Opera Scotland

Zauberflöte 1983Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Magic Flute

Jonathan Miller had not directed an opera in Scotland before, so his Magic Flute was eagerly awaited. It turned out to be a fascinating, if unusually austere interpretation, set firmly in eighteenth century Vienna, the main set representing massive library shelves, appropriate for the Enlightenment. Musically it was on the whole excellent, though the Tamino, a relatively late replacement, was not ideally lyrical. The main drawback was that the chorus was placed permanently on those shelves, too far back and high up, so for the important massed choruses they were sometimes barely audible.

Immediately after the Glasgow run, the production was taken to London, where the company paid a brief visit to the Dominion Theatre. Further performances were then given during the September tour.

London dates to be added.