Mozart’s The Magic Flute Through the Eyes of Production Designers
TONI BUSINGER’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (1967)
1967 was a historic year in San Francisco, not only because of the famously coined "Summer of Love," but also because it saw the premiere of Toni Businger's new production of The Magic Flute—only the second main season production of the opera in the 44 year history of the Company.
The 1967 Businger production is noted for its fidelity to Mozart's era, incorporating colorful and intricate costumes that echo the fantastical and surreal aspects of the story. Businger would design three additional productions for San Francisco Opera: Madame Butterfly (1966), La Traviata (1969), and Don Giovanni (1974). His Flute still lives on, most recently performed in the summer of 2023 at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland.
Photos: Unknown
MARC CHAGALL’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (1980)
1980 saw the San Francisco premiere of Marc Chagall’s “wild designs” (Vogue.com) for The Magic Flute. The iconic artist’s production design first made its premiere in 1967 at the Metropolitan Opera before making its way to the West Coast.
One of the most striking features of Chagall's style is his use of color. His compositions are vivid and expressionist. The whimsical world of The Magic Flute provided the perfect canvas for him to dip his toes into the opera form. Of Chagall’s 39 stage backdrops and 121 costumes and masks, Speight Jenkins Jr. writes, “Every bad rumor was wrong. From beginning to end, the welter of color created the non-realistic landscape which is the domain of Zauberflöte.”
Photos: Ron Scherl
DAVID HOCKNEY’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (1987)
David Hockney’s production of The Magic Flute did not disappoint when it made its San Francisco Opera premiere in 1987. Famed artist and set designer David Hockney teamed up with director John Cox for the second time to create this production of Mozart’s final opera, commissioned for the 1978 Glyndebourne Opera Festival.
Hockney’s stunning designs set this production apart, characterized by his recognized use of bright and contrasting colors, geometric shapes that play with size and scale, and eye-pleasing symmetry. A 1991 article from The New York Times noted “Mr. Hockney’s crazily colored sets and costumes evoked the mood of fairy tale innocence that Zauberflöte, in spite of its deeper symbolic meanings, must build upon.” Hockney produced a total of 35 backdrops for the opera, and drew inspiration from art history (for instance, Paolo Uccello’s painting of Saint George and the Dragon) and various sites in Egypt.
Photos: Ron Scherl
GERALD SCARFE’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (2007)
The process of bringing The Magic Flute to our stage in 2007 started on rough waters. General Director David Gockley originally intended to present the Maurice Sendak production, with designs resembling his famed children's books. Unfortunately, the warehouse that stored this production was in the flood path of hurricane Wilma. Upon opening the boxes of set pieces and costumes, the crew was dismayed to find mold and deterioration.
Gockley decided to pivot and use the production created by Gerald Scarfe and it was smooth sailing from there! Scarfe, known for his illustrative works with various publications and Pink Floyd, leaned into the peculiarities of The Magic Flute with vibrant colors and otherworldly imagery.
Photos: Terrence McCarthy
JUN KANEKO’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (2012)
San Francisco Opera’s most recent production of The Magic Flute took place during the 2011–12 Season and featured the designs of Japanese-born American artist Jun Kaneko. Kaneko writes, “For me, developing an opera design starts simply by listening to the music until a visual image begins in my mind … opera is music and stands alone as such. The stage, costume, and lighting design are supporting elements and visual expressions.”
Kaneko’s production is described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “zesty and imaginative… witty and kinetic,” and features an “animated ballet of colored lines.” The production was also accompanied by a new English translation created by then-General Director David Gockley. A plethora of colorful costumes were masterfully constructed by San Francisco Opera Costume Director Daniele McCartan.
BARRIE KOSKY, SUZANNE ANDRADE, AND PAUL BARRITT’S THE MAGIC FLUTE (2024)
This summer, a new-to-San Francisco Opera production of The Magic Flute comes to our stage. Barrie Kosky, Suzanne Andrade, and animator Paul Barritt created this production utilizing the styles of 1920s silent cinema, cabaret, and early Hollywood animation for the Komische Opera in Berlin in 2012. Animated projections provide a playful backdrop, transforming the stage into a cartoonish world where pink elephants fly, demon dogs dance, and the Queen of the Night is a towering spider. Since then it has traveled the world to great acclaim, garnering the Opera World Award and countless accolades.