Mozart and the Enlightenment

My latest French course on the Enlightenment - Les Lumières - was a good reminder of how much we forget what we've learned at school. I thought I knew enough about classical music and Mozart, but I don't remember ever reading about him in the context of Enlightenment, not to mention how many other important things about that period I had forgotten. For now, let's focus on the great Wolfgang Amadeus.

Mozart’s short life span, from 1756 to 1791, unfolded during an era when the ideals of the Enlightenment - reason, liberty, equality, and justice for all - had taken root among the elites and were beginning to spread among the common people. The works of the era's great thinkers, Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and others, inspired new generations of writers and philosophers and sparked social movements challenging the status obtained by birth and the abuse of power.

These new revolutionary concepts influenced music and the arts as well as everyday life. Composers of the Enlightenment era - notably Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven - rejected the heavy, complex polyphonic structure of the Baroque period (exemplified by Lully and Rameau in France) in favor of clarity, simplicity, and melodic beauty. One of the proponents of this lighter, Italian-inspired style was French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His opera Le Devin du village achieved great popularity, though it also came under sharp criticism for its lack of sophistication. The simplicity of Rousseau’s work inspired young Mozart— just twelve years old at the time—to create a parody of it in his one-act opera, Bastien und Bastienne.

The child prodigy proved to be incredibly prolific. Thus, when the Viennese court commissioned an opera from him for an event hosted by the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, he was ready to venture into uncharted territory. His opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail —written in German, a language then deemed unsuitable for the operatic genre—met with great success. This triumph enabled him a few years later to propose an even bolder project: an opera in Italian based on censored French play Le Mariage de Figaro, by Beaumarchais.

Censors and the Court deemed it offensive due to its scathing critiques directed at the nobility. Despite opposition from influential factions within the Viennese court, Mozart and his Italian librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, managed to negotiate the approval for this project, creating Le nozze di Figaro, which to this day is regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written. It is not known which methods of persuasion they employed, but it is likely that the libretto, which features several notable departures from Beaumarchais’s original play, helped give the work the appearance of harmless entertainment. Numerous episodes and minor characters were excised, and the plot was streamlined for better clarity and coherence. However, some changes transformed the play's overt criticism of the aristocracy into a form of playful teasing that ridicules human foibles in general.

The central theme of Le nozze di Figaro is the abusive behavior of those in power toward lower classes. The main characters are servants Figaro and Susanna, who are about to get married. Their master, Count Almaviva, wishes to exercise an ancient feudal right - le droit du seigneur - to sleep with Susanna on the very night of her wedding to Figaro. The Count had, in fact, renounced the outdated practice upon his own marriage to Rosina, aiming to portray himself as an enlightened man. Yet, once married, he often exercised his "right" to sleep with young females in his employ. Unfaithful and philanderer, he is also a man consumed by pathological jealousy regarding the attentions paid to his wife by the young Cherubino. One of the most comical scenes takes place in the opera's second act: the Count visits his wife in her boudoir, at the moment she happens to be there in the company of Cherubino. Aided by Susanna, the Countess hurriedly covers Cherubino with a sheet and then locks him inside a wardrobe, while the Count grows increasingly suspicious of his wife's nervousness.

By making the servants rather than the masters the central characters of the opera, Mozart broke with a long-standing tradition in which protagonists were typically classical heroes, gods and goddesses, kings and queens, or mythological figures. In the opening scene, Figaro, Count Almaviva’s valet, measures the dimensions of his future marital bed, while his fiancée, Susanna, the countess's personal maid, puts the finishing touches on the hat she will wear later that day for their wedding. Their joyful mood turns serious when Susanna reveals to Figaro that the Count plans to seduce her before their wedding night. 

Figaro, furious to learn that his master intends to reward his loyalty with betrayal, vows to outwit him in a spirited cavatina: "Se vuoi ballare, signor contino, il chitarrino ti suonerò" ("If you want to dance, little Count, I will play the music for you"). 

Figaro brings a group of peasants before Almaviva under the pretext of praising him for abolishing the archaic droit du seigneur, but in reality, to remind him that he must keep his promise of renouncing it. The count finds an excuse to rush away. The servants, joined by the betrayed Countess, devise another stratagem to unmask Almaviva’s hypocrisy and preserve their dignity, and the Count’s perfidious plan is foiled. He receives a humiliating lesson in front of his entire staff. However, once his misdeeds are brought to light, he does not react with anger, but admits his guilt and publicly begs his wife’s forgiveness, in most productions on his knees.

A subplot in Le nozze di Figaro reveals that Figaro is the illegitimate son of Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina—a man and a woman of a higher social rank than the valet. Before learning that he was their son, the older couple had been conspiring to force him to marry the very woman who would turn out to be his mother. But once the indiscretion of their past is brought to light, the bourgeois couple sets about rectifying the errors of their youth.

The lower classes relied on ingenuity rather than confrontation to achieve justice and the upper classes acted reasonably when their sins are revealed. The peaceful resolution reflects the optimism of the Enlightenment - specifically the conviction that a just society is built upon reason, introspection, and moral reform, rather than violence. The ingenuity and moral superiority of the servants echo the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as Montaigne, Rousseau, Voltaire, and others, who championed meritocracy, equal rights for all, and the limitation of despotic power. Figaro’s resistance to the Count’s behavior highlights the chasm between rationality from the persistent tyranny of the upper classes. The opera’s humor subtly suggests that the old order must adapt, or suffer the consequences.

