Calixto Bieito is notorious for squeezing as many bare botties as humanly possible into his productions -even Parsifal left his underpants behind.
But in his new Munich Fidelio (yes, the one we won't be seeing at ENO) Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan) and the rest of the cast keep their pants on. The exposure is purely psychological. No nudity - and incidentally no snakes and no chainsaws either.
(more on next page, including photos)
In Florestan, Bieito sees Beethoven himself, imprisoned by his deafness. Winding through the vast scaffolding prison which dominates the Staatsoper stage, harnesses are a practical necessity for the singers as well as a potent symbol. The imagery of Kafka and Borges feeds the stage picture and - controversy is not completely absent - passages from their writings replace some of the dialogues.
The dress rehearsal is today, and it opens on 21 December (all dates are sold out).
Photos from early rehearsals, all by Wilfried Hösl for Bavarian State Opera (see more here):
