Experience Tuscany

On June 27, 2009, organized during the Opera Festival series, Mozart’s Magic Flute was performed in the fantastic setting of the San Galgano Abbey near Siena.
Arriving at the location alone is a fantastic experience. You approach the abbey from afar and you see the ruins of this wonderful Gothic church that in the middle ages was one of the richest and most prestigious places in Tuscany. The roof does not exist anymore, and through the circular window of the facade, common to all Gothic churches, you can see the sky. The three naves have a floor made of grass, while all the arches supporting the roof are also missing. Restored for the last time at the beginning of the 20th century, the abbey is a gorgeous location for opera.
When the first notes of Mozart’s Magic Flute resound in the air, the sky is still of a light blue. When the Queen of the Night enters the scene, the sky is already completely dark, exalting the pathos of the scene. The scenography is all very wonderful and clever. With practically no mechanical devices available, the scene is all moved around by wheeled elements that recompose the scene as needed.
The heights of the opera are of course Papageno and Papagena and the dramatic coloratura soprano pitch of the Queen of the Night, the moment that everyone awaits, when she reaches the high F, standing still and giving to everyone a thrilling moment.
The Magic Flute really is magic. The setting renders it all even the more so. Maybe Mozart would have been happy to know that such a wonderful location is used to stage his 1791 opera.
All the singers contribute to making this event a wonderful experience, one that is highly endorsed. Just a negative note has to be said about the seating, which really needs betterment.
The interpreters are the following: Luca Canonici (Tamino), Scilla Cristiano (Pamina), Natalia Lemercier (Queen of the Night), Abramo Rosalen (Sarastro), Francesco Facini (Papageno).

Here just a couple of minutes from the glorious entry of the Queen of the Night interpreted by Natalia Lemercier:

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