Word: papageno
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Unfortunately, the rest of the production does not meet the uniformly high standard of the accompaniment. The major roles are well sung, but, apart from Paul Lincoln's effectively goofy Papageno, the characters do not reveal the depth of psychological development implicit in Mozart's music. Oliver Worthington brings to the role of Tamino a lovely voice but little more, and Ling Ning Xu's Sarastro is dignified but unprepossessing. Worst of all, the Queen of the Night (Maria Tegzes), who has a voice that stands up to the test of her role's legendary difficulties, completely fails to command...
...Schikaneder's libretto, which, in cutting huge chunks of dialogue, makes the opera's story seen hurried and almost incomprehensible (even if the original, with its sudden plot reversal, is itself somewhat incoherent). The transitions are sudden, and such delicious scenes as the first act duet of Pamina and Papageno are deflated by a lack of preparation. The half-hearted characterization of the singers conspires with the awkwardness of the adapted libretto to empty the opera of power, and not even the sight gags and Papageno's antics can revivify...