Opéra national de Paris: The Abduction from the Seraglio

Overview

The virtues of human goodness, tolerance and fidelity in love are all present in Mozart’s Turkish-flavoured singspiel composed in 1782 at the age of just 25. A metaphor for the combat between liberty and all forms of absolutism, Belmonte’s quest to deliver Konstanze from Selim’s yoke resounded throughout Europe, inspired at that time by the spirit of the Enlightenment.