Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Messel designed two versions of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (1791), at Covent Garden Opera Trust (1947) and at Glyndebourne (1956), for which he adapted his designs from 1947. These productions were two of the first three stagings of this opera after the end of World War II. Some reviewers found his designs elegant and a fantastic spectacle; however, others found the designs too fussy and elaborate for the small Glyndebourne stage.
The set model played a key role in Messel’s creative process. After generating a series of preliminary drawings, he designed a cut-out figure of the principal character. This figure was used to judge the scale of the rest of the model pieces, which were then cut out, coloured and affixed to a wooden frame. The cut-out figure in this model is Papageno.
Physical description
A set model by Oliver Messel for Pamina's boudoir, Act I, scene ii. A wooden box with a hessian border and velvet strips on the inside. The wooden box is carved and painted with masonic symbols, including an eye in a triangle. The set is composed of Cut cloths and backcloths. A cut out figure of Papageno stands in the middle of the set.
Place of Origin
London, England (designed)
Date
1947-1956 (designed)
1956 (designed)
Artist/maker
Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, born 1904 - died 1978 (designer)
Marks and inscriptions
'The Magic Flute. / Produced at Covent Garden. / ... Pamina's Boudoir 1947 / Oliver Messel.'
'Exhibited at / The Painter and the Stage / July 1962 / Catalogue no. 47 / Chichester Antiques Limited / 43 North Street Chichester'
Dimensions
Height: 49.5 cm, Width: 57.5 cm, Depth: 44 cm, Width: 44 cm
Object history note
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. Messel created new costume and set designs for a Glyndebourne production, first presented 19 July, 1956. Directed by Carl Ebert, Ernst Häefliger played Tamino, Pilar Lorengar was Pamina and Drago Bernardic was Sarastro.
Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.
Historical significance: Oliver Messel's first designed costumes and sets for an opera in 1947. However, this design could relate to Messel's run of productions at Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959. These productions were two of three stagings of this opera after the Second World War.
Descriptive line
Set model by Oliver Messel for Pamina's boudoir, Act I, scene ii in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, Royal Opera House 1947.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill ISBN 0905209508)
Exhibition History
Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum Victoria and Albert Museum (22/06/1983-30/10/1983)
The painter and the stage (Chichester Antiques Limited 01/07/1962-31/07/1962)
Production Note
The model could relate to the 1947 Covent Garden Opera Trust production, or, the Glyndebourne production of 1956.
Reason For Production: Commission
Materials
Paper; Pencil; Watercolour; Card; Gouache; Wood; Charcoal; Velvet; Glue; Gauze; Kaolinite; Perspex; Masking tape
Techniques
Drawing (image-making); Painting (image-making); Glueing
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure
Production Type
Design
Collection code
T&P
