Joseph Donald) McClatchy Jr. (Aug. 12, 1945-April 10, 2018), is credited with the opera’s English translation.

The Metropolitan Opera’s English-language version uses staging that debuted as a new production Oct. 8, 2004. Julie Taymor made her Met Opera production debut as the new staging’s director.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s holiday performances of The Magic Flute revive Taymor’s staging. The American film, opera and theater director’s production team comprises set designer George Tsypin; lighting designer Donald Holder; choreographer Mark Dendy.

In addition to production direction, Julie Taymor is credited as The Magic Flute’s costume designer. She co-designed the production’s puppets with Michael Curry.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season offers nine performances of The Magic Flute. The season’s first performance took place Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Five additional performances take place in December. Performances are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 26, at 11 a.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 28, at 1 p.m.

The 2019-2020 holiday season’s last three performances of The Magic Flute will be offered after New Year’s Day. January’s three performances take place Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at 1 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera’s two-act Magic Flute has an estimated run time of 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes). Acts I and II are staged together. There is no intermission.

Lothar Koenigs conducts all performances. The German conductor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 1, 2008, in the opera company’s 506th performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Lothar Koenigs also conducts Káťa Kabanová by Czech composer Leoš Janáček (July 3, 1854-Aug. 12, 1928).

Joélle Harvey appears as Pamina, the Queen of the Night's daughter, for five performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Friday, Jan. 3). The American soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the opera’s 2019-2020 opening night, Dec. 15.

Joélle Harvey shares the role with Ying Fang, who appears in four performances (Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday matinee broadcast, Dec. 28; Thursday, Jan. 2; and closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4). The Chinese operatic soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut Sept. 28, 2013, as the Kazan Cathedral’s female voice and as Madame Podtochina’s daughter in the opera company’s seventh performance of The Nose by Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (Sept. 25, 1906-Aug. 9, 1975). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Ying Fang also appears as Sophie in Werther by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Kathryn Lewek appears as the troublesome Queen of the Night for seven performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday matinee broadcast, Dec. 28; Friday, Jan. 3). The American coloratura soprano reprises her Metropolitan Opera debut role, which happened Dec. 28, 2013, in the opera company’s 413th performance of the opera.

Kathryn Lewek shares the role with So Young Park, who appears in the performances on Thursday, Jan. 2, and closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4. The South Korean soprano reprises the role from her Metropolitan Opera debut, which took place Jan. 3, 2019, in the opera company’s 449th performance of the opera. During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, So Young Park also appears as Clorinda in La Cenerentola by 19th century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Update: The Metropolitan Opera announced via Twitter Dec. 3 that Jeni Houser and Kathryn Lewek are replacing So Young Park. Kathryn Lewek will appear as the Queen of the Night on closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4.

Jeni Houser will appear as the Queen of the Night for the Thursday, Jan. 2, performance. The American operatic soprano's performance will mark her Metropolitan Opera debut.

David Portillo appears as Prince Tamino, who loves Pamina, for seven performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday matinee broadcast, Dec. 28; Friday, Jan. 3). The American tenor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 16, 2015, as Count Almaviva in the opera company’s 614th performance of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, David Portillo also appears as the Steersman in Der Fliegende Holländer by German composer Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

David Portillo shares Tamino with Paul Groves, who appears in the performances on Thursday, Jan. 2, and closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4. The American operatic tenor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Jan. 9, 1992, as the Steersman in the opera company’s 127th performance of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer. During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Paul Groves also appears as Tchekalinsky in The Queen of Spades by late-Romantic Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

Rodell Rosel appears in all performances as Monostatos, who fixates on the Queen of the Night's daughter. The Filipino tenor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 13, 2009, as Valzacchi in the opera company’s 370th performance of Der Rosenkavalier by German composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Joshua Hopkins appears as bird-catcher Papageno for seven performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday matinee broadcast, Dec. 28; Friday, Jan. 3). The Canadian baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 28, 2009, as Ping in the opera company’s 271st performance of Turandot by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Joshua Hopkins also appears as Albert in Massenet’s Werther.

Joshua Hopkins shares Papageno with Will Liverman, who appears in the performances on Thursday, Jan. 2, and closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4. The American operatic baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 19, 2018, as Malcom Fleet in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Marnie by American contemporary classical music composer Nico Asher Muhly (born Aug. 26, 1981). During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Will Liverman also appears as Horemhab in Akhnaten by American composer Philip Glass (born Jan. 31, 1937).

Patrick Carfizzi appears as an old priest, known as the Speaker of the Temple, for seven performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday matinee broadcast, Dec. 28; Friday, Jan. 3). The American bass-baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 24, 1999, as Count Ceprano in the opera company’s 736th performance of Rigoletto by 19th century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Patrick Carfizzi also appears as Brander in La Damnation de Faust by 19th century French Romantic composer Louis-Hector Berlioz (Dec. 11, 1803-March 8, 1869) and as the Sacristan in Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) and in the New Year’s Eve Gala.

Dwayne Croft appears as the Speaker in the performances on Thursday, Jan. 2, and closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4. The American baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut April 18, 1990, as Fiorello in the opera company’s 442nd performance of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Dwayne Croft also appears as Baron Douphol in Verdi’s La Traviata.

