Bernard Chasan wrote:

>... "concept opera" seems in some instances at least to be characterized
>by effects of mind boggling triviality. Putting a Mozart opera in the
>Trump Tower, dressing Wagnerian characters in Armani suits- these  hardly
>rise to the level of "universal themes, expressed symbolically with a
>minimum of superficial stage effects."  They are sophomoric and callow
>(IMHO, of course.)

I have to agree, at least in part, with Professor Chasan - I saw all
three Da Ponte/Sellars (if I may call them so) Mozart operas and I too
find them sophomoric.  Such stagings don't add anything to the operas;
on the contrary, by being taken out of their historical context, the
operas lose a lot.  No, the themes are by and large not universal, they
are deeply rooted in the history and their times.  For instance, a lot
of the action and plot of "Le nozze di Figaro" revolves around the
(fictitious but highly symbolic for the Enlightenment era people) ius
primae noctis.  The idea was important for the Enlightenment philosophers
and criticizing it made sense then, but when Le nozze is moved to the
Trump Tower and the 20th century, the whole thing falls apart.

Incidentally, I'd love to see a Wagner opera produced by Wieland W.
From the photos I saw, I think I would love it.  I can't really warm up
to the libretti of the mature Wagner - Tristan, Ring, Parsifal - and a
staging with practically nothing on the stage would very likely appeal
to me.

-Margaret Mikulska