Mozart’s "Magic Flute": an introduction by Sir Simon Rattle (17 min.)

For Sir Simon Rattle and his orchestra, the staged production of Mozart’s Zauberflöte in 2013 was a first in two respects: for the first time, the Easter Festival took place in Baden-Baden, and Sir Simon was also conducting the work for the first time. The Philharmoniker were also participating in a staged performance of the work for the first time after two studio recordings in the 50s and 80s. Here, Simon Rattle tells us why although he had conducted various Mozart operas on numerous occasions, he had until then avoided the Zauberflöte. He calls the opera the “graveyard of conductors”, because the balance of light-heartedness and poignancy is so difficult to achieve. Sir Simon also looks back on performances of the work and explains the often overlooked complexities of the score.