Musically, Mozart’s score also embodies Enlightenment values—reason, individual merit, emotional authenticity, and rational order emerging from confusion. One of its most striking features lies in its musical ensembles: duets, trios, and grand collectives. Thus, in the Act II finale, seven characters sing simultaneously—"Che bel colpo, che bel caso"—expressing contradictory emotions and shifting dramatic situations, ultimately resolving into a harmonious order. In the spirit of the Enlightenment, the opera’s last grandiose finale, "Ah! Tutti contenti," unites masters and servants in a song of joy and jubilation.

The complex ensembles have no direct equivalent in Beaumarchais’s work. Da Ponte’s celebrated verses for arias such as Figaro’s "Non più andrai," the Countess’s "Porgi amor," and Susanna’s "Deh vieni, non tardar" also diverge from the original French play.

First performed at Vienna’s Burgtheater in 1786, Le nozze di Figaro - an opera buffa in four acts - reflects the fundamental ideals of the 18th century: reason, the primacy of individual merit over birthright, equality, and resistance to arbitrary authority. It also pays tribute to the capabilities and intelligence of women struggling to stay afloat in a male-dominated world. Overall, the work celebrates spiritual and moral equality across genders and classes, as well as individual’s worth based on decency and strength of character.

Emperor Joseph II

In reality, things are different. Mozart’s employer, Emperor Joseph II, also considered himself an enlightened monarch. His reforms included compulsory education for boys and girls, religious tolerance, the abolition of serfdom, and a reduction in power for the Church and the nobility. There is no evidence that he ever mistreated women or servants. However, fierce resistance from the clergy and the aristocracy forced him to revoke many of his reforms before his death.

Barely three years after the premiere of Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna, France erupted in a revolution that completely overturned its social order. The Austrian Emperor died in 1790, spared from witnessing the gruesome execution of his sister, Marie Antoinette, at the hands of French revolutionaries.

Mozart died in 1791, at the age of 35. Despite his phenomenal talent and the success of his work, the celebrated musician passed away in poverty and was buried in an unmarked common grave. A court musician was little more than a servant in the employ of a wealthy patron. Joseph II may have been benevolent toward him, but a scene in Miloš Forman’s film Amadeus depicts Mozart’s previous employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg, ordering him to leave Vienna for a minor transgression. When Mozart offers to resign, the Archbishop retorts: “You will remain in my service and learn to know your place.” Whether Mozart obeyed or not, this order reveals that the Archbishop viewed him as a servant. Historic records show that the musician took his meals with the archbishop's servants.

So Mozart very likely identified with Figaro and took pleasure in employing subtle humor to satirize his master and everything else that, in his view, was wrong with his world. The opera’s success demonstrated the capacity of the arts to examine the broader repercussions of human actions and behaviors, especially the abuse of power. Thanks to its universal themes—justice, reason, peace, love, and reconciliation, Le Nozze di Figaro remains, 240 years after its premiere, one of the most performed and celebrated operas of all time.

Jesus is Born at the Kennedy Center

As it seeks to change its 60-year-old name, the Kennedy Center is hosting a rich and varied holiday repertoire as it has done in many years past.  This year's program is especially focused on Christmas and has included for the first time a grand spectacle that started with lighting a Christmas tree in the Hall of States and ended with a live nativity scene outside the building. The one-day-only show was performed on Wednesday, December 17.

Noel: Jesus is Born took place on the eve of the Kennedy Center's announcement of its board's decision to rename it into the Trump-Kennedy Center. Although the institution has called on the audience to enjoy the holiday spirit making their attendance only about the art, it is hard to do so amid the controversy this decision has stirred. Trump's name was already added to the facade of the Kennedy Center building on Friday, without waiting for Congress to weigh in on the decision.

Trump's name added to the Kennedy Center                    Photo: Zlatica Hoke

The US president's influence on the institution he has taken over was visible even before this latest development.  There has been no visible sign that The Kennedy Center's holiday season  celebrates other winter holidays, such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. In the course of his first presidential campaign, Trump promised to end what he called "war on Christmas" and during the unveiling of Christmas decorations at the White House this year he explicitly announced: "We are saying Merry Christmas again."

The last Kennedy Center's performance with Jesus in its title as far as I can remember, was Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in 2022.  The iconic 1970s work tells the story of Jesus from the point of view of his betraying disciple Judas Iscariot, and gives a prominent role to arguably reformed sinner Mary Magdalene. Webber's world known master-piece, has sparked condemnation from some Christians, but was embraced by others. 

I went to Jesus is Born show not knowing what to expect other than singer and big band leader Charles Billingsley and his special guests Matthew West and TaRanda Green, all of them known for their careers in Christian music. The first part of the concert comprised mostly popular songs that deal with secular aspects of the holiday, such as Santa Clause and his reindeers, seasonal snow and mistletoes. 

Charles Billingsley and Matthew West                  Photo: Jati Lindsay

Billingsley did his best to keep the audience engaged. Projecting the text for sing-along items on a large screen was a great help to this viewer, who knows all the tunes, but no words. A visit from Santa Clause added action to the sparkling show.  Matthew West performed his own compositions Come Home for Christmas and Back to Bethlehem. The big-band sound was enhanced by the string section from the Washington National Opera Orchestra and singers were accompanied by the National Christian Choir.  The performance then segued into traditional carols focusing on the birth of Jesus all against the backdrop of nostalgic images of old Christmas cards, knitted sweaters, holiday decor and falling snow, projected behind the orchestra and brightly lit Christmas trees.  

