Claus Guth, that gloomy, silly man, did it again: after his Mozart/ Da Ponte Strindberg Nozze di Figaro two summers ago in Salzburg, all desaturated colors, rotting moldy walls, and flower-busting peasant girls in "Ricevete, O Padroncina", here's his Don Giovanni, that opened last night in Salzburg, with fast food gadgets and intravenous substances and general douchebaggery. Netrebko bebbedadde Erwin Schrott (above left; below) is a needle-crazed Leporello with seriously trimmed chest hair
Let's hear it from Claus himself:
What is modern about this opera about a ladykiller from the 18th century?
I see this piece as a study of man’s fear of death. What is enjoyment, what is panic, how much can we arrange ourselves in life, protect ourselves from danger, etc – those are the questions that interest me. When and where such questions are set is totally unimportant for such fundamental topics.
The good news is, this time Niki Harnoncourt is not conducting.
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