Staging of ‘Idomeneo’ goes calmly

A production of Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo,” dropped for fear of a Muslim backlash over a scene with the severed head of the prophet Muhammad, returned to the stage under heavy security, without incident.

A male voice called out “Stop it!” and “Boo!” as the heads of Islam’s founder, along with those of Jesus, Buddha and Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, came tumbling out of a sack hefted by the character Idomeneo.

But several voices from the other side of the hall yelled, “Continue, continue!” and the cast and orchestra received prolonged applause.

The 1,863-seat hall of the Deutsche Oper was about 100 seats short of being sold out.