For many years, Billingsley and his two principal guests have been distinctive voices of Christian music, not the number one genre in the nation's capital. But they played to an enthusiastic audience on Wednesday, which almost filled the 2300-seat hall.  The show moved at a sprightly pace, with jokes, colorful background images, and guests coming on and off the stage weaved in to avoid any chance of monotony. The appearance of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who read Luke 2: 1-19, from the Scriptures, created a buzz, but also added to a sense that the show was not entirely devoid of politics.

    Speaker Mike Johnson           Photo: Jati Lindsay

   

The last segment of the show came alive with a spectacular Nativity scene. A manger was wheeled onto the stage and central figures, Mary with baby Jesus, Joseph and the shepherds walked through the audience to the scene, followed by kings bearing gifts and even a real donkey. In these final minutes, Billingsley was joined by TaRanda Greene, a celebrated star of the Christian Music, for a few gospel-styled numbers. In my view, Greene should have been brought in earlier, before the audience got its fill of the Christmas excitement and wanted to take a break. The concert lasted more than two hours without a break and some patrons clearly had to leave before the end to rush to the nearest restroom. Even as the crowds were departing after the final applause, the ensemble saw them off with exuberant beats of Feliz Navidad.

       TaRanda Greene (in red dress) and the Nativity Scene       Photo: Jati Lindsay        

If the nativity scene on the stage was too short for some, they had chance to see it again outside the Kennedy Center and even pet the donkey and the sheep if they braved the freezing temperatures.

Nativity Scene Outside Kennedy Center , Dec. 17, 2025           Photo: Zlatica Hoke

According to the Kennedy Center's public relations office, Billingsley said before the concert:“Christmas is about lifting our voices and our hearts toward the miracle that changed the world, and we are thrilled to share that story through Noel: Jesus is Born! This night will be full of music, joy, and big band fun as we bring families together to make unforgettable holiday memories.” During the concert, he expressed hope that his show will become a holiday tradition in D.C.  We can expect revivals for at least a few more years, but who knows what the next Kennedy Center board will envision for its holiday offering.

Balkans contre Maghreb - statut des femmes et des personnes LGBTQ+

 J'adore faire du shopping avec mon amie serbe Slavica. Nous sommes nées dans le même pays – l'ancienne Yougoslavie – mais nous sommes maintenant originaires de deux pays, elle de Bosnie et moi de Croatie. Nous aimons toutes les deux regarder les dernières cris de la mode. Un des articles actuellement populaires – le pantalon dit "ballon" – ne trouvera pas sa place dans nos garde-robes. Pourquoi? Nous avons immédiatement associé ce pantalon ample, aux jambes larges et resserrées autour de les chevilles, aux dimije, un vêtement porté par les femmes musulmanes dans les zones rurales de Bosnie. Slavica en a vu plus que moi en Bosnie, mais les femmes portant des dimije colorées, et des chemises à manches longues avec une courte veste sans manches appelée yelek, étaient souvent vues dans des villes en Croatie, où elles venaient vendre leurs marchandises et faire leurs achats. Mais on a appris des dimije principalement grâce aux spectacles de danses folkloriques fréquemment organisés et diffusés à la télévision.

Danseuses de folkloriques yougoslaves vêtues de costumes traditionnels de Bosnie

En Yougoslavie communiste, le gouvernement et les organisations culturelles promouvaient activement la diversité culturelle du pays et le principe de "bratstvo i jedinstvo” (fraternité et unité). La Bosnie et le Kosovo (qui faisaient alors partie de la République de Serbie) abritaient les plus grandes communautés musulmanes, tandis que dans d'autres régions, les musulmans étaient minoritaires et avaient tendance à s'intégrer à la population locale. Dans des villes comme Zagreb et Belgrade, les musulmans étaient généralement aisés et bien éduqués. Beaucoup d’eux étaient aussi riches que les hommes au pouvoir, car ils géraient des petites entreprises et des ateliers d'artisanat florissants, tandis que la population générale vivait avec des salaires modestes.

L'expression populaire qui tournait en dérision la prétendue égalité était : “Certains sont plus égaux que d’autres." Mais bonne éducation était accessible à tous, et j'ai réalisé plus tard que la notre était bien meilleure que dans de nombreux pays occidentaux. Le problème était qu'après avoir terminé les études, il était impossible de trouver un emploi sans avoir des relations avec des personnes influentes. C'est pourquoi de nombreux jeunes gens brillants et diplômés sont partis travailler en Allemagne et dans d'autres pays occidentaux.

Un changement apporté par le communisme en Yougoslavie comme au Maghreb, fut l'évolution du rôle des femmes. Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, de nombreuses femmes en Yougoslavie se sont jointes à la résistance partisane contre l'invasion allemande et le fascisme. Uniformées et armées, elles se sont battus côte à côte avec les hommes, partageant tout sur un pied d'égalité, y compris les logements. Après la guerre, le pays ravagé avait besoin de reconstruction et, faute de moyens financiers, le parti communiste a fait appel aux jeunes pour participer à des “actions de travail” volontaire. L'hébergement sous tente et soins un ciel clair a rapproché jeunes hommes et jeunes femmes, et si le travail par jour était contrôlé, la vie nocturne ne l'était pas. La révolution sexuelle qui s’est propagé sur le monde occidental dans les années 60 était déjà bien installée dans les grandes villes de Yougoslavie. Cela a crée un fossé entre les parents, attachés aux valeurs morales d'avant-guerre, et leurs enfants nés après la guerre. Ma mère a grandi dans une petite ville où une jeune fille ne pouvait pas être vue dans la rue après 20h sans être accompagnée d'un parent. J'étais une jeune fille d’époque où ma génération sortait dans les cafés et les discothèques à 20h. Pour moi, être isolée à la maison pendant que mes amies s'amusaient dehors était traumatisant et j'ai commencé à me rebeller. Les disputes avec ma mère se sont transformées en une guerre de haine et de ressentiment. J'ai quitté la maison dès que j'ai trouvé un emploi qui me permettait de couvrir mes besoins, avant même d'obtenir mon diplôme universitaire.

