The Magic Flute Is the Met's Dec. 18, 2021, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The Magic Flute is the Met's Dec. 18, 2021, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as third of the 2021-2022 season's Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Kathryn Lewek makes her sixth reprisal of the Queen of the Night in the 2021-2022 season; she had added the Mozartian role to her Met Opera portfolio, during the seventh revival of Julie Taymor's production, in the 2013-2014 season; Julie Taymor designed her production's costumes, and George Tsypin designed the production's sets: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 24, 2019

Mozart's The Magic Flute is the Met's Dec. 18, 2021, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the third of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season.

The Magic Flute, the abridged English-language, holiday presentation of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791), receives nine performances in the 2021-2022 season. The season's first performance of The Magic Flute took place Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. The second through ninth, closing performances are scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 18, at 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 11:00 a.m.; Thursday, Dec. 23, at 11:00 a.m.; Monday, Dec. 27, at 11:00 a.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 29, at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2021-2022 season's presentation of The Magic Flute represents the 13th revival of new staging of Mozart's fairy tale opera that Julie Taymor debuted Friday, Oct. 8, 2004, in the opera's 343rd performance by the opera company. The American film, opera and theater director had made her Met Opera debut in the new staging. The Metropolitan Opera premiere of The Magic Flute, the abridged English-language, one-act version of Die Zauberflöte, took place Friday, Dec. 29, 2006, in the opera company's 365th performance of the opera.

Jane Glover conducts The Magic Flute in her first reprisal of the holiday presentation's conductorship. The British conductor had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, in The Magic Flute, in the opera company's 409th performance of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

Matthew Polenzani originally was scheduled for all nine performances as Prince Tamino, whose love for Pamina receives High Priest Sarastro's blessings. The 13th revival marks Matthew Polenzani's third reprisal overall in Julie Taymor's production and second reprisal in the production's holiday version. He had added Tamino to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2004-2005 season's debut of Julie Taymor's new staging. The American lyric tenor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Dec. 19, 1997, as boyar Khrushchov in the opera company’s 251st performance of Boris Godunov by Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 21, 1839-March 28, 1881).

The Magic Flute numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Matthew Polenzani. He sings the title role in the March 26 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Don Carlos by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Matthew Polenzani shares the role with Eric Ferring. The Metropolitan Opera's Dec. 10, 2021, press release announced that Eric Ferring would replace Matthew Polenzani as Prince Tamino in the Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, performance. The opera company announced, via Twitter Jan. 3, 2022, that Eric Ferring would also sing Prince Tamino in the ninth, closing performance on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. The American tenor had made his Met Opera debut as Pong in the opera company's 336th performance of Verdi's Turandot.

Hera Hyesang Park sings Pamina, the Queen of the Night's daughter, who finds happiness with Prince Tamino. The South Korean lyric coloratura soprano had made her Met Opera debut Feb. 2, 2017, as the First Wood Sprite in the opera company's 28th performance of Rusalka by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (Sept. 8, 1841-May 1, 1904).

Rolando Villazón appears as Papageno, who finds happiness with Papagena, in the 13th revival's first, seven and ninth, closing performances. The Mexican operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003, as Alfredo in the opera company's 893rd performance of Verdi's La Traviata.

Rolando Villazón shares the role with Will Liverman, who sings Papageno in the Saturday, Jan. 1, performance, as his first reprisal of the role. He had added the holiday version's Papageno to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2019-2020 season. The American operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Friday, 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).

The Magic Flute numbers as the first of three Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Will Liverman. He sings Charles in the Jan. 8 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Fire Shut Up in My Bones by American jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard (born March 13, 1962). He also sings Horemhab in the May 28 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Akhnaten by American composer Philip Glass (born Jan. 31, 1937).

Morris Robinson appears as High Priest Sarastro, whose temple is the backdrop for Prince Tamino and Pamina's happiness, in the 13th revival's first seven performances. The 13th revival marks Morris Robinson's sixth reprisal overall in Julie Taymor's production and fifth reprisal in the production's holiday version. He had added Sarastro to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2005-2006 season. The American bass had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, 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 the role with Peixin Chan, who sings Sarastro in the eighth and ninth, closing performances as his first reprisal of the role in which he had made his Met Opera debut. The Chinese bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, as Sarastro, in the production's holiday version, in the opera company's 449th performance of the opera.

