In December, Japanese theatres and concert halls customarily perform two blockbusters: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Now, a third seasonal piece might have been discovered: certainly William Kentridge’s 2005 production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), seen on December 14, evoked that feeling. The NNTT was buzzing with an excited audience that included many children and young adults who had been welcomed by a huge Christmas tree in the foyer. With the performance supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs through a subsidy for the promotion of culture and the arts, the young audiences could enjoy this grand-opera-like production as an ideal Christmas present.
First presented here in 2018 to great acclaim, and revived in 2022, Kentridge’s Die Zauberflöte, featuring hand-drawn projections (line drawings), lends itself well to film or cinema. Papageno catches his birds by drawing them into projections. The priests draw an idealized architecture. The stars of the Queen of the Night are called into being by her. Highly entertaining (and one might say child-friendly) in a visual sense, the production significantly cuts a few lines that might offend, notably Sarastro’s “deine Seele ebenso schwarz als dein Gesicht ist” (your soul is as black as your face) in Act 2. Musically, it substantially reduces the overall length and adds accompaniment by keyboard and percussion instruments, treating the dialogue in a manner similar to recitative.
Performances were generally of a high standard. As Tamino, Slovakian tenor Pavol Breslik (house debut) splendidly portrayed the journey of this naïve and upright prince turning into a reliable young man. His impassioned aria “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” (This image is enchantingly lovely) in Act 1 was sung beautifully with quintessential Mozartian lyricism. His noble features and gentle, concerned way of secretly looking at Pamina when she was lamenting his coldness in Act 2 were particularly memorable. One’s preconception of “Tamino the tamed snobbish prince” was pleasantly reversed.
As Sarastro, Brazilian bass Matheus França (house debut) left a mixed impression. His towering stature was remarkably fitting for this multifaceted role, and his speaking parts were performed with vigour, if not precision. A little more stamina, sonority, and focused delivery would have been welcome in both his majestic arias.
Yoko Yasui, as the Queen of the Night, displayed assured vocal presence. Her swift role change from the lively Jemmy (reviewed here: Rossini’s Guillaume Tell Triumphs at the New National Theatre Tokyo – Opera Today) to this, her signature role, which she has been singing here since 2009, was most impressive. Kanae Kushima, who sang Papagena in the 2018 production, made her role debut as Pamina. With her wide-eyed, expressive demeanour and vocal stability, she personified this true heroine of the drama – enduring her trials of abduction, near-rape, a lover who is silent, and a mother who tries to turn her into an assassin – most convincingly. Papagena was freshly played by Noriko Tanetani (house debut) with a delightfully droll touch.
Toshiaki Komada’s Papageno was excellent both vocally and linguistically, if not dramatically. Sung in a neat, well-controlled voice, his Papageno – an archetypally comical figure – seldom laughed or even smiled, except for some scenes in Act 2. On his entrance in Act 1, clad in a sombre-coloured suit with a tie, he looked more like Germont in La Traviata (an annoying thought that lingered throughout the show). One might suspect that it was his (or the director’s) interpretation of a more introverted, slightly autistic Papageno with sudden explosive crying and mechanical movements.
Sachie Konno, Ayako Miyazawa, and Ai Ishii as Erste, Zweite, and Dritte Dame sang well, though they looked more like comedians than courtly ladies. A bit more elegance might have been beneficial. That said, their vivacious acting compensated for the lack of comedy in Papageno. Yoriko Maekawa, Chieko Noda, and Eriko Hanafusa as Erste, Zweite, and Dritte Knabe were adorable, especially Maekawa’s angelic voice. As for the male priests, Hiroki Shimizu and Naoyuki Akitani made an interesting contrast: the former’s deep voice with robot-like movements and the latter’s somewhat pushed high voice with dramatic acting. Tadahiro Masujima’s dancing Monostatos, with that spirited pianissimo aria in Act 2, was deftly depicted.
In the pit, Czech conductor Tomáš Netopil delivered a light yet flavourful Mozart in a modern standard style. The iconic melodies of the flute and glockenspiel were deliciously played. The NNT Chorus provided a compelling performance as always, more majestic and scene-stealing than Sarastro in Act 2. Overall, it was an engaging production perfect for the festive season.
Natsuko Hirakura
Die Zauberflöte
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Cast and production staff:
Sarastro – Matheus França; Tamino – Pavol Breslik; Sprecher / Erster Priester / Zweiter Geharnischter – Hiroki Shimizu; Zweiter Prister / Ester Geharnischter – Naoyuki Akitani; Königin der Nacht – Yoko Yasui; Pamina – Kanae Kushima; Erste Dame – Sachie Konno; Zweite Dame – Ayako Miyazawa; Dritte Dame – Ai Ishii; Erste Knabe – Yoriko Maekawa; Zweiter Knabe – Chieko Noda; Dritter Knabe – Eriko Hanafusa; Papagena – Noriko Tanetani; Papageno – Toshiaki Komada; Monostatos – Tadahiro Masujima
Conductor – Tomáš Netopil; Production – William Kentridge; Set Design – William Kentridge, Sabine Theunissen; Costume Design – Greta Goiris; Lighting Design – Jennifer Tipton; Projection Design–Catherine Meyburgh; Revival Director – Yasuko Sawada
New National Theatre Chorus, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
New National Theatre Tokyo, Saturday the 14th December 2024
All photographs © Takashi Shikama