Magic Flute rehearsals begin at Szeged National Theatre
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's classic opera, The Magic Flute, one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide, will be presented at the Szeged National Theatre starting February 7. Directed by Márk Tárnoki, the production will be performed in Hungarian and feature the Szeged Symphony Orchestra and the choir of the Szeged National Theatre.
With today’s first rehearsal, the production process for The Magic Flute, the second opera premiere of the Szeged National Theatre’s 2024/25 season, has officially begun. Following the highly successful production of Madama Butterfly, Szeged audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy another gem of the operatic repertoire – Mozart’s masterpiece – beginning in February.
After introducing the lead roles, music director Péter Dobszay emphasized that, while The Magic Flute is only partly a fairy tale, it is important for children to experience it during their primary school years. The goal is to ensure that every child in Szeged can see one of the most popular operas of all time during their eight years of elementary education.
This sentiment was echoed by Sándor Gyüdi, director of the Szeged Symphony Orchestra, who shared that The Magic Flute was his first opera experience as a child. He noted that while it is valuable to encounter the piece at an early age, it is equally worthwhile to revisit it later in life. The opera, he explained, reveals new layers with each listening, offering something different at every stage of life.
Mozart captures the significant events of human life with incredible precision and clarity. The work speaks equally to the depth and simplicity of love, the trials and joys of life, wise care and destructive attachment, the value of growing up, and the beauty of retaining one's inner child.
“The Magic Flute is one of the crowning achievements of musical theater and European culture. I aim to make this fairy tale relatable for our time; therefore, the story begins in the present day, transitioning from reality into the realm of dreams,” summarized director Márk Tárnoki at Tuesday’s rehearsal.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
