Costume and set designs for The Magic Flute (Royal Opera House, 1947 and 1956)

Scope and Content

This series includes costume and set designs, sketches, model set pieces, colour palettes and fabric samples. Inscriptions on some of the designs and evidence from images of his designs elsewhere in the Theatre Museum's collections indicate that most items relate to the 1956 Glyndebourne production.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Magic Flute (1791), an opera in two acts by Mozart with libretto by Schikaneder from Christoph Martin Wieland's Lulu, or, The Magic Flute. Oliver Messel's production was first performed at the Royal Opera House, London, by the Covent Garden Opera Trust on 20 March 1947. It was directed by Malcolm Baker-Smith and featured Kenneth Neafe as Tamino and Victoria Sladen as Pamina. This was the first opera that Messel designed. Messel created new costume and set designs for a Glyndebourne production, first presented 19 July, 1956. Directed by Carl Ebert, Ernst Haefliger played Tamino, Pilar Lorengar was Pamina and Drago Bernardic was Sarastro.