Femmes partisanes de Yougoslavie pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale

La sexualité était rarement discutée à la maison, mais quelques notions de base étaient enseignées en cours de biologie au lycée. Lorsque les premiers tampons sont apparus, mes meilleures amies et moi – les influenceuses de l'époque – avons été parmi les premières à adopter cette innovation pratique, mais nous n'avions aucune idée de comment les utiliser. Nous avons finalement trouvé la solution lors d'une réunion chez l'une d'entre nous, devant un grand miroir.  Dans des villes comme Zagreb et Belgrade, les filles commençaient à avoir des relations sexuelles avant de se marier. Au lycée, on s'attendait à ce que les filles qui avaient un petit ami soient sexuellement actives. L'arrivée de la pilule contraceptive a grandement facilité les choses. En cas de problème, l'avortement était gratuit et accessible. Même si le consentement parental était théoriquement requis, il était toujours possible de l’éviter parce que personne ne voulait abandonner la jeune fille en difficulté. Au Maghreb, les revolutions et mouvements contre colonialisme n’ont pas apporté les mêmes libertés sexuelles. Comme on a vu dan le film tunisien La belle et la meute, un couple non marié risquait d’être ârrêté s’il était trouvé seul le soir. 

En Yougoslavie, la liberté de religion était garantie, mais les églises étaient généralement vides et les mosquées et les synagogues étaient considérées comme des monuments historiques plutôt que comme des lieux de culte. Les jeunes ne croyaient ni au communisme ni à la religion. Outre l'éducation gratuite, l'absence d'influence religieuse contribuait à maintenir une certaine unité parmi les jeunes. Chacun pouvait fréquenter qui on voulait s'il tombait amoureux. Mais si, à l'époque, il me semblait qu'il n'y avait aucune restriction quant au choix du partenaire, j'ai réalisé bien des années plus tard que de nombreuses belles histoires d'amour que je connaissais se terminaient par le mariage de l'homme avec une femme de sa propre origine ethnique et religieuse. Autre phénomène: les jeunes hommes qui aimaient les filles à la mode et libres retournaient souvent dans leur village natal pour épouser une jeune femme dont la virginité était garantie. La différence entre la culture rurale et la culture urbaine était encore très marquée à cette époque. Il me semble qu’au Maghreb il y avait aussi une difference même si c'était contraire: les femmes en ville portait le voile en dehors, mais pas les femmes en milieu rural. 

Le conflit sanglant de 1995 dans les Balkans a choqué le monde entier, y compris moi-même, mais seulement parce que nous avions ignoré les signes avant-coureurs. Par example: au milieu des années 70, j’ai sorti avec un ami qui à la fin du rendez-vous m’a dit qu'il ne serait pas heureux tant que les Croates n'auraient pas besoin d'un passeport pour voyager en Serbie. Je le trouvais complètement fou car je ne savais pas qu'il n'était pas un cas exceptionnel. La désintégration de la Yougoslavie 20 ans plus tard a conduit à un conflit sauvage, particulièrement violent en Bosnie où la population était la plus diverse. Comme le monde a appris, les forces paramilitaires serbes de Bosnie ont massacré des milliers d'hommes musulmans, mais ce qui est peut-être moins connu, c'est que les Serbes en Bosnie ont mis en place des camps de viol. Des femmes non-serbe y étaient retenues prisonnières pour servir les insurgés armés. Elles ne leur donnait aucune protection contraceptive, car il y avait des Serbes qui souhaitaient accroître leur population en Bosnie. La plupart des femmes violées étaient musulmanes, mais leur nationalité importait peu car, selon certaines traditions balkaniques, l'enfant prend la nationalité du père. La femme serve seulement comme un réceptacle pour porter le foetus. Les femmes révolutionnaires au Maghreb ont été emprisonnées et torturées dans des décennies plus tôt mais pas pour leur appartenance ethnique et pas en si grand nombre. Les activistes comme algérienne Djamila Boupacha et marocaine Fatna El Bouih sont été soumis a la torture et viol pour leurs activités contre les autorités, considérées comme masculines.

Dans la Croatie, nouvellement indépendante depuis 1992, l'influence religieuse a apporté un certain recul pour les femmes. Ce revers a été relativement bref, car les femmes croates se sont levées et quand le pays a entré dans l'Union européenne en 2013, la Croatie a dû se conformer aux normes européennes. Cependant, un changement a eu lieu dans les domaines sociaux et familials. L'avortement qui était presque une forme de contraception dans ma jeunesse, est aujourd’hui mal vu. La promiscuité sexuelle et l'infidélité conjugale, si courantes et ouverts pendant ma jeunesse, sont aujourd'hui beaucoup moins visibles.  

