‘This opera contains very explicit scenes of sex and violence’

‘This opera contains very explicit scenes of sex and violence’

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norman lebrecht

March 17, 2014

That’s the sales pitch for Antwerp’s new Calixto Bieito production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

It’s not a parental warning. It’s the opera company’s promotional pitch, the one that’s supposed to sell seats.

Personally, if I wanted sex and violence, I would go to a specialist supplier.

This opera house seems to have lost the plot.

See the promotion here.

ladymacbeth_web

 

Comments

  • sixtus says:

    And for fans of mud wrestling, there seems to be some of that too. Viz scenes from rehearsals on the company’s site.

    https://vlaamseopera.be/nl/#!/producties/lady-macbeth-uit-het-district-mtsensk?mode=overlay

  • R James Tobin says:

    Isn’t the erotic element one of the things that set off Stalin, aside from the music? Interestingly, on the worldwide cinema transmission of Massenet’s Werther Saturday, the final scene was described as having sex and violence!

    • Basia Jaworski says:

      You know… there is a difference between erotic and porno.

      Yes, sure, there is sex in the score, it is written by Shostakovitsch and you can hear it in the music. But: do you need to _see_ it? It makes the music much weaker.

  • David Boxwell says:

    A Calixto Beito joint that did NOT have explicit sex, nudity, and violence would be news.

  • Basia Jaworski says:

    This time there is more!

    It’s not enough to close your eyes, you have to close your eras as well. Literally

    http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/cultuur%2Ben%2Bmedia/kunsten/140317LadyMacBethOordopjes

  • Rosalind says:

    I’m intrigued by the spelling of Shostakovich on the poster? Is this a Dutch transliteration of the Russian? I don’t recall coming across this version of his name before.

    I wonder if anyone has ever been brave enough to whisper to Mr Bieito the magic words: “Less is more”?

  • Marc-André Roberge says:

    Each language must use the combinations of letters that match the sounds of the original language, in the present case Russian. Here are a few examples of how the Russian composer’s name looks in other languages (I hope that the diacriticals in the Czech and Turkish versions will display correctly): Chostakovitch (French) , Schostakowitsch (German), Shostakovich (English), Sjostakovitj (Danish, Swedish), Sjostakovitsj (Finnish, Dutch), Šostakovič (Czech), Şostakoviç (Turkish) , Sostakovics (Hungarian), Szostakowicz (Polish).

  • Laura says:

    Forgive me for pointing out that entire plot cycles around an explicitly illicit affair, which is well and truly consummated as part of the plot. Why wouldn’t you include a bit of rumpy pumpy in a production?

  • Sex in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is fine. Strippers in Moses & Aaron helped the Golden Calf scene. Isn’t this realism in opera?

  • Mike Schachter says:

    It is certainly more than implied in the opera. And that did upset Stalin, mass-murderer and prude. But isn’t this in people’s mind-set still, much less likely to censor extreme violence in film and TV than sexual scenes.

  • Interested party says:

    But… this production is worth seeing for Ausrine Stundyte alone. Wonderful singer.

  • John says:

    It is a parental warning AND a promotional pitch.

    Surely you are aware that Vlaamse did a quite successful run of Weill’s Mahagonny when Calixto Bieto directed previously for them. That production was purchased and performed also by Opernhaus Graz in Austria last season.

    In short, this is not Vlaamse opera’s first rodeo. Perhaps your question should shift from why explicit content is included in their season to why people want to come and see it.

    • Mike Schachter says:

      He also did the worst production of anything I have ever seen, Don Giovanni at the ENO. Who have had a few recent turkeys too, of course.

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