Peter Sellars – Two of his Classic Mozart Productions on the Tube

Nearly everyone has an opinion about Peter Sellars' productions of...well everything he's ever directed. He's been around for a while, now and he is not going away—I think his work has really matured over the years. He surfaced as an opera director with his 1990-ish films of the three great Mozart/DaPonte operas. (You might argue with the term "classic" when describing his productions. However, like them or not, they are classics of their genre.) 

I encountered these three productions when they were first broadcast on PBS. I was fascinated by Le nozze di Figaro, a bit annoyed by Cosi fan Tutte, and completely put off by Don Giovanni (I switched it off in the middle of the "Champagne Aria," finding the production icky and some of the singing unbearable.)

Now, with more life experience, more opera experience, more experience with Regietheater (although I am not sure these two really count as regie—feel free to discuss/disagree in the comments section below), and a completely different world outlook, I re-approached these operas with curiosity. The good news is that we can experiment with and form our own opinions on Mr. Sellars' Cosi and Giovanni for free on YT (for now). Thanks to the enterprising Opera Nerd for posting them!