Deutsche Oper cancels 'Idomeneo'

Staging of Mozart opera depicts head of Mohammed

By ED MEZA

Fearing an eruption of religious fury, Berlin's Deutsche Oper this week canceled a production of Mozart's 1781 opera "Idomeneo" for its depiction of the severed head of the Prophet Mohammed. The move has ignited a backlash from political leaders and critics who fear growing censorship of artistic expression.

Set in ancient Crete after the fall of Troy, the opera revolves around Cretan King Idomeneo, who inadvertently has promised the god Poseidon the sacrifice of his son Idamante after his safe return home. In the final act of director Hans Neuenfels' controversial version, which was to premiere Nov. 5 at the Deutsche Oper, Idomeneo carries the heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed onstage in a show of defiance and revolt against the tyranny of the gods and their demands for sacrifice.

In a statement released Sept. 25, the Deutsche Oper said it had decided "with great regret" to cancel the planned production after Berlin security officials warned of an "incalculable risk" because of scenes dealing with Islam.

Calling the move "intolerable," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "We must take care not to continuously lose ground and retreat out of fear of radicals who are ready to engage in violence."

German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, the country's top security official, echoed the chancellor, calling the measure "unacceptable."

Deutsche Oper director Kirsten Harms, who is facing calls to resign, said Berlin state police warned of a possible threat after an anonymous caller expressed concern about the upcoming production. She decided it would be in the best interest of the safety of patrons, performers and employees to cancel the production.

Harms added that she made the decision in the midst of a worldwide uproar triggered by Pope Benedict XVI's recent speech in Germany, in which he cited an inflammatory quote made by a 14th-century Byzantine emperor decrying holy war and the spread of Islam.

Religious tensions in Europe have remained high since early this year, when cartoons of Mohammed published in a Danish newspaper sparked violent protests around the world.

Nevertheless, leading politicos and artists in Berlin cautioned against compromising on issues of freedom of speech. "Our ideas about openness, tolerance and freedom must be lived on the offensive," said Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit. "Voluntary self-restriction confirms to those who fight against our values that we will not stand behind them."

Neuenfels, who added the disputed scene to Mozart's opera, said now is the time to confront a threat to artistic freedom. "Where will we end up? If Ms. Harms had the impression that there was indeed a justifiable danger, then she should have gone public and made this a topic of discussion by definitely staging the production rather than backing down."

Even Turkish and Muslim leaders here have objected to the opera's cancellation. While acknowledging that the production could be seen as offensive, Kenan Kolat, who chairs an umbrella group of Turkish associations in Germany, called the decision wrong and encouraged Muslims living in the West to accept certain traditions here, noting that an opera production is not equivalent to a political point of view.

"We must not make art dependent on religion. Then we'll be back in the Middle Ages," he said.

Berlin interior minister Ehrhart Koerting has been one of the few to express support for Harms' decision.

"One cannot dismiss the fact that such a threat was possible. That's something that no one can doubt," said Koerting, who alerted Harms of the police's concern.

Harms, who has not ruled out staging "Idomeneo" at a later date, said her decision to cancel the production may now offer the chance for a much needed discourse on understanding between Islam and Christianity.

The opera controversy topped the agenda at a summit between German government officials and Muslim leaders held in Berlin on Sept. 27 to launch a two-year campaign to improve the integration of the country's 3 million Muslims.