W. A. Mozart | Die Zauberflöte

The legendary Magic Flute staged by the famous director Jean-Pierre Ponelle featuring an outstanding cast.

This production of Mozart’s Magic Flute received enormous and unanimous approval, when it was premiered in Salzburg. Endless applause on the night and an unusual state of accord from the international press where enthusiastic reviews soon gave this staging the status of a legend.

Of course, none of that would have had the same appeal if it had not been in accord with Mozart’s music, performed with perfect blend of lightness and pathos, humour and profundity, by James Levine and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; nor would it all have worked without a truly Festival-worthy cast of singers: the Finnish bass Martti Talvela, who departed way too soon in 1989, in his famous role as Sarastro, the incomparable Edita Gruberová as “the best-ever Queen of the Night” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), the legendary Tamino Peter Schreier as well as the petite, lyrical soprano Ileana Cotrubas˛ as Pamina. Furthermore, Christian Boesch, who sang the role of his life with Papageno, was credited most for his performance in this legendary Zauberflöte.

Soon available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Cat. No.: 109389 (DVD) | 109390 (Blu-ray)

Genre Opera
Recording location Salzburg Festival
Recording date 1982
Duration 186 mins
Video format 2x DVD / NTSC
Audio format PCM Stereo
Production Company ORF
Costumes Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Sets Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra / Band Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor James Levine
Choir Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Chorus Master Walter Hagen-Groll
Stage Director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Libretto Emanuel Schikaneder
Soloist Christian Boesch (Papageno)
Soloist Gudrun Sieber (Papagena)
Soloist Martti Talvela (Sarastro)
Soloist Peter Schreier (Tamino)
Soloist Edita Gruberová (Queen of the Night)
Soloist Ileana Cotrubas (Pamina)
Soloist Horst Hiestermann (Monostatos)