How does it feel to be in front of the camera?
I really don't enjoy being in front of it. As the rest of the time I spend struggling to be less awkwardly conscious of myself, the moments facing a camera are a significant hindrance.
What interests you the most in this process?
Once again I'm fascinated by facing the unknown - always out of my comfort zone. I still don't know much about the opera; neither do I know what attitude would be the right one to take. And that's exactly what I enjoy. Juho's libretto is a pleasure to read - and throws down a devil of a challenge. I enjoy that as well.
What's your worst-case scenario?
That the opera would be cancelled for some reason. Or then that secretly in my thoughts I'd end up making a compromise, surrendering to fear when facing a new thing. I don't believe that either of these would happen.
You've already directed one miniature opera. How does directing singers differ from directing actors? What kind of challenges does working with music create?
The directing doesn't differ at all. In both cases it's about directing people - people who perform, and the directors job is to see each personality and the potential within in relation to his own abilities. Music, on the other hand, makes a bigger difference: the text alone doesn't mean anything, as the music becomes the other half of a "stage-script". If there's a turn in the music, it cannot be ignored, even if the text claimed otherwise. Also, music in opera offers a setting already "detached" from reality. That is a great strenght.
What kind of experiences do you have about opera? Do they affect your directing? Why?
As a kid, I've watched and been impressed by many a spectacle at the National Opera - everything from Carmen to Lohengrin. Later on I've gained new perspectives from Lulu directed by Leea Kleemola and Punainen viiva ("the red line") by Pekka Milonoff. These have created the idea that this isn't really so different from theater. It doesn't have to be. A video recording I saw of a Stuttgart-based production of Philip Glass' Satyagraha was mind-blowing - realizing that one can do absolutely anything. I don't know if any of these affect my work. For me what's always most important is that the person onstage understands, what situation or what kind of a moment is going on, and that the person lives, reacts and breathes. That's it.
..more about the sopranos' breathing and other stage-related activities coming soon..
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