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Die Zauberfl?te
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, February 16, 1981
Die Zauberfl?te (244)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Emanuel Schikaneder
- Pamina
- Lucia Popp
- Tamino
- David Kuebler
- Queen of the Night
- Zdzislawa Donat
- Sarastro
- Matti Salminen
- Papageno
- Dale Duesing
- Papagena
- Betsy Norden
- Monostatos
- James Atherton
- Speaker
- Donald McIntyre
- First Lady
- Loretta Di Franco
- Second Lady
- Claudia Catania
- Third Lady
- Batyah Godfrey Ben-David
- Genie
- David Owen
- Genie
- Carl Tramon
- Genie
- Owen Renfroe
- Priest
- Dana Talley
- Priest
- Gene Boucher
- Guard
- Timothy Jenkins
- Guard
- William Fleck
- Conductor
- Lawrence Foster
Review 1:
Review of Patrick J. Smith in Opera
The revival (which I saw on February 16) went off with a sort of racing dynamism that only indicated some of the score's strengths. Chagall's colourful sets are looking threadbare, and enclose rather than enhance the stage proceedings which, on this occasion, were presented more for easy laughs than for any profundity. Why Lawrence Foster was chosen as conductor is a mystery. He showed little feeling for the give and take of opera conducting, and set fast tempos that were largely inflexible, thus defying the singers to keep pace with him,
The cast, led by David Kuebler's Tamino and Dale Duesing's Papageno, sang with forthright directness and, in the latter's case, American-comic capering, but little vocal elegance. Lucia Popp's Pamina afforded the only glimpse of accomplished Mozart singing. Zdzislawa Donat's Queen of Night exists alone for its accurate staccato in alt; unfortunately for her, the two arias call for more. That difficult role of Sarastro exposes the limitations of Matti Salminen's bass, both in its upper reaches and in its lack of effortless legato.
Search by season: 1980-81
Search by title: Die Zauberfl?te,
Met careers
- Lawrence Foster [Conductor]
- Lucia Popp [Pamina]
- David Kuebler [Tamino]
- Zdzislawa Donat [Queen of the Night]
- Matti Salminen [Sarastro]
- Dale Duesing [Papageno]
- Betsy Norden [Papagena]
- James Atherton [Monostatos]
- Donald McIntyre [Speaker]
- Loretta Di Franco [First Lady]
- Claudia Catania [Second Lady]
- Batyah Godfrey Ben-David [Third Lady]
- David Owen [Genie]
- Carl Tramon [Genie]
- Owen Renfroe [Genie]
- Dana Talley [Priest]
- Gene Boucher [Priest]
- Timothy Jenkins [Guard]
- William Fleck [Guard]