The Israeli Opera 2016
The Abduction from the Seraglio
A three-act singspiel opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Belmonte, the hero of the opera, attempts to rescue his beloved Constanze from the seraglio (harem) of Pasha Selim with the help of his servant Pedrillo.
The opera was performed in the Knights’ Halls in Acre, a fortress built by the Ottomans on the ruins of a Crusader abbey and used as a palace for local rulers. Although located close to the sea, the beauty of the sea cannot be seen from the fortress because of its very high walls. In our video art interpretation, we visualized the seraglio as water: delicate, transparent, a pleasant place that can turn suffocating and deadly in an instant.
The photoshoot took place in Kibbutz Yakum, in an especially deep pool that we draped with black fabric. The clothing sewn for us by the Israeli Opera’s costume department moved slowly and easily in water. We collaborated with the Israeli synchronized swimming team and together created magical moments to the sounds of Mozart.