Q: What can I expect to see when I see
this production of Wozzeck?
M: A suggestion of the devastation of Germany directly following world
war II and the psychological unravelling of a common German soldier (Wozzeck)
and the woman he loves (Marie). Our Wozzeck is not a member of the Nazi
party but one of the thousands of Germans caught up in the whole Nazi
machine. Members of the allied forces occupation act as the antagonists
in the destruction of Wozzcck and Marie.
Q: So the setting is different
than originally intended?
M: Yes. The play upon which the opera is based was written in the first
part of the 19th century though not published until the latter part, and
was one of the first examples of a social political play featuring a
common person, an "every man". It was quite rare and powerful
for its time, not only in its content but in its structure and tone; a
true forerunner of the German expressionist movement. At the core of the
opera is a very simple story about a man who becomes jealous of his
'partner', kills her and then himself. It is based in large part on a
true story. But Büchner enhanced this story with strong commentary on
social, political and philosophical issues and Berg enhanced it even
further with extraordinary music, the effect of which was to add many
dimensions beyond the simplistic quality of the core story. The
intention in choosing a new setting for this piece was to define a
specific context to which we, today, could more easily relate in order
to get some notion of the social and political issues which are being
addressed. The issues to which I refer deal largely with class structure
and its inequities and with this re-setting we have translated some of
these into a cross-cultural format. Having said that, I point out that
the true core of the opera deals with universal human issues such as
coming to terms with loss, confronting the notion of eternity and
struggling with discrepancies between perception and reality. Regarding
these latter issues, the setting is almost immaterial.
Q: Why is the production being
performed in two languages?
M: To further explore the idea of a post World War II setting in
Germany, we decided to allow language and communication to express a
part of the tension between the two cultures which are being featured.
There are the English speaking characters who sometimes speak German,
but very little, and German speaking characters, Wozzeck and Marie, who
have been forced to learn some English in order to survive. The audience
will also experience a sort of tension through the use of the two
languages. As they listen to the shifts from one language to the other
they too will have to deal with what they do and don't understand. This
shifting from familiar to unfamiliar, through language, also becomes a
part of the drama.
Q: And this may change the
feelings about the various characters?
M: Exactly, because sometimes you can relate more closely to someone who
does not speak your language than to someone who does. Having said that,
I mention that most of the German text will have English supertitles so
that the audience can more fully appreciate the extraordinary
intricacies and imagery. When the production is presented in Montreal,
the entire text will have French supertitles. The whole question about
using supertitles was difficult, I must say.
Q: Why was that?
M: Because I am basically not in favour of using supertitles at all. I
feel it alters the experience in a profound way. At the same time, there
is no question that because the audience understands the content of the
words themselves they are drawn into the experience. I just disagree
with how the information is received if one uses supertitles.
Q: Are there any other unusual
apects of this production?
M: Thus far in this interview, we've concentrated solely on the
interpretation, but those audience members familiar with the opera will
note that the version itself is quite different. By that I mean the
orchestration, which has been reduced from nearly one hundred
instrumentalists down to twenty-one, and the fact that there is no
chorus. When I was invited to participate in this project the orchestral
reduction had already been determined and I was asked to prepare a
version without chorus and without the role of "The idiot". In
order to accomplish this without sacrificing any of the music we have
created two characters, "The Chaplain" and "The
Colonel" both of whom are mentioned in the text but never appear,
and reassigned some solo lines, most notably, those of "The
Idiot" which are now sung by Wozzeck's child. These changes have
enabled us to present the score without cutting any music but have
necessarily affected the interpretation.
Q: What appeal does opera, and
specifically modern opera, have for you?
M: Opera appeals to me because it elevates the spoken drama to a level
of abstraction which opens up the experience. on the one hand, it
defines the spoken word through pre-determined rhythm, tempo, inflection
and mood but on the other, through sheer sound, it allows each listener
to make up their own inner story and in that sense it addresses a need
for personal mystery on a more abstract level. As far as 'modern' opera
is concerned, it is simply an outgrowth of our times and values
utilizing the same principles as 'old' opera. Perhaps it is not as
popular because it is closer to us. But, like it or not, it comes from
all of us. I believe that art, as personal expression, comes from the
sum total of personal experience, and that includes 'common' things like
the use of electricity, airplanes, computers, etc. It continues to amaze
me that those who deplore the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, for example,
seem unwilling to acknowledge that his expressions didn't arise from
some perverse vacuum but rather from his experience in basically the
same world that Jesse Helms inhabits, which is not to say there are not
differences between the two men as individuals.
Q: Getting back to the
'mystery' to which you referred earlier, when you're directing the
performers and musicians, you must be dissecting the material and trying
to understand it. Is there a contradiction between that process and
seeking the unexplainable?
M: Yes, and it is contradictions in my line of work that I enjoy. Of
course, we must dissect it because if you are an actor you can't play
something mysterious or ambiguous. You have to have something clear to
play. in order to make those choices most intelligently, you must study
and give careful thought to what information impelled the author and
composer to create their work in the first place. But, hopefully, after
you've done your study and strung together all of these clear moments
the sum total reaches some level of mystery.
Q: I heard you say that Berg
did not misuse a note in Wozzeck?
M: Berg's work is an example of the contradiction I mentioned above. He
is so meticulous and analytical in his work and yet the end product
makes that leap to mystery and poetry. Wozzeck is ninety minutes of
absolute focus. Every aspect is finely chiselled, all dust is blown away
and no gesture is wasted. From beginning to end it maintains a
sophisticated, masterly balance of intellect and emotion.
Theatre Arts: History
:
Theatre: History:
Opera: Wozzeck - 1995 Production
