The Magic Flute at the Wolfgang-Rihm-Forum: Opera Between Light and Identity
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In the Shadow of Light: Mozart's The Magic Flute as a Poetic University Project
When the university falls silent and holographic images break through the darkness, a new journey through Mozart's famous opera begins at the University of Music Karlsruhe. The premiere of The Magic Flute combines musical theater, modern video art, and a multifaceted search for identity, humanity, and love.
An Opera Between Dream and Self-Discovery
Tamino moves in this production not only through nighttime forests but through the labyrinths of his own self. Pamina struggles with the question of who she is allowed to be – between duty, love, longing, and the expectations of different worlds. Papageno also gains new inner depth: His quest for closeness becomes an existential question about his own place in a confusing present.
Holographic Set Design and Radiant Library Spaces
The set design by Daniela Kerck transforms the Wolfgang-Rihm-Forum into a space between reality and dream. Holographic projections give rise to figures of light and shadow, books begin to glow, and the venerable library becomes a silent witness to a timeless play. Video and light develop their own dramaturgy, in which Mozart's music appears immediate and present.
Students on the Opera Stage
Students from the singing classes and the Institute for Music Theater of the University of Music Karlsruhe take to the stage. They are accompanied by the orchestra of HfM Karlsruhe. The musical direction is led by Prof. Alois Seidlmeier. Daniela Kerck is responsible for direction and set design, Andrea Schmitt-Futterer designs the costumes. Astrid Steiner takes care of the video, Andreas Frank the lighting, Paz Montero the choreography, and Prof. Dr. Stephan Mösch the dramaturgy.
Mozart's Classic from a Contemporary Perspective
The production brings the fairy-tale motifs of the opera together with questions of gender, belonging, and personal freedom. This creates a stage art that opens new resonances for the well-known characters: The trials become inner thresholds, the magical world becomes a projection surface for human longing. Singing, orchestral sound, acting, and visual media merge into an interdisciplinary stage experience.
Conclusion: An Opera Evening Full of Light, Sound, and Transformation
The premiere promises a sensual theater atmosphere, where Mozart's score meets a modern visual language. Those who want to experience The Magic Flute as a grand opera about love, humanity, and self-discovery will find an evening in the Wolfgang-Rihm-Forum between library twilight, holographic magic, and vibrant orchestral sound.
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