The Abduction from the Seraglio

Konstanze’s heroic moments stand side by side with Blondchen’s sparkling energy, while Osmin brings an irresistible comic touch that is the very essence of the work. Written at a pivotal moment in the composer’s life, this score already reveals a rich musical imagination and a remarkable sense of theater. Mozart plays with styles, rhythms, and emotions, creating a work that is at once accessible, brilliant, and deeply expressive. Approached as a “contemporary fairy tale,” this production remains faithful to its cheerfulness, which is tinged with unease. The seraglio appears less as an exotic setting than as a gilded cage—a shifting space where social hierarchies and power dynamics waver. Contrasting costumes, the stylized elegance of the masters, the almost carnivalesque energy of the servants, and an evolving set design all convey this shifting of roles. *The Abduction from the Seraglio* celebrates the power of emotions, freedom of choice, and staying true to oneself. A luminous and daring opera that continues to captivate with its freshness, intelligence, and irresistible vitality. An opera in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1782) Libretto by Gottlieb Stéphanie, based on a play by Bretzner Performed in German, with French surtitles – Bärenreiter Edition