The Abduction from the Seraglio

Mozart’s singspiel The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) may at first glance appear fairytale-like and almost a bit naive. And the plot surrounding Konstanze, who has been abducted by pirates and is now trapped in the harem of Bassa Selim, seems to only confirm this. But Mozart’s music transcends the boundaries of the singspiel. It transforms the characters, who seem bound to the «Turkish opera» so popular in the 18th century but usually quite simplistic, into profoundly human characters exposed to extreme situations and experiencing conflicting emotions. For Mozart, the inner conflicts of his characters were more important than the external plot, and his music explores them in a psychologically profound way. The Argentinian-Spanish author and director Rodrigo García has transposed the story to the present day and rewritten the dialogue. With the French-British conductor Stephanie Childress, one of the most interesting young musicians of our time makes her debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin. In addition, the premiere Konstanze returns to Bismarckstrasse with Kathryn Lewek.