> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Musica Angelica and John Malkovich bring "Seduction and Despair" to Barnum Hall
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/meeting-of-the/
- Published: 2008-05-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T23:58:10.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Events, Downtown, #archive-import

*artistic minds Musica Angelica teams with John Malkovich for ‘Seduction and Despair’ at Barnum Hall*

*By DANIEL ARCHULETA Managing Editor*

DOWNTOWN Not every thing that interests Europeans translates well for Americans.

Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra is teaming up with Academy Award-nominated actor John Malkovich to present “Seduction and Despair,” a production that Music Director Martin Haselböck said has generated a considerable amount of attention in Europe. Considering that the concert will be debuting in front of an American audience this weekend at Barnum Hall, he’s curious to see how crowds will react to the multi-media performance.

“I’m not sure how it will go over here,” Haselböck said. “Two European broadcasters are going to cover the show. In Europe, it is seen as an adventurous new project.”

“Seduction and Despair” features a broad mix of elements to present the story of Jack Unterweger, a serial killer who murdered a number of prostitutes in both Austria and Los Angeles. Director Malkovich plays the part of the notorious killer who committed suicide in a prison cell as he awaited his fate for his crimes.

“We have long had the idea of doing a great melodrama for actors and orchestra from the 18th century,” Haselböck said. “In other words, something similar to what Mozart had in mind when he wrote that he would prefer to write for actors instead of singers.”

The 90-minute performance begins with Unterweger (Malkovich) sitting in hell reading from a book that chronicles his life and evil deeds. The performance is set to the music of Christoph Willibald von Gluck’s “Don Juan” and works by Boccherini, Vivaldi, Handel, Weber, Haydn and Mozart accompanied by sopranos Celine Ricci and Robin Johannsen. Video by Andreas Hutter serves as the stage set and a visualization of what Malkovich is acting out during the performance.

This is the first time Musica Angelica has teamed with a mainstream actor for this type of presentation.

“No other local group has actually done that,” Haselböck said. “The music is extremely beautiful and I love to connect different forms of art together because it makes for an interesting combination.”

While he isn’t sure how audiences will receive the work, he believes that the many different facets of the production will attract a diverse group.

“We’ll have movie people, music lovers and baroque lovers in there,” he said. “It will be a melting point for a new type of audience.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 2, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/050208.pdf?ref=smdp.com)