The Italian Myth of Galileo in New Zealand Opera

Authors: Manai, Franco; Hanna, Kirsten

Source: European Studies: A Journal of European Culture, History and Politics, New Zealand and Europe: Connections and Comparisons. Edited by Bernadette Luciano and David G Mayes , pp. 263-276(14)

Publisher: Rodopi

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Abstract:

This paper begins by examining the myth of Galileo as passed down by historians, literary critics and artists, such as the German playwright Bertold Brecht and the Italian movie director Liliana Cavani. The focus then turns to the representation of the myth in Witi Ihimaera and John Rimmer's recent production, Galileo Extravaganza. Opera has traditionally had the function of popularising, within its own artistic means, current topics. In this sense, Galileo Extravaganza can be considered a traditional opera. The very current issue of the repression of difference in self-proclaimed democratic societies is brought to the fore in this production. Ihimaera and Rimmer's opera gives an interpretation of one of the most famous and controversial examples of repression of difference that modern history records: the forced recantation of Galileo Galilei. Rather than being a divertissement based on an exotic and distant tale, Galileo – the Opera, with the multimedia experience it offers, brings the myth of Galileo into a contemporary frame and thus forces us to think about how we deal with diversity.

Document Type: Abstract

Publication date: 2005-01-01