Intention

Thoughts are ripe when they are absurd. This sentence sums up for me the challenge at the heart of the creative process, but especially that of such a highly complex art form as music theatre. To dream the impossible and yet to remain rooted in the possible. Fantasy and freedom to experiment on the one hand and remaining true to the score on the other. But it is precisely out of the permanent tension which exists between these two poles that the most fulfilling interpretations of opera arise and the intention behind the score is revealed.

My early experiences dealing with this cleft between fantasy and the possible, were in the context of my harpsichord studies. It was not enough to simply replicate the notes correctly. The limits of fantasy are defined by the context. In baroque music tempo, ornaments, phrasing can only arise out of a detailed reading of original source material and an understanding of a specific musical language.

Early music is always new because it is being repeatedly revisited and new music is by definition charting new territory. There is a relative freedom which one can enjoy away from the body of standard classical repertoire, which has the weight of tradition on its shoulders, but this does not mean it is tabula rasa.

A signature style must be filled out with substance, otherwise it is only empty form. I have had the enormous privilege to work with numerous renowned directors. During my time as assistant director I got to see the strengths and weaknesses of many working styles at close hand. In particular, my work abroad confirmed how perspectives can be enriched and broadened by an outsider’s viewpoint. My comprehensive operatic repertoire (to date I have worked on over 45 premieres alone) is an important bedrock of experience. In this field of work I have laid particular emphasis on critical distance to each production. It was, of course, always fascinating to think my own interpretation through, in parallel to the work in progress. Now it is time for me to put these ideas to the test.

Enthusiasm comes through doing and not before! Naturally, I have my favourite composers, some from a purely musical point of view and others for their dramatic qualities and this changes according to my mood. When I am asked »how would you direct such and such a piece?« I have to answer »I can’t tell you yet!« First, I have to know with whom, where and when. I don’t offer fixed, ready to wear solutions. That might be uncomfortable, but it is authentic. The sparks start to fly as I start to work on a piece. After my initial preparation alone, ideally I like to begin an early collaboration with the conductor (sadly all too rare these days). From there on, it is a matter of kindling the flames, stoking the fire and increasing the tempo. I am always suspicious of over enthusiasm too early on. An opera production requires stamina over a long span. I know this well from my training for triathlons and marathons.

The more one questions, the more answers one discovers. People often fail to ask questions either out of ignorance or a fear of coming to the »wrong« decisions. It is very important to approach the text, the music and their context with a questioning, open mind. One must have the courage and assuredness – which only comes with experience – to make the right artistic choices at the right time. That is the task I set myself as a director.

I have involved myself in all forms of theatre: I wrote my thesis on Kandinskys’ stage compositions, in which he mixes a variety of visual languages in a unique way which today still appear fresh and contemporary. Realizing these works for the theatre remains a burning ambition. Working with Daniel Barenboim and Harry Kupfer on the Wagner Cycle at the Staatsoper in Berlin was a very inspiring formative experience. With Christoph Marthaler, I was continually walking the borderlines of music and theatre. I was associate director for the most successful German musical ever – »Elisabeth«, and found was charmed by one of the most enchanting forms of theatre whilst working on a direction of Mozart’s »Entführung aus dem Serail« for marionettes.

I particularly relish the points at which boundaries cross and merge.