Seduction in the first degree – new mini-festival at Müpa
5 May 2025
What makes the figure of Don Juan timeless? Why has this character captured the imaginations of artists, thinkers and audiences for centuries? From 9 to 13 September, we will, along with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, be dedicating an entire mini-festival to this enigmatic and multifaceted figure, including opera and dance performances, a literary evening, film screenings and a cultural character puzzle.
The first theme of the Mozart Expedition, which is set to return annually, is the restless seducer, with the best-known work about him being the genius composer’s Don Giovanni, which we are putting on over three nights conducted and directed by Iván Fischer. The title role will be sung by André Schuen alongside a host of global stars in this co-production by the BFO, the Iván Fischer Opera Company, Müpa Budapest and the Vicenza Opera Festival.
The Szeged Contemporary Dance Company will retell the story of Don Juan in the language of dance: Tamás Juronics’s choreography explores the tension between passion and societal constraints, as does the the other work the troupe will perform on the night, Enrico Morelli’s Moderato Cantabile.
In the discussion entitled What makes the seducer so irresistible?, respected experts will reflect on the psychological and literary significance of Don Juan, while the literary evening entitled The Eternal Don Juan will add further colour to the picture of the irrepressible womaniser, and our film screenings will bring further nuance to the portrait: even that of Mozart will be fleshed out.
Let yourself be seduced by us!
