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The Metropolitan Opera is wealthy enough in vocal talent to have two casts functioning in its new production of "Die Zauberfl?te." On Tuesday night, at the third performance of Mozart's work and only nine days after the initial performance, the company threw in its second team. Only the three boys who sang the Genii were retained from the original cast.

The first cast was an international one, with both American and European singers. Tuesday night's was all-American. The Americans' German in the spoken dialogue was understandable,if seldom idiomatically pronounced and phrased; in the singing, however, it took on a more natural sound.

But this was a minor matter. What was disappointing was the lack of much distinguished singing. Perhaps the artists were still feeling their way into the

Chagall-Rennert production, which tends to swamp them and reduce them to the size and emotional depth of puppets. Perhaps, too, they were bothered by some of the laggard tempos of the conductor, Josef Krips.

As Pamina, Judith Raskin got off to an awkward start in the "Bei Mannern" duet with Papageno, perhaps through misunderstanding a cue from Mr. Krips. Until the first act's final scene she sang with no more than a surface prettiness. There were some lovely phrases in "Ach, ich f?hl's"; but this most poignant aria should have been flawless, and wasn't.

Macurdy as Sarastro

George Shirley's Tamino was sung with sweetness and clean musicianship, but without the force or polish to keep the overall effect from being bland. Roberta Peters got through her first aria as Queen of the Night with the highest and lowest notes just barely audible. She tore into "Der Holle Rache," however, with considerable force and impressiveness.

Theodor Uppman's Papageno remains what it always has been, a simple, boyish, lighthearted character, vocally congenial. His Papagena was Loretta Di Franco, cute and bright-voiced. John Macurdy was a suavely sonorous Sarastro, Walter Cassel an excellent High Priest.

The Three Ladies were well matched in the voices of Mary Ellen Pracht, Shirley Love and Nedda Casei. Andrea Velis was a nimble, vocally light Monostatos. The rest of the cast included Paul Franke and Raymond Michalski as the guards and Robert Schmorr and Russell Christopher as the priests.

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Search by title: Die Zauberfl?te,

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