Opera Scotland

Zauberflöte 1988Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Magic Flute

A final (and dramatically routine) revival of Jonathan Miller’s stimulating production, directed on this occasion by David Walsh, generally failed to recreate the excitement of the original - perhaps a lack of rehearsal time? Lynne Dawson made her only appearances with Scottish Opera. Canadian Jane Leslie Mackenzie was a regular visitor at this time, and always welcome. Nan Christie, having sung Papagena at the start of her career and Pamina in the middle, now moved upwards to the Queen of Night - rather an unusual progression, Gordon Sandison returned to the role of Papageno, which he had sung dozens of times in the very different David Pountney staging in the 1970s.

 

Scottish Opera's Season - 1988/89

The programme for the 1988-89 season of Scottish Opera opened with Midsummer Marriage. The other new productions were Fledermaus, Rheingold, Don Giovanni, Oedipus Rex, Traviata and Street Scene. The revivals were Magic Flute, Iolanthe, and Bohème, In the autumn the previous season's Richard Jones Così fan tutte, redirected by Tim Hopkins, went out on the medium-scale tour. There was also a small-scale, piano-accompanied tour of Don Carlos, so far Scottish Opera's only attempt at this work.