DON GI OVANNI PI CCOLO FESTI VALFVG
PRESSRELEASE20122013
Enm
■■■■
the JerusalemOpera Orchestra providing
Mozart
The
JerusalemOpera isbringing Giovanni' to the
Don
underpinning,and podium.
picturesque
Ribis observes
on
instrumental
the conductor's
social considerations
were
oeuvre in general, operatic and feelsthat directors would do well to keepthat factor in mind when addressingDon Giovanni, no matter when theyset the piece. "When you do, for instance, modern settingsof the opera, think you should never this [social forget the social differences are These down aspect]. days,
Citysetting
at
By
BARRY
DAVIS
doesn't than Giovanni. Mozart's thrilling masterpieceis the latestcontribution by the burgeoning JerusalemOpera
Don
outfit,which
will be
it outdoors performing
week
than
to money
more
poor
Of
that
mean
who
has money
course,
it
is better
person."
course,
opera
social classes,but of
someone
believe that while
some
peopletodaysee
partof highbrowculture, coupleof centuries
as
the pop music of its day.Ribis does actually subscribe to that idea. entirely Gabriele Ribis, the Italian baritone who plays "Operawas the elitemusic in Mozart's time. You had the eponymous character and is also directing the lesswealthypeoplegoingto the theater,but that was in is clearly enthused by the subject matter for example, differentcircumstances. In Prague, Mozart production, the lead character. remembers how he heard peoplein the street whistling particularly and everything,"his melodies, and he was proudof that.That was mostly "He has an influence on everybody "He... changesthe lifeof because Praguewas singer. says the 29-year-old very different cityfrom Vienna, After the Don Giovanni, where the most attemptedrape by everybody. important theater was the Karnt lifechangescompletely." Theater, so basically [as composer]ifyour opera was licentious Don It is that act by the incorrigibly music for goingto be performedthere, you were writing all manner of dramatic Giovanni that sets in motion the emperor. That's why an opera likeDon Giovanni had seasoned with comic segments.Through such success ." development, at the Tower
Tower
that
Arieli
central element of Mozart's
Old
the
Omer
the two
Old of David in Jerusalem's
acts, this Don
Juan
next
City.
ago it was not
tries his luck with several
ladies,while his initialvictim, Donna
Anna,
to packin the crowds since publicat the Teatro di Pragaon betrothed can take him to task.Compounding Anna's of the world's October ,92 .7871 To this day,it is one emotional turmoil is that Don Giovanni killed her most performed operas. to his daughter's father after the lattercame rescue. Ribis, naturally, would like to keep the genre as basic theme, like Don Quixote," popularas possible, "This is such needs to be done but believes more notes the director. "In that storythere is one to make productions likethe upcoming Tower of David characters in the historyof of the main accessible to the public. performances This is universal theme." "In humanity. my opinion,it is importantthat opera starts to out of theaters," he states. "That's why was one Placing the operaticform in its come
much
effort in
trackingdown
invests
her assailant
historical and social context,
so
her
Ribis notes
"goingto the opera was way to pass time. Peoplewould go to the opera and listen to the stories. Opera was also social matter. Peoplewent to drink and that
you had boxes with two compartments: one to watch the opera, and the back part to do other things," he chuckle. "Of course, that was for adds with eat, to have sex
peoplewith money." The
such Jerusalemshows will not be offering
facilities, but the
productionmakes
full use
of the
has continued
WORK
it was
unveiled
of those
who
to
the
proposedto perform \Don Giovanni]not
theater,but at the Tower
in
of David. That's because
opera has something to do with with beautiful the putting opera together think
two
will illuminate
counterparts,baritones Yaakov
Zalevskyand come
from the
Oshri
Strizhak and
Netanel
Segev.Vocal support of the JerusalemOpera,with singers
tenor
will the
beauty,so placemakes
beauties
together." surelythere are some
But
indoor "The
venues,
old
aesthetically pleasing
too?
ones,
yes, but not
the modern
ones," he
we are ones, sometimes says. "With the new hostages of architects with strange ideas. We now have new
theater in Florence like
me: [that] really surprised strange."
station. It's railway very
The Italian baritone feels that LightingdesignerYogi historic surroundings, there can be healthyreciprocal will be video art and enhancingthe visual spectacle between the physical relationship designedby Italian video artist and photographer aesthetics of an opera venue Gianmarco find and the vocal and instrumental D'Agostino.For those who themselves in less-than-ideal viewing positions, sounds produced there. "I efforts should helpto compensate, think that whenever you have D'Agostino's around the citadel as he will have five cameras music is way interesting places, that will relay real-time imagesto screens dotted of allowing you to enjoy the around the site. It adds placeeven more. baritone vocals, the In addition to Ribis'svelvety something." skillsof sopranos Olga opera will feature the polished Efrat Raz and Shaked Bar, and their male Senderskaya,
outdoor
Mazuz
venue's location. the
THE
It looks
The themes Indeed,
of 'Don Giovanni'
some
by confining would
one
be
venue
of his
universal.(EladZagman
argue that art feeds off lifeand nature, and as such, work of art to the interior of man-made structure,
severingthe
its lifesource.
creation and
are
upcoming
umbilical
cord between
the artistic
The
director agrees, addingthat the than just operatic productionoffersmore
the alfrescoelement. of David, you don't need scenery, you have natural scenery. Second, and this is one of the of the opera, you can build production and only strengths exactly for that particular place." "First of all,with the Tower
because
to the subject of pop Returningbriefly opera offers assets that the publiccannot appealsectors of the music market.
"What
Ribis feels that
music,
get from
more
mass-
opera givesthat pop music
and movies generally cannot is uniqueexperience," he says."If single performance you go to the same opera two dayslater,itwill be different.Thank God. That's why like theater and opera so much, and it is also different experience each time for us, the performers, because you feeldifferent every time. And ifitis differentfor the performers, itis isthat every
also different for the audience." As staunch supporterof puttingon the Mozart opera outdoors, he also expectsthe show to connect with the ebb and flow of the of cityaround it. "I will try to put Don Giovanni into the reality am tryingto put the public."
Jerusalem. to the
opera into the
to getcloser reality,
That goes for allMozart's operatic works. heart, to the "They are all close to the human
he feelings," "They speak lot about love, and about relationships between think everybodycan find couples,and people.So somethingof interest for their own lifein this opera."
continues.
Still,Ribis says there is at least one importantarea attention. requires urgentprofessional "We
need
learn from
how
of opera that
to do
for advertising stop thinking we are and that's why peoplecome to see us perform, superior just because our music is better.Of course, opera music is deeperthan to
pop
music
opera /׳he says. "We don't do that well. We have
to
pop music. There is more meaning,more about human more art in the music than pop music. But we have to to
life, there is that explain
Otherwise, theywill not get it." people. In that
dream.
Don Giovanni should be respect, lot going for it love
"Yes, it has
marketingexecutive's and
lot of
sex.
In that
it's bit likepop music," says Ribis. respect, From
the looks of it,the
lack for musical
performancesin
visual pulling power. The performances will take placeon October
ticketsand
more
the Old
Citywill not
or
information:
and 10 at
6226* orwww.bimot.co.il
p.m. For