Kathryn Lewek sings the fearsome Queen of the Night in her sixth reprisal of the role. The American coloratura soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013, in the production's holiday version, in the opera company's 413th performance of the opera.

Rodell Rosel sings Monostatos, High Priest Sarastro's slave, in his first reprisal of the role. He had added Monostatos to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2019-2020 season. The Filipino tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, as Valzacchi in the opera company’s 370th performance of Der Rosenkavalier by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Rodell Rosell originally was scheduled to sing Monostatos in all nine performances. The Metropolitan Opera, however, announced via Twitter Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, that David Cangelosi would sing Monostatos for the last three performances (Dec. 29; Jan. 1, 5). The American tenor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, April 22, 2004, as Mime in the opera company's 148th performance of Das Rheingold by 19th-century German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Patrick Carfizzi makes his first reprisal as the Speaker of the Temple of Wisdom, who tells Prince Tamino that the Queen of the Night's characterization of Sarastro as evil is incorrect. He had added the role to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2019-2020 season. The American bass-baritone had made his Met Opera debut Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24, 1999, as Count Ceprano in the opera company’s 736th performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto.

The Magic Flute numbers as the second of three Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Patrick Carfizzi. He sang the Sacristan in the Dec. 11 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). He also sings a Lackey in the March 12 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos.

Julie Taymor has multiple roles in her production of Mozart's fairy tale opera. In addition to director, she also is the production's costume designer and, with Michael Curry, puppet designer.

Julie Taymor's production team also comprises George Tsypin, set designer; Donald Holder, lighting designer; and Mark Dendy, choreographer. Kazakhstan-born, American stage designer George Tsypin had made his Met Opera debut Monday, March 19, 2001, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of The Gambler by Russian-Soviet composer, conductor and pianist Sergei Prokofiev (April 23, 1891-March 5, 1953). American theater, opera and dance lighting director Donald Holder and American choreographer Mark Dendy had made their Met Opera debuts, alongside Julie Taymor, in the 2004-2005 season.

The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte took place Friday, March 30, 1900. The opera, which was sung in Italian, received five performances in the 1899-1900 season.

The takeaways for The Magic Flute as the Met's Dec. 18, 2021, Saturday matinee broadcast are that the English-language, one-act holiday presentation of Mozart's fairy tale opera, Die Zauberflöte, airs as the third Saturday matinee opera broadcast in the 2021-2022 season; that the 2021-2022 season's presentation represents the 13th revival of the production that Julie Taymor debuted in the 2004-2005 season; that the 13th revival features conductorship reprisal by Jane Glover and role reprisals by Matthew Polenzani (Tamino), Will Liverman (Papageno), Morris Robinson (Sarastro), Kathryn Lewek (Queen of the Night), Rodell Rosel (Monostatos) Patrick Carfizzi (Speaker); and that The Magic Flute numbers as the first of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Matthew Polenzani, as the first of three for Will Liverman and as the second of three for Patrick Carfizzi.

Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute features her costume designs, set designs by George Tsypin and lighting designs by Donald Holder; Julie Taymor co-designed the productions puppets, including dancing birds, with Michael Curry: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Dec. 19, 2019

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Kathryn Lewek makes her sixth reprisal of the Queen of the Night in the 2021-2022 season; she had added the Mozartian role to her Met Opera portfolio, during the seventh revival of Julie Taymor's production, in the 2013-2014 season; Julie Taymor designed her production's costumes, and George Tsypin designed the production's sets: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 24, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10161515108070533

Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute features her costume designs, set designs by George Tsypin and lighting designs by Donald Holder; Julie Taymor co-designed the productions puppets, including dancing birds, with Michael Curry: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Dec. 19, 2019, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1207806991051231233

For further information:

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The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "In the latest episode of Aria Code, Kathryn Lewek, Soprano discusses why singing 'Der Hölle Rache,' the Queen of the Night’s famous aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, is an out-of-this-world experience. . . ." Facebook. Jan. 24, 2019.
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