More on censorship

Well, sometimes I'm not fully informed. Here is another article about the opera Indemeneo. Kimball is also unhappy about the cancellation of the opera, but evidently this production has little left of Mozart's version.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Poor Mozart. Mr. Neuenfels is one of those directors more interested in nurturing his own pathologies than in offering a faithful presentation of the geniuses with whose work he has been entrusted.

In the best of all possible worlds, we wouldn't be treated to such artistic desecrations. But in this world, such productions are business as usual. And Deutsche Oper's decision to cancel the production because some Muslims might not like it is both craven and shortsighted.
Not, I hasten to add, that Deutsche Oper was wrong in its calculation that the opera will offend those Muslims who are eagerly waiting to be offended.

Read the entire article. It is excellent and raises the questions we need to be asking ourselves about censorship and self-censorship. While Kimball finds this version of the opera offensive (another subject worthy of discussion), he also contemplates the cost of freedom and freedom of speech.