Mais, alors qu'autrefois les femmes victimes de viols et de violences conjugal avaient peu ou pas de protection, car elles étaient stigmatisées si elles osaient parler, il existe désormais des associations qui offrent un refuge aux femmes victimes de violences et les encouragent à témoigner. Si les autorités croates ne parviennent pas à protéger les victimes, celles-ci peuvent saisir les instances européennes, même si peu de victimes ont la volonté et les ressources nécessaires pour le faire. Les personnes LGBTQ+ bénéficient également du soutien d'organisations dédiées. Dans des villes comme Zagreb, encore relativement petites avec une population de moins d'un million d'habitants, les personnes LGBTQ+, qui cachaient auparavant leur orientation sexuelle et menaient parfois une vie hétérosexuelle par crainte de l'ostracisme familial ou social, sont désormais plus ouvertes. Cependant, les opérations de changement de sexe sont fortement condamnées par l'Église et, par conséquence, par la société.

Il semblerait que, comparée au Maghreb, la Croatie aujourd’hui est un pays où l'égalité des droits humains est respectée et où les femmes bénéficient d'une meilleure protection. L'égalité des genres, promue depuis l'ère communiste a permis aux femmes à devenir scientifiques, universitaires, artistes de renom et politiciennes. La Croatie a eu sa première femme présidente, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (2015-2020). L’ancienne première ministre serbe et actuelle présidente de l'Assemblée nationale, Ana Brnabić, est ouvertement lesbienne, ce qui était impensable il y a encore quelques décennies. 

Pourtant les véritables moteurs du progrès en matière de droits des femmes dans les anciennes républiques yougoslaves sont les femmes journalistes et écrivaines, pas les politiciennes. Même sous le communisme, les femmes journalistes figuraient parmi les critiques les plus virulentes du gouvernement et des problèmes de société. Le nombre croissant de femmes journalistes ces dernières décennies s'est concentré sur les questions féminines, notamment les violences conjugales et le rôle des femmes dans la société. La sexualité et la nudité – masculine et féminine – étaient déjà courantes dans les médias et au cinéma depuis les années 1960, contrairement au Maghreb.

La couverture de l'ancien magazine yougoslave Start

Les partis de gauche au Maghreb, comme les communistes en Yougoslavie, avaient promu les droits des femmes car ils avaient besoin de leurs soutien pendant les mouvements révolutionnaires. Après la victoire, les femmes du Maghreb ont souvent perdu des libertés acquises pendant les batailles.  En Croatie, la montée du nationalisme et de pouvoir de l’église dès son independence a causé un revers pour les femmes croates aussi, mais d'autres facteurs – tels que la liberté de la presse, l'égalité d'éducation pour les filles et les garçons et la proximité de l'Europe occidentale, de plus en plus laïque, ont permis aux femmes de retrouver leurs droits.

L'Algérie, le Maroc et la Tunisie ont produit des grands auteurs, intellectuels et militants qui défendent les droits des femmes et des personnes LGBTQ+. Si les féministes aujourd’hui peuvent s'exprimer plus ouvertement, comme par example Zainab Fasiki qui a publié son band dessiné sur la sexualité feminine à Casablanca, l’activisme LGBTQ+ n’est pas accepté et se déroule généralement dans la clandestinité ou dans la diaspora. L'écrivain et cinéaste marocain Abdellah Taïa a écrit sur son expérience douloureuse d'homosexuel au Maroc en France. Les relations sexuelles entre personnes de même sexe sont interdites par la loi au pays du Maghreb. Pourtant, avec la diffusion des médias numeriqués, il devient de plus en plus difficile d'empêcher la circulation de l'information. On effet, le magazine marocain TelQuel a publié en 2006 un article sur la vie de Taïa et son experience de homosexuel. Comme par tout le monde, les forces conservatrices réagissent contre progrès de ce type. Savoir comme les luttes de se genre ont réussi dans autres pays peut inspirer les activistes du Maghreb à progresser, même modestement, vers plus d’égalité.

Le progrès depends toujours du people de ces pays. Donc, les militants locaux jouent un rôle crucial dans la promotion de la presse libre, l’égalité d'education pour tous et la protection du droit d’homme de n'importe quel sexe.  Les autorités religieuses at le gouvernement doivent reconnaître que la pleine participation des femmes et de LGBTQ+ dans tous les domaines de la vie est essentielle pour le progrès d'un pays. Leur lois doivent assurer une protection pour chaqun.  Le monde doit surveiller l'application de ces lois parce que les examples du Maghreb et de l’ancient Yougoslavie démontrent que les minorités sexuelles et ethniques peuvent à tout moment perdre les droits et protections qu’ils ont acquis au prix de grads efforts.

Washington National Opera Brings Back The Little Prince For 2025 Holiday Season

Washington National Opera's holiday offering is a revival of The Little Prince, an opera based on the world-famous novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Envisioned by WNO's artistic director Francesca Zambello more than two decades ago, with the music by award-winning composer Rachel Portman and the libretto by playwright Nicholas Wright, this chamber opera is aimed at attracting families with children during the festive holiday season.

The Little Prince is perhaps best known as the book grown ups consider the most beloved children's book. Translated into more than 600 languages and dialects since its 1943 publication, its hard-cover version is among the common gifts for kids whether for their birthday, special holiday or a baby shower before they were even born. However, despite the common assumption, the classic bestseller is not every child's favorite book and neither is the opera their favorite performance. At the opening night  at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater on Friday there were far more grown ups than children at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. The author hinted in his dedication that the book about a child is for adult people who can remember they were once children. 