Morris Robinson appears as Sarastro, in whose temple Prince Tamino and Papageno undergo wisdom trials, for four performances (opening night, Sunday, Dec. 15; Thursday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 21; Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24). The American bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 16, 2002, as the Second Prisoner in the opera company’s 217th performance of Fidelio by German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (bapt. Dec. 17, 1770-March 26, 1827).

Morris Robinson shares Sarastro with Soloman Howard and Patrick Guetti. Soloman Howard appears in four performances (Thursday, Dec. 26; Saturday, Dec. 28; Thursday, Jan. 2; closing night, Saturday, Jan. 4). The American bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 30, 2014, as the King in the opera company’s 1,133rd performance of Verdi’s Aida.

Patrick Guetti appears in the Friday, Jan. 3, performance. The American bass makes his Metropolitan Opera debut with his Jan. 3 performance as Sarastro.

The takeaway for The Magic Flute as the Dec. 28, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that 18th century Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart’s fairytale opera airs at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and numbers as the fourth of 23 Saturday matinee broadcasted weekly through Saturday, May 9, 2020.

Kathryn Lewek’s reprisal of Mozart’s Queen of the Night for the 2019-2020 Met Opera season marks her sixth season in the role in which she made her Met Opera debut Dec. 28, 2013: Kathryn Lewek, Soprano @kathrynleweksoprano, via Facebook Dec. 29, 2013

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Lothar Koenigs returns to conduct Mozart operas in two successive Met Opera seasons, with La Clemenza di Tito (2018-2019) and now The Magic Flute (2019-2020): Thomas Malesys @tmalesys, via Twitter March 30, 2019, @ https://twitter.com/tmalesys/status/1112200876112969729

Kathryn Lewek’s reprisal of Mozart’s Queen of the Night for the 2019-2020 Met Opera season marks her sixth season in the role in which she made her Met Opera debut Dec. 28, 2013: Kathryn Lewek, Soprano @kathrynleweksoprano, via Facebook Dec. 29, 2013, @ https://www.facebook.com/kathrynleweksoprano/photos/a.586031791438212/648756078499116/

For further information:

“Debut: Dwayne Croft.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 300040 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {442} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/18/1990.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=300040

“Debut: Kathryn Lewek.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355218 Die Zauberflöte {413} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/28/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355218

“Debut: Miah Persson, Rodell Rosel, Nicholas Crawford.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353112 Der Rosenkavalier {370} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/13/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353112

“Debut: Paul Groves.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 307060 Der Fliegende Holländer {127} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/9/1992.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=307060

“Debut: Soloman Howard.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355599 Aida {1133} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/30/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355599

“Debuts: Andris Nelsons, Lise Lindstrom Joshua Hopkins . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353144 Turandot {271} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/28/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353144

“Debuts: David Portillo, Valeriano Lanchas.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356192 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {614} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/16/2015.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356192

“Debuts: Lothar Koenigs, Mark Thomsen.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352723 Don Giovanni {506} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/01/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352723

“Debuts: Patrick Carfizzi, Gloria Watson, Vladimir Jurowski.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 332264 Rigoletto {736} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/24/1999.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=332264

“Debuts: Philippe Castagner, Morris Robinson.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350403 Fidelio {217} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/16/2002.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350403

“Debuts: Robert Spano . . . Will Liverman.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357028 Marnie {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/19/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357038

“Debuts: So Young Park, Peixin Chen.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357104 Die Zauberflöte {449} Metropolitan Opera House01/03/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357104

“Debuts: Ying Fang . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] Metropolitan Opera Premiere CID: 355027 The Nose {7} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 09/28/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355027

Kathryn Lewek, Soprano @kathrynleweksoprano. “Arriving to my post Met debut party! Courtesy of the one and only Robert Norman Photography! More photos to come soon of the festivities!” Facebook. Dec. 29, 2013.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/kathrynleweksoprano/photos/a.586031791438212/648756078499116/

Marriner, Derdriu. “Born July 7, 1887, Marc Chagall Designed Die Zauberflöte at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 1, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/07/born-july-7-1887-marc-chagall-designed.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Born Sept. 10, 1944, Thomas Allen Made His Met Opera Debut as Papageno.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 9, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/born-sept-10-1944-thomas-allen-made-his.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “The Magic Flute Is the Dec. 29, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 18, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-magic-flute-is-dec-29-2018-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “The Magic Flute Is Dec. 9, 2017, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 4, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-magic-flute-is-dec-9-2017-met-opera.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Jeni Houser will sing the Queen of the Night in the January 2 performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Kathryn Lewek will sing the role January 4. Both replace So Young Park. #CastChange." Twitter. Dec. 3, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1201906732273934337

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Abridged, One Act Version of The Magic Flute / Die Zauberflöte." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351755 Premiere of abridged version Die Zauberflöte {365} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/29/2006. Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351755

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 24080 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Die Zauberflöte {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/30/1900.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=24080

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351036 New Production Die Zauberflöte {343} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/08/2004.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351036

Thomas Malesys @tmalesys. “Fantastic performances from all the cast. But imo the spectacular success is made by the conductor #LotharKoenigs #MetClemenza.” Twitter. March 30, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/tmalesys/status/1112200876112969729