One of my favorite things in life is digging through a script to find the deeper meanings. When writing a speech, it means writing down WHAT you want to say, then going back and making sure that every point comes from your WHY. When directing an opera, it means going through the script and the music to figure out what the composer meant by putting this chord here and a different one there.
This is SO much fun! Directing Bellini’s Norma at Knoxville Opera has put me among an incredibly talented cast and conductor. Because the piece is relatively short, and mostly consists of scenes with 1 or 2 people, we have the luxury of taking time to discuss the fine details. Everyone brings their diverse experiences and backgrounds to the table, so a comment from me about the words can be amplified by the conductor pointing out a key change or how a fragment of the love melody comes in. The soprano will add an idea from her own life and the tenor from his.
This is the sort of collaboration that I thrive on. Ideas that feed on each other to create a whole that is greater than all of us.
I can feel the muse sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my ear.
Copyright© 2014 Elizabeth Bachman, San Francisco, California. All Rights Reserved.