Intermezzo

Das Labyrinth fails to amaze

Das Labyrinth - Residenzhof, 24 August 2012 (Salzburg Festival)

The main reason why Peter von Winter's Das Labyrinth has remained virtually unperformed since its 1798 debut is a simple one. It's not very good.

But as 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of its librettist, Emanuel Schikaneder, and the Salzburg Festival has also programmed his eminently more successful Die Zauberflöte this year, it's not unreasonable of them to give everyone the chance to double-check its cash-in sequel for hitherto-hidden qualities.

Nope, still not very good.

The Magic Flute - the sequel

Opening tonight at the Salzburg Festival is Peter von Winter's rarely-performed Das Labyrinth, a sequel to The Magic Flute with a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. Written to capitalise on the success of the earlier opera,  Das Labyrinth includes further trials for Tamino and Pamina and the introduction of Papageno's family. The Queen of the Night and Sarastro return, and there's more beastly behaviour from Monostatos.