Die Zauberflöte

The arias and fairy-tale figures in Die Zauberflöte are part of our collective memory, but beyond its light-hearted, folksy nature, there are also a series of enigmatic, underlying layers to this opera by Mozart (1756-1791). Despite numerous interpretations, this masterpiece has remained extremely popular, and it challenges directors time and time again.

In his version for the Luzerner Theater opera house in Switzerland, Wouter Van Looy focuses on two elements of this fairy-tale opera that give it an overwhelmingly contemporary relevance. On the one hand, Die Zauberflöte explores in depth a clash between two social models, in which a spiritual movement is faced with a decadent regime personified by the ‘Queen of the Night’. Power is put in the hands of Sarastro, a leader who legitimises his absolute power and violent actions by means of spiritual values. On the other hand, Die Zauberflöte also reads as the initiation ceremony of a boy who is chosen, converts and treads in Sarastro’s footsteps. Following on from The Queen Without a Country, which won an MTM Award, Wouter Van Looy is once again working with Freija Van Esbroeck, Johanna Trudzinski and the video artist Kurt d’Haeseleer.