Mozart say? Storm over new Don Giovanni opera showing gang rape by men wearing Jesus

[SaintPeter]

A new version of Don Giovanni which includes a gang rape by a group of masked men wearing Jesus Christ t-shirts was today causing a storm in the West End.

Critics accused producers of going 'too far' - and have been accused of trying to be sensationalist to attract a younger audience.

The English National Opera (ENO) production which contains two rape scenes has been described by a reviewer as 'brutal, ugly and crawl'.

What would Mozart say? Storm over new Don Giovanni opera showing gang rape by men wearing Jesus Christ T-shirts

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 2:38 PM on 28th November 2010

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A new version of Don Giovanni which includes a gang rape by a group of masked men wearing Jesus Christ t-shirts was today causing a storm in the West End.

Critics accused producers of going 'too far' - and have been accused of trying to be sensationalist to attract a younger audience.

The English National Opera (ENO) production which contains two rape scenes has been described by a reviewer as 'brutal, ugly and crawl'.

Don Giovanni, played by Iain Paterson, assaults Zerlina, played by Sarah Tynan, in Don Giovanni

Lothario, played by Iain Paterson, is charactarised as a 'seedy rapist' in the production - rather than a selfish seducer of woman.

But producers of the 18th century opera by Mozart said today they were 'pushing the barriers of what opera can be'.

The show which is courting controversy at London's Coliseum is the first by Rufus Norris - a producer who has previously worked as a theatre director.

Oliver Condy, editor of BBC Music, today accused the ENO of using the rape scenes to boost audiences.

'Don Giovanni is a shocking opera about a man who treats woman in a disgusting fashion. There is no point shying away from it and giving the audience a sanitised version,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

'But the rapes are only suggested in the opera, I'm not sure they are supposed to be seen on stage, so perhaps that is taking things slightly too far.

'It's not very savoury, and maybe they are trying to shock for shock's sake. But in an era of cuts to the arts, ENO know they need to find a way of grabbing an audience, and that's certainly one way of doing it.'

The ENO has been driving to attract younger audiences - and 30 per cent of opera goers are now under 44, a significant increase on the 21 per cent in 2005.

The controversy has revived memories of the storm surrounding a male rape being depicted on stage at the National Theatre 30 years ago.

Michael Bogdanov, who directed a production of The Romans in Britain, was put on trial at the Old Bailey for gross indecency after allowing the act to be shown on stage after morality campaigner Mary Woodhouse took up the case.

However, he was later cleared.

John Berry, artistic director at ENO, denied that producer Rufus Norris had gone too far.

'Pushing the barriers of what opera can be is part of our vision at ENO and is why we are moving forward with productions by both established opera directors and directors from across the arts spectrum,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

'Rufus's production is a major piece of work - I know it has divided the critics, but you have to breathe life into opera. I think when it comes back in two seasons' time, people will warm to it more.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333833/New-Don-Giovanni-production-shows-gang-rape-men-wearing-Jesus-Christ-t-shirts.html#ixzz1NNY26gZB

[slycooper]

Moved to 16+ for it's subject being about gang rape.

[TrevorGraydon123]

I personally LOOOOOOOVE Don Giovanni And I can see why the director would explore that kind of thing. But I don't really think that the director of the opera made it work in the context of the story (directors at the ENO rarely do).

The world of opera is getting raunchier and raunchier these days. For instance, Powder he Face by the incredibly talented composer Thomas Ades, there is (for lack of a better phrase, sorry) an onstage blowjob. But this act works in the context of the opera, and in this production of Don GIovanni, it didn't.