Mozart - Die Entfuhring Aus Dem Serail / Nielsen, Watson, Van Der Walt, Magnusson, Moll, Tobias, Solti, Covent Garden Opera

Mozart's comic masterpiece is set in a Turkish palace and tells the story of the 'escape from the harem'. In Elijah Moshinsky's production, the Turkish atmosphere is created by Timothy O'Brien's set of garden and crumbling palace, strikingly complemented by Sir Sidney Nolan's colourful front and backcloths. The story tells of Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman (played by Deon van der Walt), who arrives at the palace of Pasha Selim (a speaking role taken by actor Oliver Tobias), seeking his beloved Konstanze (sung by Inga Nielsen). It is an exciting and amusing plot, interwoven with the themes of social decorum, the rights of women, honour and justice, and young love. Solti "made the comic numbers sparkle and dance, and brought a romantic, emotional weight to the serious music". SPECTATOR