Butchering Mozart Operas

[Peter]

I seriously do think that with HIP arriving at the concert halls and the theaters, some directors should try to leave their own interpretation of the scores on the shelves and respect the composer's and librettist's instructions in stead of boring people and robbing them from a musical experience as a result of a 21C rubbish stage production.
This doesn't mean that the style on stage has got to be a 18C or 19C reconstructed one, as a new retro style would do the same.

But I am sick of all those directors' interpretations , which is the very main reason I don't attend opera productions and why I stick to the "conservative" stages of Levine's Ring and don't like the Chereau ones.

I prefer to listen to operas at home, and imagine myself the place where it all is happening according to the instructions in the score.

I almost would concur with Boulez: burn down those opera houses

Yes I agree it isn't necessary to have people always dressed up in 18th/19th century garb UNLESS the work is specifically set at that time, but I think the historical context should be respected as well as the composer! Many opera productions have been hijacked by sensationalist directors who are convinced the only way to present opera to a new generation is to make it as pornographic, violent and sick as they can imagine.

[Sorrano]

I prefer to listen to operas at home, and imagine myself the place where it all is happening according to the instructions in the score.

The imagination is your best tool, anyway; that's why books are so fantastic. I've listened to Die Fliegender Hollander and when I actually watched several scenes I was disappointed.

[Roehre]

Why would anyone want to watch it!

I seriously do think that with HIP arriving at the concert halls and the theaters, some directors should try to leave their own interpretation of the scores on the shelves and respect the composer's and librettist's instructions in stead of boring people and robbing them from a musical experience as a result of a 21C rubbish stage production.
This doesn't mean that the style on stage has got to be a 18C or 19C reconstructed one, as a new retro style would do the same.

But I am sick of all those directors' interpretations , which is the very main reason I don't attend opera productions and why I stick to the "conservative" stages of Levine's Ring and don't like the Chereau ones.

I prefer to listen to operas at home, and imagine myself the place where it all is happening according to the instructions in the score.

I almost would concur with Boulez: burn down those opera houses

[Agnes Selby]

I'm not at all surprised Agnes - what matters to these people is their own agenda (usually politically motivated), certainly not Mozart. They think they are so clever the more they try to shock you, well I'm not shocked, only amazed that people actually will pay a lot of money to watch the tripe.

That was exactly my reaction. Why would anyone want to warch it!

[Peter]

I'm not at all surprised Agnes - what matters to these people is their own agenda (usually politically motivated), certainly not Mozart. They think they are so clever the more they try to shock you, well I'm not shocked, only amazed that people actually will pay a lot of money to watch the tripe.

[Agnes Selby]

Please read:

http://www.city-journal.org/2011/bc0824hm.html