Idomeneo (controversy)
Encyclopedia
On September 26, 2006, the Deutsche Oper Berlin
announced the cancellation of four performances of Mozart's
opera Idomeneo, re di Creta
, planned for November 2006, citing concerns that the production's depictions
of the severed head of the Islam
ic prophet Muhammad
raised an "incalculable security risk." "To avoid endangering its audience and employees, the management has decided against repeating Idomeneo in November 2006," the opera house said in a press release.
The Idomeneo production, directed by Hans Neuenfels
, shows King Idomeneo staggering on stage carrying a bag of the decapitated heads of Neptune
, Jesus
, Buddha
and Muhammad and placing each on chairs; a departure from the libretto
, in which the action is set in the aftermath of the Trojan War
. Only Neptune features in the plot, and his power is never destroyed. The scene was intended to symbolize the people's release into freedom without gods or idols.
According to the BBC
, the German press agency DPA said Berlin police have so far recorded no direct threat to the opera house. However, The New York Times
reported that there was an anonymous threat in August against the theatre.
The cancellation sparked a great deal of debate in Europe on the issue of self-censorship
and the nature of free speech in a multicultural community that includes potentially violent Muslim
s. On September 27, 2006, Germany
's Chancellor Angela Merkel
stated: "I think the cancellation was a mistake. 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." Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble
, after a government-sponsored conference with Muslim representatives held independently of the incident, told reporters that "[t]o send a signal, we could all go to the performance together," and the Muslim representatives agreed that the performance should not be cancelled.
The severed-heads ending scene is a recent addition by director Neuenfels to the original, 225-year-old opera, which was last performed by the company in March 2004.
On December 18, 2006, the Berlin Opera staged Mozart's work with the newly added controversial ending scene amid mixed reactions, but no incidents (with a small security force and large foreign media contingent). Demonstrators were present outside, as well, including supporters of religious tolerance and Christian
protesters (presumably relating to the inclusion of the severed head of Jesus
). Various members of German government attended with German Muslim groups, with the notable exception of the central Muslim Council's general secretary, Iman Mazyek, who was quoted by Al Jazeera English as saying, "It's part of the concept of freedom of opinion and thought that you also have the right to say you are not going.".
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
announced the cancellation of four performances of Mozart's
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
opera Idomeneo, re di Creta
Idomeneo
Idomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante is an Italian language opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a French text by Antoine Danchet, which had been set to music by André Campra as Idoménée in 1712...
, planned for November 2006, citing concerns that the production's depictions
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....
of the severed head of the Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
raised an "incalculable security risk." "To avoid endangering its audience and employees, the management has decided against repeating Idomeneo in November 2006," the opera house said in a press release.
The Idomeneo production, directed by Hans Neuenfels
Hans Neuenfels
Hans Neuenfels is a German writer, poet, film producer, librettist, theatre director and opera director.- Biography :...
, shows King Idomeneo staggering on stage carrying a bag of the decapitated heads of Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
and Muhammad and placing each on chairs; a departure from the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, in which the action is set in the aftermath of the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
. Only Neptune features in the plot, and his power is never destroyed. The scene was intended to symbolize the people's release into freedom without gods or idols.
According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, the German press agency DPA said Berlin police have so far recorded no direct threat to the opera house. However, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that there was an anonymous threat in August against the theatre.
The cancellation sparked a great deal of debate in Europe on the issue of self-censorship
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
and the nature of free speech in a multicultural community that includes potentially violent Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. On September 27, 2006, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
stated: "I think the cancellation was a mistake. 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." Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble
Wolfgang Schäuble
Wolfgang Schäuble is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union , currently serving as the Federal Minister of Finance in the Second Cabinet Merkel....
, after a government-sponsored conference with Muslim representatives held independently of the incident, told reporters that "[t]o send a signal, we could all go to the performance together," and the Muslim representatives agreed that the performance should not be cancelled.
The severed-heads ending scene is a recent addition by director Neuenfels to the original, 225-year-old opera, which was last performed by the company in March 2004.
On December 18, 2006, the Berlin Opera staged Mozart's work with the newly added controversial ending scene amid mixed reactions, but no incidents (with a small security force and large foreign media contingent). Demonstrators were present outside, as well, including supporters of religious tolerance and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
protesters (presumably relating to the inclusion of the severed head of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
). Various members of German government attended with German Muslim groups, with the notable exception of the central Muslim Council's general secretary, Iman Mazyek, who was quoted by Al Jazeera English as saying, "It's part of the concept of freedom of opinion and thought that you also have the right to say you are not going.".