Posted on 09/28/2006 6:51:19 PM PDT by Kaslin
German opera chiefs who cancelled a Mozart opera for fear of offending Muslims were hit by a furious backlash yesterday.
The country's leader Angela Merkel condemned the decision as 'self-censorship out of fear' - and even Muslim leaders apparently agreed the show should be reinstated.
At a summit of religious leaders and security chiefs, the two sides decided they may go to see the show together, according to interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.
Last night pressure was on Berlin's Deutsche Oper to reverse its decision to cancel the production of Idomeneo. The company was said to be monitoring developments. Deutsche Oper announced on Tuesday that it had scrapped its staging of the opera because of a scene in which the severed head of the prophet Mohammed rolls on to the stage.
The depiction posed an 'incalculable security risk' for the theatre, they said, and four performances planned for November were replaced by The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata.
The company clearly feared the kind of violent outbursts triggered earlier this month when the Pope quoted a medieval writer's view of Islam as 'evil and inhuman'.
His words led to worldwide protests and a nun was shot dead in Somalia. Similarly last year cartoons of Mohammed in a Danish newspaper caused violent Muslim protests around the world.
Deutsche Oper had been advised by police that the production could be inflammatory. But its decision to cancel outraged Germany's artistic and cultural elite and touched off a row which reached the highest echelons of government.
'I think the cancellation was a mistake,' said Chancellor Merkel. 'I think self-censorship does not help us against people who want to practise violence in the name of Islam. It makes no sense to retreat.'
The controversy is over a scene in the epilogue, where Idomeneo, the king of Crete, comes on stage with a bloody sack in his hand. He pulls the heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed out of the sack and places them triumphantly on four chairs.
Mozart's opera, premiered in 1781, addresses human resistance to making sacrifices to the gods, but the controversial scene is a departure from the original and is the interpretation of the Berlin production's director, Hans Neuenfels.
The timing of yesterday's meeting between politicians and leaders of the country's 3million Muslims was particularly opportune.
Organised with a more general agenda of bringing Muslims and Christians closer together, it found itself debating a hotly topical issue.
Mr Schaeuble said there had been differences of opinion at the summit, which was intended 'to achieve results, not exchange pleasantries'. But he said the one thing participants agreed on was
the opera cancellation should be reversed.
His interpretation of Muslim feeling, however, appeared at odds with a statement from the leader of Germany's Islamic Council, who welcomed the cancellation of the opera saying it 'could certainly offend Muslims'.
Integration has become a priority for the German government as concern grows about Islamic radicalisation across Europe and the emergence of an underclass of disillusioned young Muslims, mainly Turks, in Germany.
Organisers of the summit were not available to comment on reports that all participants had been invited to a snack after the meeting, even though it is Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
Marriage of Figaro
OMG! LOL!!!
***Muslims agree it was wrong to silence Mozart opera***
After all, there is plenty of time to do that AFTER they take over!
Why does anyone in the civilized world need permission form the pedophilic religion of peace to do anything? Just discuses me no end.
LOL. Clever!
The Abduction is a wonderful opera. Is it better than Don Giovanni? hmmm...not sure.
Act I
Island of Crete. Ilia, daughter of King Priam, loves Prince Idamante, son of Idomeneo, but she hesitates to acknowledge her love. Idamante frees the Trojan prisoners. He tells Ilia, who is rejecting his love, that it is not his fault that their fathers were enemies. Trojans and Cretans together welcome the return of peace, but Elettra, jealous of Ilia, does not approve of Idamante's clemency toward the enemy prisoners. Arbace, the king's confidant, brings news that Idomeneo has been lost at sea while returning to Crete. Elettra, fearing that Ilia, a Trojan, soon will be Queen of Crete, feels the furies of Hades tormenting her.
On a deserted seashore, after the shipwreck, Idomeneo recalls the vow he made to Neptune -- to sacrifice, if he arrived safe, the first living creature he meets on shore. Idamante approaches him, but because the two have not seen each other for a long time, recognition is difficult. When Idomeneo realizes the youth is his own child, he orders Idamante never to seek him out again. Grief-stricken by his father's rejection, Idamante runs off. Cretan troops disembarking from Idomeneo's ship are met by their wives, and all praise Neptune.
Act II
At the king's palace, Idomeneo seeks counsel from Arbace, who says another victim could be sacrificed if Idamante were sent into exile. Idomeneo orders his son to escort Elettra to her home, Argos. Idomeneo's kind words to Ilia move her to declare that since she has lost everything, he will be her father and Crete her country. As she leaves, Idomeneo realizes that sending Idamante into exile has cost Ilia her happiness as well as his own. Elettra welcomes the idea of going to Argos with Idamante.
At the port of Sidon, Idomeneo bids his son farewell and urges him to learn the art of ruling while he is away. Before the ship can sail, however, a storm breaks out, and a sea serpent appears. Recognizing it as a messenger from Neptune, the king offers himself as atonement for having violated his vow to the god.
Act III
In the royal garden, Ilia asks the breezes to carry her love to Idamante, who appears, explaining that he must go to fight the serpent. When he says he may as well die as suffer the torments of his rejected love, Ilia confesses her love. They are surprised by Elettra and Idomeneo. When Idamante asks his father why he sends him away, Idomeneo can only reply that the youth must leave. Ilia asks for consolation from Elettra, who is preoccupied with revenge. Arbace comes with news that the people, led by the High Priest of Neptune, are clamoring for Idomeneo. The High Priest tells the king of the destruction caused by Neptune's monster, urging Idomeneo to reveal the name of the person whose sacrifice is demanded by the god. When the king confesses that his own son is the victim, the populace is horrified.
Outside the temple, the king and High Priest join with Neptune's priests in prayer that the god may be appeased. Arbace brings news that Idamante has killed the monster. As Idomeneo fears new reprisals from Neptune, Idamante enters in sacrificial robes, saying he understands his father's torment and is ready to die. After an agonizing farewell, Idomeneo is about to sacrifice his son when Ilia intervenes, offering her own life instead. The Voice of Neptune is heard. Idomeneo must yield the throne to Ilia and Idamante. Everyone is relieved except Elettra, who longs for her own death. Idomeneo presents Idamante and his bride as the new rulers. The people call upon the god of love and marriage to bless the royal pair and bring peace.
Can't really blame them:
Why, nothing at all to fear. Muslims have a great sense of humor and probably would have been rolling int the isles during the scene!
Ramadan, Schmamadan, I hope they served ham sandwiches and beer.
No,nothing's better than Don Giovanni, some things are just more fun.
I will never be able to counter those arguments!
We will answer that question when the Muslims turn out a Mozart. Or a Bo Diddly. After the worthy oriental gentlemen finished wrecking the libraries of Byzantium, they were never heard from, culturally speaking, again.
Muslims need to be seriously smitten hip and thigh, every 200 years or so. Unfortunately, many, many millions of them must report to their happy hunting grounds to pick up their virgins before we have any peace again.
It's dirty work, but some has to do it. Looks like it's our turn.
Muslims did not silence the Mozart opera, all they did was speak out, then the cowardly Germans did it to themselves. Oh how I wish that Western Europe would find its heritage of bravery, toughness and pride, and then put an end to the "Eurabia" problem.
As a Jew I think Jews should demand that Moses' severed head should replace that of Neptune. How dare a German opera be so anti-Semetic as to exclude a beheaded Jewish prophet!
Don't give them any ideas.
Once again, Rush Limbaugh called it correctly "premptive capitulation" by the Germans.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch ......
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