LYRIC OPERA ENSEMBLE AND PARADIGM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA TO COLLABORATE IN ‘DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE’

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Robert Breault

Robert Breault is happy with the way in which the opera program at the University of Utah has been expanding. “It’s really growing and the level of singing is very high,” Breault told Reichel Recommends recently. The high caliber of young talent today can be explained by the fact that the graduate program has developed significantly. “We have a lot of young professionals as doctoral students,” Breault said. Because of that Breault, who heads the U.’s opera department and the Lyric Opera Ensemble, can be more ambitious when it comes to selecting works.

One of its most ambitious undertakings yet is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, which the ensemble will perform this weekend in its annual joint production with Joel Rosenberg and the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra. “This will be our longest version of anything we’ve done so far with Paradigm,” Breault said, adding that only one aria, one trio and an extended recitative will be omitted. “That’s only about 15 minutes of music we’re leaving out.”

Joel Rosenberg

There are a number of reasons why Breault and Rosenberg decided on Die Zauberflöte. “It has a lot of roles,” Breault said. “It’s a wonderful story. It’s timeless, and it appeals to everyone.”

There are a few problems with it, too. “It has an element of misogyny, and it has issues of race, but we’ve worked through all that,” Breault said.

Women aren’t spoken of well in the story, but Breault said that Tamino and Pamina face challenges together. “The wonderful thing about it is that in the end, when Tamino goes through his trials, he doesn’t do so alone. He has Pamina at his side. They go through the trials together.”

There are two performances and there will be a different cast for each. It will be sung in German with English dialogue.

Breault said Die Zauberflöte, which Utah Opera will stage in March with Breault as Tamino, is entertainment in the truest sense of the word. “It’s family friendly, and it’s a lot of fun.”

  • CONCERT DETAILS
  • What: Die Zauberflöte, Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble, Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, Joel Rosenberg, conductor
  • Venue: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
  • Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15-16
  • Tickets: $10 general, $5 students, at the door
This entry was posted in Concert Previews by Edward Reichel. Bookmark the permalink.

About Edward Reichel

Edward Reichel, author, writer and composer, has been covering the classical music scene in Utah since 1997. For many years he served as the primary music critic for the Deseret News. He has also written for a number of publications, including Chamber Music Magazine, OPERA Magazine, 15 Bytes, Park City Magazine and Salt Lake Magazine. He holds a Ph.D. in composition from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He can be reached at ed.reichel@gmail.com. Reichel Recommends is also on Twitter @ReichelArts.

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