How our productions proceed from ideas on a page to characters on a stage.
It seems as if we have only just driven our singers from The Marriage of Figaro to the airport to send them safely on their return travels; now we are up and running again, arranging the schedule to receive the Macbeth cast. But in the overall scheme of things, these arrangements are the final piece of a much bigger jigsaw in the planning of life at The NBR New Zealand Opera. This may still be mid-season, but we are also only a few weeks aware from the launch of our 2011 seasons; and in the background, the planning process for 2012 and beyond is busily chugging away.
By necessity, opera works with far-reaching timelines. There are many reasons for this, which might not be immediately obvious. Singers' diaries often carry engagements two or three years down the line, and if the role is new to them, they must allow sufficient learning time to get it onto the voice. They differ in this respect from actors, who will rarely arrive at a production with their roles completely memorised. Singers, on the other hand, are contractually obliged to have their roles committed to memory on arrival. One cannot rehearse an opera while clutching a vocal score, and the sheer length of time it takes to learn a role means that this preparation has to have been completed many weeks in advance of rehearsals. In the case of the major Wagner roles, one is talking about a year's work or more. So learning time is but one of the number of factors that contribute to the choices we face when planning our seasons.
First, we must decide which operas will be performed. We all have our favourite works, and one of the incidental pleasures of my job is the discussions I have with our supporters regarding repertoire. If we had the luxury of presenting seven productions a year, we might be able to satisfy all your wish lists, but two mainstage productions means that we must choose wisely. If we only ever performed the so-called "Top 10" operas we would be through the list in five years, and people don't necessarily want to attend the same operas incessantly, however popular they might be. We therefore take a long-term approach to our repertoire planning, and over the coming years will be filling some of the glaring holes, while at the same time revisiting some old favourites.
Having chosen what to perform, the next decision to be made is how we do it - and this is where selection of the creative team comes into play. Our artistic profile is defined by whom we invite to create our productions. Conductors and directors all have their strengths and weaknesses, and the trick is to play to their strong suits. Just as it would be bizarre to invite a baroque specialist to conduct Verdi, so we cannot expect a director who favours a modern approach to come up with a lavish traditonal show a la Zeffirelli. So we make an artistic decision on an opera-by-opera basis as to what sort of evening we wish to present, and then invite our team accordingly.
And this, in turn, can have a knock-on effect on our casting. Getting the cast one wants is never an easy matter, and can be a long drawn-out process - just ask Jude Froude, our Artistic Administrator! We ask ourselves some key questions. "Is there a particular artist we would like to showcase?" "Is he available?" and "Can we afford him?" Who he or she might be, however, is the result of much careful deliberation.
Whenever possible, we try to cast a New Zealander. As New Zealand's national opera company, it is our role to assist the careers of our artists as best we can; but we cannot do this blindly. It is essential that they can fulfil the demands of the role both vocally and in accordance with the needs of the production, and if nobody in our amazing pool of talent is suitable or available, then we look to invite a guest. And New Zealand itself plays a part in the process as a draw card. Away from the spotlight of the European circuit, it is a good place for more established singers to try out a new role for the first time. We offer a full rehearsal period, and a run of nine performances gives them the chance to get a role firmly under the belt.
This distance does have its downside, however, as we can quickly become out of touch with who is doing what in the opera world. So here we call on two mighty forces - Wyn Davies, our Director of Music, and the internet. Gone are days of endless correspondence with agents. A massive online database coupled with sound-clips and YouTube videos enables us to filter our asting ideas relatively quickly. Wyn, who is based in Europe, then steps in and listens to those singers who have initially excited us. Following his verdict, the cast slowly but surely falls into place and the jigsaw is finally completed.
Aidan Lang, General Director
