Sellars and Currentzis play pick ‘n’ mix with Mozart’s score

Sellars and Currentzis play pick ‘n’ mix with Mozart’s score

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norman lebrecht

April 03, 2018

Dutch National Opera has secured two major talents for its forthcoming Clemenza di Tito. The Russian-based conductor Teodor Currentzis will make his Dutch debut and the ever-interesting Peter Sellars will direct.

But, be warned:

Peter Sellars and conductor Theodor Currentzis have made several cuts in the recitatives and have added other music by Mozart also dating from 1791, the year La Clemenza was composed.

 

Comments

  • erich says:

    Why treat this as hot news? Salzburg did this last summer!

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    QUIZ: Who said that about whom?

    “There are names I do not want mentioned in my home. Do not say that name in my presence. I have seen what he has done, and it is criminal.”

    • Bruce says:

      Toscanini, about Furtwangler.

      Furtwangler, about Toscanini.

      Muti, about Calixto Bieito.

      Many Slipped Disc members, about many conductors.

      Anyone else…?

    • Pianofortissimo says:

      Elisabeth Schwarzkopf about Peter Sellars, Newsweek interview, 15 October 1990.

  • Alexander says:

    …. and Vittelia is to be my lovely friend Ekaterina Scherbachenko ( not only Cardiff 2009 singer of the world , she is a really golden heart person). I am very happy for all that trio ( Currentzis, Sellars and (of course) Katia Scherbachenko 😉 Lucky should be Amsterdam in May ( hopefully those wonderful small wild tulips which sporadically bloom in their green grass lawns will be with flowers at that time)

  • Another Hasbeen says:

    Well the recitatives are very likely not by Mozart in any case. Glyndebourne commissioned new secco recitatives from the late Stephen Oliver for the Hytner production back in 1991! (NB Tito’s great recitativo accompagnato in the second act is of course by Mozart)

  • NN says:

    I don’t think that Mozart’s opera needs to be “saved” by Currentzis and Sellars with cuts and additional non-operatic music (K 427, K 546, K 477).

    • Mike Schachter says:

      I am sure they know better than Mozart. So uncool.

    • Nik says:

      Nobody claims to be saving anything. What they did was put together a stunning performance, both musically and dramatically. I was blown away by it last summer and frankly I didn’t care if this is ‘what Mozart intended’.

      • Alexander says:

        I think there is a certain sense in your words , Nik . Mozart was at the roots of what we call “opera” now and those much repetitive and opulent barocco music passages sometimes make me a bit bored , despite the total iconic brilliance of his masterpieces. On the other hand K.467 is one of my favs. Donizetti and Puccini are quite a different way of expressing thing – but they are all Mozart’s disciples in a way …. tastes not only differ – they also change , so I don’t see anything criminal with what someone did with La Clemenza … just my opinion, of course

  • Martin says:

    And once again NL is not informed at all (or did at least some research).
    This is the Salzburg prodcution from last summer, the Dutch National Opera’s website even has photos and reviews from Salzburg.

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