Opera Directing | My Thoughts
Music, Music Theatre and Opera all come under the general heading of Art, and as such belong to the most fundamental behaviour of man dating back to the earliest rituals and cave paintings. Man has always sought to not only understand the world in which he lives, but to gain some control of the apparent chaos. This is at the heart of all my work.
On every level art must seek to communicate and express the relationship between the “self”, other “selves (or community), and the world (including nature, the universe). This applies to (when talking about the performing arts) both the overall interpretation and treatment of the work, and the individual performances contained within. Respect for the Music and Text is paramount.
What lies behind these fundamental elements i.e. not only the “story” but why? Why tell the story, not only from the point of view of the original composition but also from the recreation of the work? What does the story tell us? We must get to, if possible, the creative spark. Our job must be to entertain, inform and illuminate. We therefore seek to achieve a harmonious union of all the forces (or elements) which will nourish the audience on every level, but in particular to satisfy the thirst for beauty (in its widest context) and the desire for understanding.
In addition I take a personal pride in being able to take the cast on a journey of self-discovery in which they can expand and develop their individual performing skills. Through all this must be the shared joy of creating, making music and celebrating life!
