Name: Zaide, K. 344
Start: 2008-06-27T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-07-18T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Théâtre de l'Archevêché

Organization

Singer

Soprano

Ekaterina Lekhina

Zaide

Tenor

Sean Panikkar

Gomatz

Bass

Alfred Walker

Allazim

Soliman Russell Thomas

Soliman

Morris D Robinson

Osmin

Conductor

Louis Langrée

Stage director

Peter Sellars

Set designer

George Tsypin

Costume designer

Gabriel Berry

Lighting designer

James F Ingalls

Festival d'Aix en Provence

Orchestra

Camerata Salzburg

Others

Choeur Ibn Zaydoun

Zaide, K. 344 -  (Zaide)

Aix-en-Provence

France

Théâtre de l'Archevêché

Zaide, the unfinished opera by Mozart, in a production directed by Peter Sellars which was the focus of controversy at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2008.

Composed in 1780, two years before The Abduction from the Seraglio, Zaide contains melodies of incredible inventiveness. The opera lacks an overture, a finale and many spoken dialogues, yet the missing elements allowed Sellars to elaborate and transform the work into a grand manifesto against slavery. Sellars' vision provoked a scandal, as it had previously in Vienna and London, but the Cour de l'Archevêché has experienced plenty of scandals.

The opera stars Russel Thomas (Sultan Soliman), Ekaterina Lekhina (Zaide) and Sean Panikar (Gomatz) and is conducted by Louis Langrée with the Salzburg Camerata. Sellar’s assistant director said of the performance: "You probably won't share this vision, you may be shocked or even remain indifferent to our contemporary approach, however, it is a gift and we hope that you will greet it with open arms and open minds."

Zaide Mozart

Public

English

Approved

Photos