Music Review
Were you to read a synopsis of Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute,’ you’d either throw down the libretto in frustration or settle down and enjoy the romp. The opera is set in an uncertain place, governed by a mysterious code of honor, and involves a clutch of characters who don’t seem to know who they are, where they’re going and what they’ll do when they get there. It’s crazy. And yet, Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera’s production, performed fully, joyfully and expertly this past weekend, was a delightful romp. A full house at the Miles Playhouse in Santa Monica fell under the spell of Mozart’s score, again executed by music director Galina Barskaya. She delivered the full color of the orchestra from her synthesizer and keyboard and directed the action, as did Mozart, when he conducted the first two performances from the piano in 1791, just months before his death. The second in the 2010-11 L.A. Metropolitan series”Tosca’ opened the season in October”The Magic Flute’ is perhaps Mozart’s most popular opera, having never been out of the active repertoire. Once again, founder and this-time stage director Linda Jackson amassed a cast of superb voices, a testament to her commitment to bring professional opera to the Westside. The Palisadian, who has enjoyed a successful vocal career both in opera and popular music, co-founded the opera company in 2008 with soprano Ella Lee. The action in ‘The Magic Flute,’ unveiled in two acts, involves the lost prince Tamino, who must undergo the trials of the hero to win his lady love, Pamina. She, in turn, has been kidnapped by the high priest of the sun Sarastro, who is the archenemy of the Queen of the Night (her mother). The delightful bird catcher Papageno wants nothing more than a little wife (a Papagena) and pleasant company. Enveloping the action, as with all Mozart’s operas, is a matrix of complex ideas’including Freemason initiation rites and magical fairy-tale elements. But for those of us who are uninitiated, there remains the sheer delight of the spectacle. The vocal combinations’arias, duets and chorus groups’are what matter, and there are so many notable performances. Miles Playhouse provides an intimate setting with adequate sight lines and acoustics. The supertitles are always helpful, although this opera’s spoken dialogue is in English. Although the production was presented over one weekend instead of two, it was double-cast, allowing for more vocal and acting interpretations. On Friday, Linda Jackson sang the role of the Queen of the Night with wonderful coloratura passages, presenting magnificent opportunities for display, beyond accomplishing the zenith of operatic challenges’the F in altissimo. Amanda McAllister (as Pamina) returned to L.A. Metropolitan Opera after debuting in ‘La Traviata’ in 2009. A strong and lyrical soprano, McAllister navigated the emotional lows and highs of her fraught journey that resonated with the audience. Other standouts included Mark Sauters as Monostatos, a part he has sung with Opera Nova. The three spirits, Jessica Tisdale, Nushin Nataneli and Hillary Seidenberg, made their debut with L.A. Metropolitan Opera, and we look forward to hearing more from them. The tour de force performance, Bernardo Bermudez’ Papageno, was a high-water mark. The delicious duet between Papageno and Papagena ‘packed with the simple enchantment of which Mozart alone among musicians has ever had the secret,’ brings the opera to a delightful conclusion as the couple goes out arm in arm. With sold-out weekend performances, L.A. Metropolitan Opera is taking root on the cultural landscape close to Pacific Palisades. We look forward to the next opera, Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto,’ showing June 24, 25 and 26 at the historic Miles Playhouse on Lincoln Boulevard. For more information, visit losangelesmet.com.
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