Under a slowly darkening sky in the heart of the Harz, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte resounded on Friday evening, August 8, in a production that explored the boundaries of classical musical theater with conviction and imaginative power. The performance was part of the "Harzer Theater- und Konzertsommer" and was realized by the Harztheater – a company that, despite its modest scale, couples an impressive artistic profile with tireless engagement and a multidisciplinary vision.
The Harztheater – small in size, grand in vision
The Harztheater may rank among the smaller theaters in Germany with its 164 permanent staff members, yet it testifies to exceptional vitality. Where many companies close their doors during the summer, this theater continues to surprise audiences with a range of productions at various locations: from open-air theaters and churches to castles and squares. This geographical distribution not only gives the productions a unique atmosphere, but establishes the theater as a crucial cultural player in the region.
A fairy tale of reason, love, and trial
Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, composed in 1791 to a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, is much more than a fairy tale opera. Beneath the colorful allegories and magical figures lies a profound quest for truth, love, and moral elevation. The young prince Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to free her daughter Pamina from the hands of the wise Sarastro. With the bird catcher Papageno at his side, he begins a journey full of trials, illusions, and revelations. What initially seems black and white – good versus evil – gradually fades into a complex interplay of light and shadow. Tamino discovers that Sarastro is not the enemy, but the guardian of wisdom and purity, and that true love only endures when paired with insight and self-mastery. Pamina and Tamino together withstand the trials of fire and water, while Papageno, in his own disarming way, celebrates the simplicity and joy of life – and finds his Papagena. Die Zauberflöte is simultaneously a moving love story, a rite de passage, and a philosophical parable in music. A work that, like humanity itself, cannot be captured in a single meaning.
A restrained Zauberflöte that enchants all the more
For this summer production, the theater chose a semi-staged performance – a choice that in the open air could quickly be seen as a limitation. But director Nina Kühner and designer Tom Grasshof turned that limitation into a poetic point of departure. The singers were engaged not only as performers, but also as narrators and choreographic elements, giving the production a layered symbolism. With refined movement language, suggestive props, and thoughtful directorial innovations, the direction brought its own unique vision to life. Thus, the theme "Liebe" in the first act was not only sung, but also enacted by various couples from the choir – including woman-woman and man-man pairings, a subtle yet clear hint toward inclusivity and contemporary sensitivity.
Another powerful moment came at the beginning of the second act, when a 'problem' with the lighting occurred. This theatrical break proved to be no accident, but a metaphor for the Enlightenment itself: a reflection on the patriarchal character of Sarastro's temple order, which appeals to "Menschlichkeit," yet clearly regards women as inferior. Two pointed moments underscored this visually: women appeared with signs reading "Mensch" and "Human" on stage and circled around Sarastro. When someone added the word "sororité" to a sign reading "égalité," Sarastro demonstratively crossed it out.
The direction also did not shy away from humor or irony: in the Singspiel dialogues, there was play with a Babylonian confusion of tongues, with singers sometimes speaking parts of their texts in their native languages. An original idea, though it did not always work convincingly – especially when a singer with a migration background had to affect an exaggerated accent, approaching the boundary of caricature.
Vocal brilliance and character depth
Vocally, there was much to enjoy. The absolute audience favorite was Michael Rapke as Papageno: a born stage personality, perfectly cast as the lovable rogue with a golden heart. He won over the audience from his first entrance and also gave touching shape to his tragicomic side – when he wishes to end his life. A rare combination of natural talent, vocal quality, and acting ability. Nina Koufouchristou enchanted as the Queen of the Night, delivering both her arias with crystal-clear high notes, ease, and fire. Her "Der Hölle Rache" was technically flawless and dramatically charged – the kind of performance that not only fulfills expectations but transcends them.
Bénédicte Herber portrayed Pamina with a pure soprano voice and striking dramatic presence. Her "Ach, ich fühl's" visibly gripped the audience. Together with Papageno, she also sang a resplendent duet that suggested these two might have more in common than the libretto reveals. Francisco Huerta as Tamino and Gijs Nijkamp as Sarastro each had a fine vocal timbre and sang their parts carefully, but came across somewhat statically in the first act. In the second act, both grew, both vocally and dramatically. Tobias Amadeus Schöner made Monostatos a venomous character, played with flair and verve. A role that clearly suited him and gave him pleasure.
The choir – and particularly the male choir – stood out for its homogeneity, power and expressivity. Finally, Jessey-Joy Spronk, Bettina Pierags and Regina Pätzer deserve special mention for playing both the Three Ladies and the Three Boys – recognizable by a simple T-shirt with the role printed on it. This trio stole the show with their infectious interplay, flawless intonation and natural presence. They provided playful counterbalance in an otherwise fairly serious production.
Orchestra and venue: seeking balance
Conductor Harutyun Muradyan led the Harzer Sinfoniker with skill, though the overture and first act were somewhat slow and sluggish – as if he was still searching for the right dynamics. In the second act there was clearly more fire in the ensemble and he managed to build more tension. The orchestra – positioned in the gatehouse of the serene Burchardi Monastery – did not always play with complete security or pitch. The singers stood on a small forecourt stage and were – understandably in the open air – amplified. Although the acoustics of the monastery proved complex, the location created a special atmosphere: an oasis of peace at the edge of the city, where Mozart's music was given space to breathe on a sultry summer evening.
An enchantment beyond the décor
What chiefly distinguished this production was the courage not to try to show everything. Instead of visual spectacle, the choice was made for suggestion, simplicity and symbolism. Precisely because of this, the essence of Mozart's masterwork came through all the more powerfully. The open-air conditions did not always make things easy, but this was more than compensated for by imagination, artistic coherence and a palpable love for the music.
Final reflection
This Zauberflöte by Harztheater was more than a performance: it was a tribute to the resilience of music theatre, to the power of limitation and to the indestructible significance of Mozart's music. Where larger houses with more resources sometimes get bogged down in excess or technical display, this production showed how imagination and thematic sharpness can create an experience that lingers. The choice for a semi-staged open-air version required inventiveness, and the director found it in simplicity and symbolism. In doing so, not only were the singers optimally deployed as carriers of the dramaturgy, but thought was also given to the social implications of the work. The subtle commentary on the patriarchal ordering within Sarastro's temple ritual brought a contemporary reading to the surface, without ever becoming preachy. Mozart's humanism thus acquired an additional, feminine layer – an addition that felt not only timely, but also sharpened the libretto.
What made this production special was the balance between musical craftsmanship and artistic boldness. Not everything went smoothly – the orchestra had its uncertainties, the acoustics sometimes interfered – but these imperfections added to the charm of the evening. For what was presented here was not a sterile reconstruction of a classic, but a living, searching, groping music theatre that was aware of its time and context. Harztheater proves that quality is not a matter of scale, but of vision. By remaining true to the core of the work and leaving room for contemporary reflection, they gave the audience a Zauberflöte that moved as much as it stimulated, was as accessible as it was layered. And perhaps that is the greatest achievement of this evening: that they succeeded in showing Mozart's 'grand opera for small people' anew as what it is – a universal story about love, loss, growth and hope.
A performance that sends you home with a smile and a thought. What more could one ask for on a summer evening under the open sky?