Not Amadeus

Good news from Germany, if things just not being bad is good. It appears the controversial staging of Mozart's Idomeneo, after being canceled due to fear of Muslim reprisal, may go on. Also heartening is that many Germans were outraged at the cancelation.

The opera has the King of Crete making a deal with Neptune to help him get home after the Trojan War, a deal that comes with a high cost. This particular production has the King carry onstage the severed head of Neptune--somewhat odd since the plot ends in reconciliation between humans and the gods--along with the heads of Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed, who aren't even in the libretto.

Coming on the heels of the reaction to the Pope's speech, perhaps the Europeans have had enough. I heard a right-wing pundit compare the two controversies. He complained that whereas the Pope was making a learned speech, the director of the opera was going out of his way to be offensive. Whether you agree with this or not (I don't), he's missing the point. It's not about the nature of the offense, it's about the disproportionate response.