MOZART

 

Die Zauberflote, The Magic Flute

 

Claudio Abbado conducts his first Zauberflöte !!

 

Sarastro RENÉ PAPE

Königin der Nacht ERIKA MIKLÓSA

Pamina DOROTHEA RÖSCHMANN

Tamino CHRISTOPH STREHL

Papageno HANNO MÜLLER-BRACHMANN

Papagena JULIA KLEITER

Sprecher GEORG ZEPPENFELD

Monostatos KURT AZESBERGER

Erste Dame CAROLINE STEIN

Zweite Dame HEIDI ZEHNDER

Dritte Dame ANNE-CAROLYN SCHLÜTER

Drei Knaben ALEXANDER LISCHKE

FREDERIC JOST, NIKLAS MALLMANN

(Soloists from Tölzer Knabenchor)

Erster geharnischter Mann DANILO FORMAGGIA

Zweiter geharnischter Mann SASCHA BORRIS

Erster Priester ANDREAS BAUER

Zweiter Priester DANILO FORMAGGIA

Dritter Priester TOBIAS BEYER

Drei Sklaven MATTHIAS BERNHOLD

MARTIN OLBERTZ, TOBIAS BEYER

 

Arnold Schoenberg Chor

Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Claudio Abbado

 

Chorus Master / Einstudierung / direction / maestro del coro: Erwin Ortner

Musical assistance: Fausto Nardi

 

For the Mozart year Mozart's most popular opera! Out of the hands of Claudio Abbado, who is conducting the Magic Flute for the first time. He has saved this opera until his mature age. With his experience, wisdom and joy of life (since illness more marked than before), he conducts a performance with lightness and magic.

 

Previous to the recording, Abbado conducted this opera in Baden Baden. The German high profile broadsheets unanimously were raving in utmost praise about these performances.

'Claudio Abbado's Magic Flute sounds like a breath of fresh air- Since his own near-death experience during a grave illness, every piece he conducts has taken on a sense of existential urgency, including the Flute. One has seldom heard the work performed with such a light touch and effortless fluency, with such feeling for dramatic refinement and with the characters so musically alive.' (Die Zeit, May 2005)

 

It can be expected that the recording will be received with the same enthusiasm and that Abbado's Magic Flute will be considered a reference recording.

 

An excellent young cast under Claudio Abbado conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra: René Pape as Sarastro, Christoph Strehl as Tamino, Dorothea Röschmann and Hanno Müller-Brachmann as Papagena and Papageno. The queen of the night is interpreted by the excellent Hungarian singer Erika Mikósa.

 

Abbado's Magic Flute is one of the two opera recordings DG delivers to the Mozart year. La Clemenza di Tito under Sir Charles Mackerras with Magdalena Kozená (Cat no. 4775792 released 09/02/06) is the second one. With these recordings DG is continuing its highly prestigious series of full opera recordings!

 

DG 2cds 4775789