For the first time, Milo Rau is directing an opera. That is already news. But how does the much-discussed theater maker, filmmaker and sociologist - who with his Ghent manifesto sandblasted the last remnants of civility from the theaters - relate to the opera genre? In an essay in the press kit, Milo Rau himself explains how he experienced his first professional encounter with opera. It provides an insight into his direction of this production.
For his opera debut, he chose La clemenza di Tito: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's last opera seria from 1791 based on a libretto by Caterino Mazzolà about an idealized ruler, the responsibilities of power and the virtues of magnanimity.
The Roman emperor Tito is confronted with a virulent hate campaign against him, which culminates in a failed assassination attempt, but he will ultimately forgive all his attackers.
Is the great Tito really so merciful?
In his direction, Milo Rau examines the consequences of Tito's forgiveness. In this way, he pierces the masks of an elite that uses bourgeois art and erudition to evade its responsibilities in society and to cleanse its conscience.
True to his documentary theater style, he now draws from the front pages of our society and places his version of Mozart's opera in the glamorous hipster world of an art gallery next to people who have to sleep on the street. In this production too, he gives a voice to those you wouldn't expect on an opera stage.
This opening production is conducted by none other than our music director Alejo Pérez. As Tito we see and hear one of the best Mozart interpreters of our time: the British tenor Jeremy Ovenden, in itself a reason to come to this production. But the other soloists are no less distinguished. As the jealous Vitellia we see the Polish soprano Anna Malesza-Kutny. The Russian mezzo Anna Goryachova returns to our house in the role of Sesto. The Dutch mezzo Maria Warenberg was one of the laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for singing this spring and is now making her house debut with us as Annio. As Servilia and Publio we meet two new talents from our young ensemble, respectively the South Korean soprano Sarah Yang and the South African bass Rueben Mbonambi.
This production had its premiere in full corona times at Le Grand Théâtre de Genève but could only be seen in online streaming. The Swiss press spoke of 'a stunning production.' Now for the first time the production is being presented live as it should be. After Antwerp, Ghent and Luxembourg, the production moves to the Wiener Festwochen, the new artistic home of Milo Rau.