I never thought that I would ever see and hear an Opera by Richard Wagner. "This dude is much too heavy for me... I'm glad if I can get to Mozart, or Verdi... but Wagner ? Never !"
Well, last week, Christin and I drove to Bayreuth in Bavaria, Germany, which is, you might as well call it, The Cradle of Wagner's Operas. The story of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre in itself is an interesting one. I will not here talk about it, but might I suggest that you Google it?
"Parsifal" is a story about "Knights of the Grail", "The Grail" itself and the "Holy Spear" ... at last it is a story about "Good and Evil"... with, you guessed it, Good winning out in the end.
As happens often, nowadays, when an old work is performed, it is clothed in modern garb and placed in modern times.
Let me tell you, to see instead of a Knight a fat grown-up kid in a sailor suit with three quarter length pants prancing about the stage will not fill you with solemnity and awe. To see German soldiers in black uniforms marching around, and Swastika Flags hanging from the ceiling is also not an awe-inspiring novel idea depicting "Evil".
In fact it is more a silly joke.
For two of the three acts a bed, centre stage, is the main attention grabbing prop. People on it disappear only for others to re-appear on this bed... all of this achieved by a simple trap door installation, handled so poorly that it presents no mystery... it's simply a trap door equipped bed... a little like the barber chair of Sweeny Tod. It's almost laughable in its primitive simplicity.
The whole farce (because that's what it must be) is almost at an end and writing is projected onto a semi-translucent curtain.
You will not believe this, because although I saw it, I experienced a feeling of disbelief: The message was, and I am repeating it from memory and translating it from German into English, but I promise you, this is approximately what it said:
" Dear Visitors! Please do not engage in political discussions while in the area of this theater, but honour the work of art....."
The audacity of the producers of this Opera is truly mind boggling. Now they "ask" (please) not to express a political opinion while in the area of the Festival theater.
How long will it take for them to "demand" that political opinions are not to be expressed about this work anytime and anywhere? And then will come their favourite phrase: "It is verboten to express a political opinion..."
Even if I am not to read into this message any sinister prohibition, whose breach will have dire consequences
I must question the wisdom of the producers who treat their audience like a group of children whose behaviour and discussion themes must be controlled by such a message.
It is simply outrageous and ultimately stupid to issue such a message: People who think, will not permit themselves to be thusly controlled.
I must confess that I did not have the courage to "booo and whistle" when this assinine message appeared. I now regret my timidity, since, I am certain, others would have chimned in had I started.
Now I must make another confession: Wagner's music is simply utterly beautiful... in fact, the very moment that I am writing this, I am also listening to a recording of this Opera and I will listen to it again tonight without any distraction by a stupid stage production or writing about it.
Probably, I'll just get me a glass of good wine, sit back, close my eyes and listen.
Okay, James Levine and the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra:
HIT IT.
Bertstravels
6 comments:
How long will it take for them to "demand" that political opinions are not to be expressed about this work anytime and anywhere? And then will come their favourite phrase: "It is verboten to express a political opinion..."
Since it is not the government saying this - it is just free speech, isn't it?
In 1933 it also wasn't the government saying it...
To suggest that no political discussion should take place is the attempt to prevent free speech.
Wasn't Hitler the Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 - that's the government, no?
Hitler became Germany's Chancellor in JaNUARY 1933. But long before that his SA (Sturm Abteilung) the "brown shirts" controlled the streets and the message of National Socialism was wide spread.
All of this, however, is not even the point. The point is that any attempt to censure the free expression of opinion (free speech in all its forms) must be fought.
In this case the effort came from the producers of this OperaFrom whom will it come tomorrow?
Freely written words archly expressed to influence readers to avoid criticism of a certain kind - political in this situation - warp the idea of free speech into a logical fallacy. The producers essentially say, "We've produced something that you have to regard only in the ways we want you to regard it. If you don't understand what we meant, or if you do understand and you don't agree with our premise and production, you must not say anything negative, for doing so will disturb us or break the 'spell' we're trying to cast." If that was their intention when making the 'notice' they are merely self-involved fools trying to staunch criticism of what they already realize is a terrible way to produce a Wagnerian opera. As with all such avant garde productions, it is wise, I think, for producers to remember that there has always been a very fine line separating avant garde from utter garbage. In most cases the result of the effort resembles something akin to avant garbage. So since avant garde (or avant garbage - take your pick) has always been a playground for extremists, one would think the producers would know how to handle outright boos and shouts of disapproval from audience members barely able to control their laughter at a performance which stands as an embarrasment to all concerned. Deeply disappointed audience members who fail to boo and whistle at the time have only themselves to blame for the next such production foisted on yet another unsuspecting audience.
Hi Howard
Good to hear from you. You are right and I regret that I did not boo and whistle. But nowadays there is much to boo and whistle about:I saw The Opera "Don Giovanni" in Salzburg. Salzburg, home of the famous "Salzburg Festivals"... Salzburg, hotbed of Great Art. I looked forward to this production, since I like Mozart...
The stage consisted of a curved white wall into which was fitted a number of doors. One door opened, a man appeared and sang an aria..
Then he left the stage through the same door. Another door opened and another actor/singer sang another aria... and so it went. An absolutely deadly production. Why did I not boo and jeer and yell and protest ? Because I am probably a cultural coward. Afraid to be the only person ever to be evicted from a Salzburg production of any Opera.
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