One of the reasons for this conundrum is the sophistication of the messages and life lessons exchanged by the two protagonists during their week-long encounter: the pilot whose plane crashed in a desert and the Little Prince, a boy who fell on the Earth from an asteroid. The conversation is simple, but the topics are profound and the child is often wiser than the adult as the two discuss the value of imagination compared to reality, the importance of love and responsibility, the effect of loss and loneliness and the need to overcome longing and sadness. The Little Prince acquired much of his wisdom through encounters with a series of characters he had met during his visits to other planets: the King with no subjects, the Vain Man who has no one to admire him on his lonely asteroid, the Lamp Lighter who kips extinguishing and relighting the lamppost on a planet where the day only lasts a minute, the Businessman who never looks up from his accounts to see the stars and a man who drinks to forget his shame of drinking.  

On the Earth, the boy met the Snake who promised to return him to his planet when he becomes homesick, the Fox who taught him the nature of love and he also ran into a garden of roses, where he realized his rose was not as unique as he had thought.

Kids growing up on a diet of Disney-style stories with a happy ending may also struggle to accept the boy's final sacrifice to return to his beloved Rose. In order to travel back to his star, the Little Prince must get rid of his body, so he allows the poisonous Snake to bite him.  He consoles the grieving pilot with a reminder that he will see him with his heart whenever he looks at the stars, because he will know that the Little Prince inhabits one of them. 

The themes that are critical of the modern materialistic society may be complex for a child to comprehend, but the simple language in which they are related makes them indelible. The opera retains most of the important lines from the book: "It is only with the heart that one can se rightly" or "it is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important" and "all grown-ups were once children." Those lines are remembered well into adulthood and recognized around the world.

 

Photo: Scott Suchman from the 2014 production of the Little Prince

The opera premiered in Houston in 2003 to great acclaim. The WNO's revival of its 2014 production is directed by Corrin Hayes, a theater director, dramaturg and educator linked to several operatic institutions around the country.  She builds on Zambello's original production with sets and costumes by Maria Björnson, and preserves its essence of stage humor and whimsical characters, but focuses on young artists and emphasizes the family-friendly holiday appeal. 

With that in mind, the five performances are given over the weekend. Instead of the grand Kennedy Center Opera House the WNO has moved the chamber piece to the smaller  Terrace Theater. The intimacy of the venue brings the audience closer to the characters and with the captions in large print on both sides of the stage, ensures clear understanding of the philosophy of this delicate story. At times members of the chorus pass through the theater making the audience participant in the drama, always an exciting moment especially for the youngest patrons.

                                   Photo: Scott Suchman from the 2014 production

Conductor Micah Gleason kept an exuberant tempo, sensitive to tender moments, enhanced by the A. J. Guban's lighting, which conveyed the sun-scorched desert, coolness of the night, freshness of the water and sparkling of stars in the sky. 

In terms of singing, the focus of this revival was on young and upcoming singers, most of them members of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera.

Robby Potter III as the title character sang with a voice typical for a child his age, with no attempt to sound like an operatic boy soprano. Combined with his poise and self-confidence throughout the 90-minute performance, this made him an ideal Little Prince. Chandler Benn as a pilot was an excellent choice too. His youthful baritone and boyish appearance made his friendship with the Little Prince believable and poignant. WNO's Youth Chorus added to the opera's appeal for the youngest audiences.

Rachel Portman's score gives the smaller roles expressive arias and a chance to showcase their vocal prowess. My favorite was virtuosic soprano Lauren Carroll as the Rose. The winner of several awards for young singers depicted the playfulness of a female that is willful, spoiled proud, demanding, shy and fearful all at the same time. It is said that the Rose was based on the character of Saint-Exupery's Salvadoran wife Consuelo, with whom he had a turbulent marriage. 

Soprano Vivianna Goodwin, sparkling as the Water she portrayed, made her brief appearance by the well an unforgettable one.

Bass Atticus Rego as the King with no subjects conveyed the loneliness of a ruler who understands the futility of his nominal power. Hakeem Henderson as the Snake could be alluring, sleazy or frightening as the situation required. Along with some other singers who appeared a brief appearance, he covered several other small, but significant roles. Henderson doubled as Vain Man eliciting laughs with his attention-seeking shenanigans, which had no one to attract on his lonely planet. Like Atticus Rego, Henderson also appears as a hunter and baobab tree.  

Overall, the 2025 version preserves the enchanting whimsical essence that made the WNO's 2014 debut a quick sell-out, but refreshes it with new voices and leadership. While I have to admit to getting somewhat bored the first time around 11 years ago, I found this revival captivating. Perhaps bringing my 10-year-old granddaughter made all the difference. She proclaimed The Little Prince to be the best show she had seen all year and for me that's the best confirmation that this opera is without doubt a delightful holiday treat.

WNO'S Aida Revival Takes the War Drama Out of Egypt

The Washington National Opera celebrates its 70th anniversary with a revival of its 2017 contemporary production of Aida, in which Egypt and Ethiopia became any two African countries at war. The diverse cast of singers and dancers includes performers of various ages, genders and races to reflect the dynamic vibe of the nation's capital rather than of the ancient Egypt. The visually striking staging with militaristic elements, calligraphic symbols, colorful costumes, fanfares and confetti is likely to appeal to the local audience, especially the young, but some may find the mish-mash of styles and activities on the stage somewhat distracting. 

The production envisioned by Francesca Zambello and co-produced by several U.S. companies premiered in 2012 at Glimmerglass Opera and subsequently traveled to San Francisco, Washington D.C., Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago while New York's Metropolitan stuck to its own mostly traditional staging. 

