FLORENCE

Die Zauberflöte was performed in the theater's main auditorium, where this most misogynistic of Mozart's operas was directed and conducted by two women -- Julie Taymor and Simone Young. Taymor's production (designed by George Tsypin) was already familiar from performances at the Teatro della Pergola (reviewed in Nov. 1993). It remains as delightful as ever when transferred to the larger stage, where it loses some of its immediacy but retains its innocent sense of wonder and gains in depth and mysteriousness. Young's conducting was buoyant and musically satisfying, skillfully blending vocal and instrumental timbres (the orchestra was appropriately small-scale).

The most striking individual performance was the Papageno of Alessandro Corbelli (singing the role for the first time in German), whose diction in the spoken dialogues was confidently clear; he dominated the proceedings whenever he was onstage. The natural vibrancy of his baritone and his feeling for portamento showed up Ruth Ziesak's more squeezed voice production as Pamina in their duet. Yet the soprano brought a finely drawn line and admirable concentration to "Ach, ich f&uunl;hl's."

Deon van der Walt repeated his manly Tamino, Sergio Bertocchi his hilariously cowardly Monostatos. The chorus sang splendidly, and other roles were well cast, though Kristinn Sigmundsson lacked ideal nobility of tone as Sarastro, and Ana Camelia Stefanescu proved an unmenacing though accurate Queen of the Night.

- STEPHEN HASTINGS