Act 2 Wrapped

We wrapped Act Two yesterday.
Finally got to the end of the act in the staging rehearsals. I think I didn't bite off more than I could chew. Christiane (Kundry) is such a pro and very supportive of the demands on me. Very often onstage it is considered bad manners to "pull focus" but in a very real sense it is necessary in this piece. The demands on the musical side are so extraordinary in terms of line that we depend on moments where our colleague can provide the energy to the regie while we take care of the singing side of things.

The exception to the rule seems to be Otelli. There's just simply no need to help him. I thought our work together at Bregenz was interesting, but this is something else. The man absolutely knows no limits in stage deportment. Without the director's straightjacket demanded of us in Bregenz we are free to play. Here I think that the artists instincts are held in highest regard, where there, perhaps due to safety issues, not so much. We aren't led by the hand and told what our characters are experiencing as much as freed to let our imaginations go a bit crazy within the concept of Apocalypse. Bieito believes in the power of freedom and play, of experimentation. What can I say about Claudio? You just gotta see his Klingsor. I've seen a few scenery chewers in my day, but NOTHING like this. When Claudio's onstage, the tech guys backstage are all holding onto walls making sure they don't come down.

In the run of Act Two, I really let myself trust this freedom and connection to intensity, and within the confines and safety of rehearsal sought my boundaries. I'm happy to say there was really only one time where I just had to stop singing and catch my breath. I hope to champion that moment as well with the time I'm putting in on the treadmill (very hard to get my butt to the gym though when I'm feeling near dead at the end of a rehearsal). As I mentioned above, we depend on each other to provide energy to the scene, and sometimes it's tempting to overdo it a little too much before your about to sing. Easily fixable. 


I keep getting people emailing me about the Blumenmädchen scene. Hmmmmm.....how do I put this?

Let your imagination go wild...it won't disappoint the Bieito fans.