The wise “Magic Flute” by Cédric Klapisch, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées

2023-11-18 18:00:08
The Queen of the Night (Aleksandra Olczyk, center) in “The Magic Flute”, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, in Paris, November 10, 2023. VINCENT PONTET

We could almost talk about Magic flute in the old way, if Cédric Klapisch was not a beginner: the filmmaker is in fact taking his first steps as a director with the penultimate Mozart masterpiece, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, in Paris. After a tense and stormy first quarter of an hour, during which intermittent entertainment workers proclaimed their demands in the face of inter-professional unemployment insurance negotiations initiated since September, the evening took place in a good-natured atmosphere. On set, the images are elegant. Particularly those which touch on the world of the Queen of the Night, with, in the background, its mysterious and luxuriant forest reminiscent of those of Douanier Rousseau, and, in the foreground, tall stylized trunks made of draperies, cascades of leaves red.

In the Mozartian line, Klapisch did not skimp on the popular aspect of Singspiel created in 1791 in Vienna by Mozart and his accomplice, the librettist Emanuel Schikaneder, at the Theater auf der Wieden. This is how numerous sound effects (winds and rolling thunder, bird calls), images and digital illustrations (monster and animals) punctuate the action, while the spoken dialogues, usually in German, have been replaced by texts in French revised in 21st century fashion – there are ironic allusions to veganism, gender, expressions like “the open” or “stoner”. But we must, consequently, mourn the beautiful recitative which preludes the angry ” Hell’s Revenge “ of a Queen of the night belching in stratospheric highs.

Choreographic breathing welcome

We gain in intelligibility what we lose in intelligence, in the literal sense. By respecting to the letter, although without Manichaeism, the framework of the Mozartian Masonic tale – a Queen of the night attached to the world of nature, a high priest Sarastro guarantor of civilization (the epilogue will see the appearance of a futuristic city ) –, Cédric Klapisch seems to disappear behind the music, leaving us, in a way, without enchantment to explore the space opened up by Mozart. This is demonstrated in particular by the unfolding of the initiatory trials undergone by Tamino and Pamina in a curious setting of curtains, between sounds and lights (glow and crackling of the fire, pale blue and crackling of the rain).

On the stage level, the eye is flattered by the beautiful costumes of Stéphane Rolland and Pierre Martinez (superb fluidity of the dresses), the makeup and hairstyles, not to mention the poetic lighting of Alexis Kavyrchine, the careful scenography of Clémence Bezat . To the continuum of a fair but agreed acting direction, the choreographic work of Laura Bachman brings some welcome breaths: the round of Monostatos’ minions, dancing to the sound of Papageno’s magic bells, will trigger hilarity in the room.

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