Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 3 The Magic Flute

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 30 Kosky and 1927’s Magic Flute : A complete reinvention celebrates the opera’s roots Although Melbourne-born director Barrie Kosky has been involved in theater and opera professionally for over 30 years, he didn’t direct The Magic Flute until 2012 when he began as Komische Oper Berlin’s new intendant and artistic director. It wasn’t that the opportunity to direct one of Mozart’s most popular operas had never presented itself: “I’ve always said no to directing The Magic Flute . We all know that it’s very famous and has great music, but it’s just one of those pieces that’s a minefield of problems. It doesn’t reveal itself easily.” When the Komische Oper programmed The Magic Flute as part of Kosky’s inaugural season, he realized that he needed to find a method with which to present the work that would delight audiences while resonating with his artistic vision. A friend informed Kosky that 1927—a performance company combining performance and live music with animation and film—was coming to Hannover to present one of its works. “I took myself off to the theater festival; the performance started, and within 30 seconds, I knew that I had to ask 1927 to do The Magic Flute . I thought, ‘This is the way I could do it.’” After the performance, Kosky went backstage and asked the company to participate. The group answered with a question: “What’s The Magic Flute ?” Kosky was delighted. “I thought, ‘They’ll be right for the job.’” Suzanne Andrade, co-artistic director of 1927 and Magic Flute co-director, offered her perspective on the collaboration’s genesis: “ The Magic Flute picked us! By Laura Sauer Cory Weaver The Magic Flute (Los Angeles Opera)