Mozart: Die Zauberflöte - Highlights

Great Singers ... Poor Casting:
Searching for the definitive recording of "The Magic Flute"? Simply put: Search elsewhere. There's no denying the talent of singers Samuel Ramey, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Cheryl Studer, but in this case they seem to have been the victims of a casting disaster. Despite the admirable efforts of Sir Neville Marriner and the singers themselves, the major roles seem unbalanced. Ramey, although one of the great basses of our time, lacks both the generosity of tone and basso profundo sound needed to fill Sarastro's arias. As a result, the role loses the majesty and solidity required to foil the Queen of the Night. On the other hand, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's voice seems all too mature for the role of Pamina. Te Kanawa's beautiful full lyric sound seems misplaced in this opera. Te Kanawa executes a solid interpretation of the aria "Ach, ich fühl's", but the weight of her voice undermines Pamina's youth, purity and naïveté - qualities vital to the vulnerability and believability of the piece. Cheryl Studer's Queen of the Night is a third and near-fatal blow to the production. Studer's robust sound seems shoehorned into the role. Her coloratura often sounds forced and uncomfortable. Pitch and rhythm also fall under attack due to the vocal gymnastics required by the role. In a word, her "Der Holle Rache" is frightening and her arpeggio up to the high-F sounds completely unnatural. This is unfortunate because Studer has an incredible instrument capable of great power and agility. I would definitely recommend her recordings of Verdi, but this performance doesn't do justice to herself or to Mozart. Ironically the rest of the recording is pretty good, but with the multitude of Magic Flute recordings available, I would encourage buyers to look elsewhere. Suggestions? I happen to enjoy the Harnoncourt recording on the TELDEC label. Both the full opera and "Highlights" version are available.