Director Damiano Michieletto invigorates opera with stagings that astonish some, appall others
Damiano Michieletto has been prominent on European stages for two decades, known for contemporary reconsiderations that at times cause controversy
PARIS (AP) — Damiano Michieletto sat in the last row of the Opéra Bastille's front section alongside his production colleagues, watching opening night of Massenet’s rarely performed “Don Quichotte.”
They bolted at the final note to get backstage for curtain calls and were met with cheers — not a given with European audiences alternately amazed, addled and appalled by reinvented works known as regietheater.
“When I walk onstage there’s a strange sadness in me because everything is finished,” Michieletto said. “I’m always relaxed about the audience reaction because if you did your best there’s nothing else you can do after that, so just accept what the people think. It’s natural and democratic.”
The 48-year-old Italian has been prominent on European stages for two decades, known for contemporary conceptions that on occasion cause controversy.
