Les Arts premieres Simon McBurney's acclaimed and surprising production of 'The Magic Flute'

Les Arts és Òpera

• James Gaffigan conducts the final opera of the season, featuring Giovanni Sala, Serena Sáenz, Matthew Rose, and Gyula Orendt.
• New York, London, and Amsterdam have all been captivated by the production, which has been praised by the New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal.

Valencia (3.6.24). The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía premieres in Spain Simon McBurney's spectacular and surprising production of Mozart's 'The Magic Flute', one of the most acclaimed productions in recent years, this Thursday, June 6 in the Main Hall.

Jesús Iglesias Noriega, artistic director of Les Arts, presented this production today, highlighting it as “one of the major artistic and technical achievements of recent years.” He was accompanied at the press conference by the production's musical director, James Gaffigan, and the stage director of the revival, Annemiek Van Elst.

The Metropolitan Opera in New York, the English National Opera, the Amsterdam Opera, and the prestigious Aix-en-Provence Festival, among others, have been captivated by McBurney's intelligent, imaginative, and "magical" staging, explained Iglesias Noriega. From The Wall Street Journal's resounding "The best production of 'The Magic Flute' I've ever seen" to the five stars awarded by The Independent and The Stage, critics from The New York Times to The Guardian have been unstinting in their praise: "Spectacular," "Extraordinary," "A production of stimulating inventiveness..."

Following his acclaimed direction of 'The Queen of Spades', with which he inaugurated the opera season in Valencia, James Gaffigan reunites with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and the Cor de la Generalitat in the Main Hall to close a successful season, with one of the most appreciated operas in the repertoire.

Les Arts brings together the young stars of the moment in the cast of 'The Magic Flute', with some of the performers who have conquered international audiences with McBurney's stunning production.

Italian tenor Giovanni Sala makes his third appearance in Valencia in the role of Tamino, while the emerging Barcelona soprano Serena Sáenz (Pamina), British bass and Metropolitan favorite Matthew Rose (Sarastro), the electrifying and rising soprano Rainelle Krause (Queen of the Night), Hungarian-Romanian baritone and Covent Garden regular Gyula Orendt (Papageno) and the renowned American tenor Brenton Ryan (Monostatos) make their debuts.

The cast also features a significant presence from the Centre de Perfeccionament, with members of the current graduating class: Irakli Pkhaladze (Speaker), Iria Goti (Papagena), Antonella Zanetti (First Lady), Laura Fleur (Second Lady); and alumni: Alejandro López, Jorge Franco (Two Priests, Two Knights). Luzia Tietze (Third Lady) and the Trinity Boys Choir (Three Boys) complete the cast.

Actor, writer and director Simon McBurney, recognized as one of the greats of the European stage, has surrounded himself with a top-level creative team: Michael Levine (Set Design), Nicky Gillibrand (Costume Design), Jean Kalman (Lighting Design), Finn Ross (Video) and Gareth Fry (Sound).

McBurney proposes a simple but "theatrical magic" staging that invites the viewer's imagination: the main element is a suspended and mobile platform and, in addition, gives music a leading role and integrates the orchestra into the show so that the audience can see the musicians at all times.

His commitment to technology, he explains, is not so much about showcasing current advancements, but rather a nod to the opera's own premiere in Vienna, where Schikaneder was already at the forefront of theatrical effects. Many of the visual and sound effects are created in full view of the audience, as part of the magic of the performance.

'The Magic Flute' is a co-production of the Dutch National Opera, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the English National Opera.

Les Arts has scheduled a total of six performances of 'The Magic Flute'. In addition to its premiere this Thursday, June 6, Mozart's 'Singspiel' will be performed in the Main Hall on June 8, 12, 14, 17 and 19.