To see Zambello's modern vision of the historic drama eight years ago in DC was refreshing, despite its unattractive elements such as Aida's attire - an ugly purple dress with a forest green wrap. When the same dress reappeared in the new staging, one had to wonder if there was a reason for such choice of colors. Ethiopian national colors are green, yellow and red, but of course, this production did not necessarily depict a conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt. Asked about it after the Friday premiere in Washington, Zambello clarified that the colors were not symbolic of anything except perhaps purple for Aida's royal lineage and that the enslaved princess was dressed in colors that no one else wore to distinguish her as a foreigner among enemies.

    Jennifer Rowley and Adam Smith as Aida and Radamès,  photo: Scott Suchman

The dark opening sets were followed with brightly colored ones, decorated with hieroglyphs and calligraphy from RETNA, an artist who began with graffiti in the streets of Los Angeles. His designs are an unusual mix of African, not necessarily Egyptian, symbols with some hinting at Asian calligraphy, especially the central ones rendered in vermillion red. Unlike classical settings that seek to reproduce some of the colors from ancient Egyptian wall drawings, such as turquoise, green, terracotta and dark yellow, the oversized black and red symbols in this production are set agains bright red and royal blue backgrounds.

          Triumphal scene with artistic design by RETNA,  photo Scott Suchman

Although Aida as a typical grand opera includes some dance scenes, this production abounds with them. Soldiers dance in their uniforms, spirits of gods dance, and even a group of kids dressed as offspring of colonial Brits break into some dance antics on the stage.  The Nile scene brings in peace on the stage to highlight the turbulence of Aida's thoughts as she awaits Radamès. Meanwhile, she is startled by her father Amonasro, originally the Ethiopian king, who in this production looks like a comrade straight from Mao's China. His green workman suit and hat matching the green in Aida's outfit distinguish the two from their conquerors, but also bring to mind current U.S. relations with China and spark a question if this was a deliberate hint.

The costumes by Anita Yavich are a salad of styles: Amneris wears bright yellow or blue silky kaftans. Her companions are sometimes covered in white robes, but in one scene the robes go down to give way to silky dresses that look almost like Japanese kimonos and one is reminded of Madama Butterfly arriving to Pinkerton's home with her female retinue. Chief goddess Isis is dancing in a scintillating plissé dress with golden wings, of the kind befitting a Met Institute costume gala. 

The final tomb scene, bleak though it is, maybe the only element in this production that is true to ancient Egypt. We tend to think of the famous tombs inside the pyramids as being elaborately decorated, but those colorful walls often precede dark and claustrophobic chambers where the dead bodies were laid. The solemnity of the opera's closing scene was disrupted by the appearance of Amneris who sat on top of the tomb, drawing some giggles in the audience.

The opening night cast was a mixed bag. Much lauded soprano Jennifer Rowley was a bit of a disappointment despite her strong voice and generally good singing because of the overpronounced vibrato. Her acting was passionate, but relied mostly on cliché theatrical gestures that were not quite convincing. In appearance, she was more Cinderella than Aida.

British tenor Adam Smith has a powerful voice that carried over the orchestra most of the time. (It is always a bad idea to give a member of the press a seat all the way by a side wall because they then cannot properly hear a singer who turns his back to that part of the audience.)  Smith could certainly belt out high notes, but lacked the warm ringing tone that would make his performance memorable. 

Raehan Bryce-Davis had perhaps the most beautiful voice of the evening. Her warm mellifluous mezzo was a pleasure to hear. In terms of acting, sadly, it was hard to tell if she was glad, mad or sad. She appeared too benevolent for the fiery, jealous character of Amneris. Another problem is her Italian. With muffled consonants, one could not understand what she sang unless you knew the verse by heart. One example is "E in poter di costoro io stessa lo gettai!" in the crucial judgement scene.

Shenyang was the most unusual Amonasro I have ever seen and despite good singing did not project the image of a dignified king in captivity.  Morris Robinson as Ramfis, and Kevin Short as the conquering king were adequate, but not unforgettable.

The best singing of the evening for this reviewer came from the WNO chorus - clear, sharp, dynamic or gentle as needed with excellent pronunciation. Conductor Kwamé Ryan maintained a dynamic tempo throughout the evening even though he sometimes struggled to keep the singers and orchestra together.

Since 1990, WNO has produced Aida four times. The most successful was probably its 2003 Aida, performed at the Daughters of the American Revolution hall during the renovations at the Kennedy Center.  The two casts included Michele Crider as Aida, Maria Guleghina as Amneris and Richard Margison as Radamès alternating with Guleghina as Aida, Franco Farina as Radamès and Marianne Cornetti as Amneris. Amonasro was Mark Delavan. Conducted by maestro Heinz Fricke, a more simple staging with projected imagery has left a memorable impression that will be hard to match for years to come. A perfect example of how to achieve more with less.

Zambello's enthusiasm for making classical works attractive to contemporary audiences and offering completely new operas that reflect American values and life styles is commendable. One notable example is Jeannine Tesori's Blue, with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Zambello's bold and inclusive choice of artists can provide a much needed fresh look at timeless pieces as long as she stays focused on the work's central idea.  

