Teatrico Olimpico, 1585

Teatrico Olimpico, 1585
The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza  was Palladio s final commission and is still a working theatre.
The set was built for the opening of the theatre which was coincidentally the first modern production of Oedipus Rex.
In the film below the scene depicts Don Giovanni's man servant falling foul of a trick he and his master have conceived to dupe the virtuous Donna Anna by wearing masks so that they may immitate one another. The visual trickery of the theatre itself unfolds as the players undo the false perspective wandering through its streets and eventually confront the accused in the orchestra which in turn becomes a peculiar kind of court or 'court'.This notion of masquerade and deceit is used through out the film and the use of the setting for Oedpus Rex is interesting as not only does the tale of fate and filial duty relate to the Don Juan story but Don Giovanni happened to be Freud's favourite opera. I like Don Giovanni as a modern opera. Not everyone's motive are quite as they seem. And many of the public protestations of the individual characters conceal conflicted personal desires. The use of Palladio's architecture is particuarly interesting so too relaying classical themes through modern subjectivity.
Don Giovanni, 1979, Dir Joseph Losey.