Die Zauberflote

The Royal Opera's Die Zauberflote has quickly established itself as a clear and classic staging of Mozart's great late work. David McVicar's interpretation portrays beautifully both the story and the wealth of Enlightenment themes of this favourite masterpiece: the search for wisdom and virtue has seldom had so beguiling a presentation.

From such detail as the extraordinary flying machine of the three boys to the panoramic night - which finally gives way to blazing sun - this is a production of impressive imagery. It brings alive the contrasts of darkness and light, the comic and the impassioned, the down-to-earth and the mystic. With this revival Colin Davis and David Syrus share the conducting for a score rich in well-known music. There is the memorable directness of Papageno�s songs and the virtuoso coloratura of the Queen of the Night, while the lyrical arias of Tamino and Pamina complement the stately music of Sarastro and the temple. A fine cast of singers both new and returning to the production will make this an especially good revival of one of opera's greatest works.