This is an enchanting and ground-breaking recording. It's hard to believe that it has taken until 2010 for what could arguably be described as an historically faithful performance of Mozart's Singspiel Die Zauberflote to arrive on CD. Jacobs takes as his starting point Schikaneder's libretto used in the first performance in 1791, with only a few very brief cuts in the dialogue. This adds at least fifteen minutes to the performance, spilling it onto a third disc; but paradoxically the work seems shorter, such is the heightened dramatic effect. Many numbers are taken faster than we might expect: for example, Pamina's aria Ach ich fuhl's, and her duet Bei Mannern with Papageno. This is not particularly remarkable in itself; Mackerras adopted similar tempi in his Telarc recording with the SCO twenty years ago. But the way the lively and varied dialogue flows seamlessly into the music is different, as is Jacobs' liberal use of sound effects. (Full marks here to the percussionist, who is kept very busy indeed!) Whether the libretto-indicated "intensely shocking chord with music" that announces the Queen of the Night is what Mozart intended is open to question (it's achieved in entirely aleatory fashion), while the invention of "Sprechgesang cadenzas" for the Three Ladies may be a step too far for some listeners - but they certainly enhance the atmosphere. So, too, do the forte-piano flourishes improvised as a prelude to or comment on the dialogue to give CD listeners a better sense of the drama. The singing from the unstarry cast is generally first-rate; Pamina's role is sung with an uncommon intelligence by Marlis Petersen, and Daniel Behle's Tamino is believably youthful and earnest. The choice of the relatively light-voiced bass-baritone Marcos Fink as Sarastro is, Jacobs believes, justified by Mozart's tempo markings, while the Queen of the Night's slightly stringy (as opposed to fluty) tone sits well with her character. The ensembles work particularly well, and the chorus sound is lovely, entirely in keeping with the rest of the singing. But the real glory of this set is the unified sense of drama - it's gripping, from start to finish, as well as tremendously likeable. Don't miss it, especially at its current bargain price!

Reviewed by Anne McAlister