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Opera Review

Apple founder Steve Jobs died in 2011 and in 2017 the Santa Fe Opera premiered a work about the revolutionary inventor and visionary. A movie about Steve Jobs came out even earlier than the opera. Why make a piece of theater about a person who is so well known that there is very little we can still learn about him? And if we don’t know enough, we can always get more information with a click of a button, perhaps on an iMac, iPhone, iPad or any other device Jobs developed. Composer Mason Bates and librettist Marc Campbell thought there is more to Steve Jobs than what we know from the news media and that opera is the best medium to explore his complex personality. Their creation, The (Revolution) of Steve Jobs, looks more into the protagonist’s personal development and his inner turmoil than his inventions. The Washington National Opera presented the work for the first time last Friday.

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, is a one-act opera in 19 scenes, including a prologue and an epilogue, both set in the garage of Steve’s childhood home, where it all began when his father made him a workbench for his 10th birthday. Thus the opera’s main character makes a full circle of life, after abandoning his own youthful ideals  for an insatiable quest for power, and subsequently realizing the errors of his ways. 

 

As a young man, Steve Jobs learned Japanese calligraphy and practiced Zen Buddhism. His spiritual teacher Köbun Chino Otogawa has a crucial role in the opera as do his two significant female partners, the mother of his first child Chrisann Brennan and his wife Laurene Powell Jobs. His longtime business partner Steve “Woz” Wozniak is as present in the opera as he was in Steve Jobs’s life. There is also a chorus of scientists.

 

But while the operatic story covers most of the landmark moments in Jobs’s career, it focuses on his development as a person. As entrepreneur, Jobs gets caught in the grip of ambition and becomes ruthlessly harsh toward the people close to him. He forgets Otogawa’s teaching to let life happen to him, to simplify it, and not force it. Chrisann’s desperate pleas for financial help in raising their child alone are notably cruel, as we know from real-life reports. Wozniak quits in disgust and the board finally demotes Jobs. 

 

The Zen teacher reappears to remind him that we can all learn from our difficulties and, indeed Jobs rebounds, comes up with his best ideas yet and is returned to the company. He also becomes open to love and family life. 

Photo:WNO

To match the story of a revolutionary man whose personal computers affected almost everyone on the planet, the composer has made some unusual musical choices. He uses a saxophone, acoustic guitar and electronic sounds as played on a Macintosh laptop, the instruments that are rarely if ever used in the traditional opera.

 

The score occasionally brings to mind John Adams, notably his Short Ride in a Fast Machine.  At other times one hears hints of Asian beat from Puccini’s Turandot and Leonard Bernstein’s jazzy orchestrations. In one scene,  Otogawa sounds decidedly like the Grand Inquisitor from Verdi’s Don Carlo in ending a phrase. While I would not describe the music as revolutionary, I found it to be the most engaging part of this opera. It always set the right mood and deepened the understanding of a scene, serving in general as the main agent of the story. 

 

The singers were all in good voices and well suited for their role. John Moore burst on the scene with a ringing baritone that conveyed Jobs’s youthful energy.  He was more convincing in his nasty stage than when he became contemplative in his afterlife. 

Bass Wei Wu owns the role of spiritual advisor Köbun Chino Otogawa, his scenes almost dominating the show. Kresley Figueroa has a youthful soprano, appropriate for a bubbly and naïve young woman in love as Chrisann was when she dated Jobs.

 

Tenor Jonathan Burton as Wozniak gave a charismatic performance. The creation of a "blue box" that enabled making free long-distance phone calls prompted him to break into a clumsy, but charming celebratory gigue. His version of Jobs's burly partner quit more in exasperation than in anger. 

Jobs’s wife Laurene seems to be the only person who has effective influence on him, although with delayed result. Winona Martin has a mellifluous soprano, suited for the role of a serene, mature woman. Unfortunately, the creators made her sound more like a nagging than supportive wife, and in the end turned her into a didactic matron. In her final lines, Laurene warns the audience to refrain from reaching for their cell phones as soon as the show is over, and recommends looking up into the sky and stars instead of Jobs's "one device."

Photo: Scott Suchman

 

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa as Jobs’s calligraphy teacher and baritone Justin Burgess as his father Paul Jobs round up the cast in cameo roles. 

 

Occasionally, many of these beautiful voices were drowned by the chorus or the orchestra. 

 

Production and staging by Tomer Zvulun, revived by Rebecca Herman, was technically simple: 24 smaller screens framed by stairs and scaffoldings that allowed the performers to move upward.  Together with four larger screens on each side of the stage, they served as canvas for projections, designed by S. Kathy Tucker with lighting by Robert Wierzel. The colors and patterns projected on the screens and above them swiftly changed the mood and atmosphere for each new scene.

Photo: WNO

                                                

Overall, it is understandable what may attract contemporary audiences to this opera, which has seen at least 10 new productions across the nation since its 2017 premiere. With the amplified contemporary sound, some catchy tunes and choreographed chorus movements, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs is more akin to a popular American musical than a traditional opera. It’s a piece of work one can listen to at home and enjoy parts of it even without a high-tech gimmicky production. But in terms of drama, it just misses its main goal of conveying inner struggles and redemption of a flawed genius, hurtling to complete his circle of life.  Do we understand Jobs any better after seeing this opera?  

 

Laurene's cliché warnings against obsessive use of the internet make the opera's final scenes drag and the return of the birthday boy with balloons from the Prologue is plain kitch. 

 

The piece concludes on a somewhat bombastic note, in a standard operatic tradition, inviting a burst of applause from the audience.  The last performance is scheduled for May 9.

It was not clear why the WNO decided to set the premiere for Friday at 5:30 PM, forcing patrons to battle the weekend rush hour to get to the show, many of them arriving late, only to learn that the inconvenient time was chosen to accommodate the WNO's annual gala dinner. First things first.