Aix Festival - Mozart's Idomeneo - Sophie Karthäuser as Ilia

"Ilia—in perfectly executed if politically incorrect blackface (dark-brown-face, in fact)—Belgian soprano Sophie Karthäuser—is impeccable, and her aria "Se il padre perdei" pure pleasure"

Full article:
http://francetoday.com/articles/2009/07/05/live-from-the-aix-festival.html




French director Olivier Py plays havoc with ancient Greek legend in his stylized, all black-silver-and-white, modern-dress version of Mozart's "Idomeneo" (until July 17). In the original, Idomeneo, King of Crete, is caught in a tempest at sea while returning home from the Trojan war, and he promises Neptune that, if he and his ship are saved, he will sacrifice the first person he sights on shore; that turns out to be his own son, Idamante, who is in love with the captured Trojan princess Ilia. But in place of captured Trojans, Mr. Py gives us black African boat people being abused by Cretan soldiers with Hamas-Hezbollah balaclava masks and assault rifles; a Princess Ilia in blackface; and ballet interludes for some gory, blood-smeared and amateurishly choreographed instant replay of scenes already sung. It's all set on sections of metal scaffolding constantly being pushed, pulled and spun around by black-clad stagehands.

Full article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124717573931119637.html?mod=googlenews_wsj