German Sensitivity
“Berlin Opera Pulled Over Muhammad Scene
A leading opera house canceled a 3-year-old production of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” that included a scene showing the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad, unleashing a furious debate over free speech.The production by Hans Neuenfels drew widespread criticism over the scene in which King Idomeneo presents the severed heads not only of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, but also of Muhammad, Jesus and Buddha.”
Moses had been eliminated in an earlier production. Director Neuenfels now may also reconsider his plans to have Muhammad as Mephistopheles in “Faust”, the witch in “Hansel and Gretel” and as Judd Fry in “Oklahoma.”
copyrighted 2006