For his three-season cycle of Mozart’s Da Ponte operas – The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni – the Leipzig Opera’s director Udo Zimmermann turned to John Dew, the Cuban-born, New York-raised British director. Though a staunch believer in authenticity and historical performance practice, Dew feels that it is perfectly acceptable to cast an opera in a modern-day setting. In Dew’s productions, Mozart’s characters seem to have stepped out of a TV series. They’re people of today with problems of today. This is also what Dew sees in the three Da Ponte operas: “They are all about trust and the search for happiness. Maybe we expect more from a work of art. But for me it’s a great deal. After all, personal happiness makes life worth living.” Elsewhere he says: “The purpose of art is to dispel boredom.” Indeed, Mozart’s three Da Ponte operas are guaranteed to provide witty, throught-provoking, stimulating entertainment – anything but boredom!
Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
For his three-season cycle of Mozart’s Da Ponte operas – The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni – the Leipzig Opera’s director Udo Zimmermann turned to John Dew, the Cuban-born, New York-raised British director. Though a staunch believer in authenticity and historical performance practice, Dew feels that it is perfectly acceptable to cast an opera in a modern-day setting. In Dew’s productions, Mozart’s characters seem to have stepped out of a TV series. They’re people of today with problems of today. This is also what Dew sees in the three Da Ponte operas: “They are all about trust and the search for happiness. Maybe we expect more from a work of art. But for me it’s a great deal. After all, personal happiness makes life worth living.” Elsewhere he says: “The purpose of art is to dispel boredom.” Indeed, Mozart’s three Da Ponte operas are guaranteed to provide witty, throught-provoking, stimulating entertainment – anything but boredom!
A Musical Journey Across Austria
The Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra can rightly claim to be one of the most authentic ensembles for interpreting the music of the Strauss dynasty. Founded in 1966 in Vienna, the aim of the new orchestra was to cultivate both the music of the Strauss dynasty, as well as so-called ‘light’ Viennese music. This festive concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna is a musical journey across Austria and includes beautiful footage of the Austrian landscape and famous historical monuments, as well as short introductions by the conductor Johannes Wildner. Enjoy the magic of the music of the Strauss family and the accompanying impressions of Austria.