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Running Time: Three hours, with one 25-minute intermission. As music is the most abstract yet the most tangible and direct communication of mankind to the ineffable, MozartвЂ™s вЂњThe Magic FluteвЂќ in this production truly conveys the power of music and its magic notes. Clearly, musical performers such as these convey the meaning of вЂњThe Magic FluteвЂќ to touch oneвЂ™s heart, regardless of oneвЂ™s familiarity with the philosophical, cultural, and historical background of the opera. Soprano Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night gives the QueenвЂ™s famous aria passion and urgency, and soprano Sydney Mancasola as Pamina demonstrates a powerful as well as beautiful voice in her poignant aria вЂњI feel it, it is vanished.вЂќДЄ delightful moment is beheld in the outstanding вЂњPapageno-PapagenaвЂќ duet by baritone Michael Adams and soprano Alexandra Nowakowski.

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Every time when I hear the piece вЂњIn This Holy Temple, Revenge is Unknown,вЂќ it always touches my heart deeply - this piece contrasts with all the chaos, irrationality, cruelty, and ugliness in the world, and bass Wei Wu does the aria full justice as Sarastro. History is important to note as well: вЂњThe Magic FluteвЂќ was written in 1792, in the midst of the French Revolution during the reign of terror. Those not exposed to Masonic philosophy might find this slightly obscure but at all events intriguing. Mozart and his librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were Masons, and Masonic references were intended in the opera. The opera is replete with Masonic symbolism which is manifested not only in the music but also the background sets: the three chords (an important number in Masonry) are used throughout the musical performance and are accompanied by visuals of Masonic symbols of the sun, the moon, the hour glass, and the squares and compasses. MozartвЂ™s вЂњMagic Flute,вЂќ especially in this production, contains many dynamic aspects of music, philosophy, and history itself which lead to new discoveries and insights with every performance of the opera. Absent for him is the desire for higher pursuits such as in the case with the prince nonetheless, his simplicity and pure heart also enable him to be rewarded in life and reach his own ideal and happiness at the end: Papageno finds his Papagena. TaminoвЂ™s companion is the bird catcher Papageno, who represents the less philosophic, completely sensual side of humanity.

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Tamino voluntarily undergoes trials, such as the trial of remaining silent, in order to become a more enlightened human being. Things are not what they appear, however, and Tamino awakens to the fact that Sarastro is a positive force for wisdom and enlightenment and the Queen of the Night represents irrationality and vengeance.

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It is a fairy tale of a young man Tamino (portrayed here by impressive tenor David Portillo) on a quest to help free an imprisoned maiden Pamina from the supposedly wicked Sarastro at the behest of her mother, the Queen of the Night.

The story of вЂњThe Magic FluteвЂќ itself combines simplicity with complexity.

вЂ¦truly conveys the power of music and its magic notes. The constant changing and altering of the backgrounds matches the opera at its climax when it presents the Queen of the Night and her train in fabulous Rococo costumes (sumptuously designed by Sendak) and the holy temple of the wise priest Sarastro with its complex Masonic symbolism of square and compasses, the sun representing reason and the moon representing the mysteries of night in beauty as well as peril. From the very introduction, the orchestra, conducted superbly by Eun Sun Kim, is accompanied by visuals on the curtain in the illustration style of Maurice SendakвЂ™s 1963 childrenвЂ™s book вЂњWhere the Wild Things Are.вЂќ The sets and musical performance escalate to ever more complexities. MozartвЂ™s вЂњThe Magic FluteвЂќ at the Kennedy Center is a Washington National Opera production directed by Christopher Mattaliano which moves the opera in brilliant transitions from simple to complex. Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night and David Portillo as Tamino in Washington National OperaвЂ™s вЂThe Magic FluteвЂ™ at The Kennedy Center.

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