Opera 'head' Kirsten Harms, of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, has canceled the revision of a Mozart opera "Idomeneo", with a protesting German Chancellor Angela Merkel attacking the decision as "self censorship". The revised version is much like the original only that in the end the hero is shown laughing at the severed and bloodied heads of Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus Christ.
Though the opera is set long before the times of these religions, after the victory over Troy by the Greeks, the theme is religious in nature despite others claims that it is not. The story closely parallels the offering of Isaac by Abraham and deals with age old questions of man's condition. When man shows virtue the gods free him from the torment they imposed. It is a joyous occasion in which everyone celebrates.
The founders of these religions being shamelessly defamed, took on this very human condition and created paths to resolve its inherent contradictions. The simple addition of this moment as the opera ends is bigotry with no where to hide. There is no intellectual basis for the association as presented, unless only to say their sacrifice was of no value, in the vein of atheistic communism.
Kirsten Harms, head of a private organization and symbol of German culture, acted in good taste, and has the right to operate the opera as he sees fit. The intrusion of the government is the real intrusion into liberty, not a supposed censorship. The director, Hans Neuenfeld, can take his props to a variety of other venues and he and Merkel need not give it undeserved prominence.
www.r-ds.com/opera/synopses/idomeneo.htm
www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=33394
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