Operatic Saint Louis recently interviewed Stage Director Mark James Meier about Union Avenue Opera's Turandot. Mark made his UAO directing debut with a wildly popular 2004 production of Turandot and has returned to stage it once again. He most recently directed Bach's Coffee Cantata and Douglas Moore's Gallantry for Main Street Opera in Chicago. This Fall, he will stage Rossini's La Cenerentola for Fargo-Moorhead Opera.Operatic Saint Louis: What qualities of Turandot resonate with you as an artist, and why do you believe it has achieved such high status in the operatic repertoire?
Mark James Meier: Being Puccini's last piece, it is the final work of a master. Puccini had an inner theatrical bug and could write the most incredible music you had ever heard--there are several lush tunes. He was also very dramatic, as well, so there are many layers to his work. In the piece, you get what most opera-lovers want: a love story, some gore, live action--all of which are wrapped up in this piece. In addition, there are at least four standard arias in this piece that most listeners recognize--namely "Nessun dorma."
OSL: You have a definite career history with Turandot both as a singer and stage director. As you direct this piece for the second time with UAO, have your ideas and perceptions about the opera changed or evolved since the last production, and if so, how did they influence this current production?
MJM: I have had a lot of time on the inside of the piece as a singer long before directing it in 2004 and, later, assistant directing. Each time, I find myself reviewing the piece more in order to find further depth, which is fantastic with Turandot. What did I hear before? What did I miss before? Specifically, certain characters and relationships have deepened for me. The strange dynamic between the slave girl Liù and Princess Turandot especially fascinates me this time around.
OSL: Puccini based this opera on an earlier commedia dell'arte play of the same name by Carlo Gozzi. How does Puccini's and his librettists' (Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) vision of Turandot compare to that of the original play? Did you find any directorial inspiration in the Gozzi text?
MJM: The original play is very different work. The basic dramatic structure is the same: Turandot pulls a promise out of her father that she would not marry until a Prince could answer the three riddles; Calàf proposes that she may kill him if she can guess his name. However, the play lasts five acts as opposed to the opera's whittled-down three. There are also several more characters involved. Furthermore, Liù was a new creation by librettists Adami and Simoni which morphed several tutors of Calàf into a love-stricken slave girl. The play was also written at the height of commedia dell'arte's popularity. Ping, Pang and Pong in the opera are based upon commedia archetypes from that era, though they do not function in the way that Gozzi's characters did. They provide comic elements, but do not rely on improvisation--which cannot be done in a medium where the drama is written out.
The librettists did a wonderful job of reshaping the original piece into grand opera. One part of the play which fascinates me is the lead-up to the riddle sequence of Act Two, Scene Two. Traditionally, Turandot appears and sings "In questa reggia"--a tale of her ancestress--and then off we go. In the play, Turandot writes multiple riddles in the presence of the wise men before the riddles take place. In front of the assembled court, she would select three from a tray. In the opera, it is assumed that the wise men have three riddles decided some time ago. I use that idea in this production for Turandot before she launches into her first aria.
OSL: Which sequences of the opera do you enjoy staging the most?
MJM: I love the opening scene of the opera. I've spoken to the chorus about it because the scene establishes the chorus as its own character. When I directed Otello, I told the chorus the same thing. Both operas have choruses that drive the beginning of the drama with fantastic music. There is so much going on in the first ten minutes of Turandot with constant mood shifts and a crazy, bloodthirsty crowd. As a performer, I sang Pang several times, so the Ping, Pang and Pong sequence is delightful to revisit and play with. That sequence is possibly the longest of its kind solely devoted to comprimario character singing and acting.
OSL: The 3rd-act tenor aria "Nessun dorma" is quite possibly the most known, quoted and excerpted theme from Puccini's score. In addition to this aria, what arias, ensembles and orchestral music ought the audiences listen for?
MJM: The first aria proper is Liù's "Signore ascolta" in Act One. Audiences will recognize it if they have ever listened to a Puccini soprano. It progresses into another great sequence--"Non piangere Liù"--which adds Calàf and Timur, then eventually a finale with chorus. The role of Liù is almost completely made up of three arias: "Signore ascolta" and two back-to-back pieces in the final act which are not to be missed. One of my favorite arias is "In questa reggia" in Act Two, where Turandot tells Calàf of her ancestress' cruel fate and why it has turned her away from love. The best sequence for me is the following riddle scene. It is one of the most thrilling in all opera.
OSL: The score of Turandot calls for mighty vocal forces onstage, especially for the leading roles (Princess Turandot and Prince Calaf) which are not easily cast. What can you tell us about the casting of Alexandra LoBianco and Adam Herskowitz?
MJM: Alexandra sang for us two years ago in Il Trovatore. When we heard her sing, I thought that this is a voice that will be going up the dramatic scale. It was her first soprano role. It was a true, full Verdian dramatic voice now blossoming further into Puccini dramatic territory. In the future, she will be singing Strauss and Wagner quite easily. That casting choice was far easier because we had our eye on her out front. From there, we were not hearing what we wanted to hear in auditions for Calàfs. Incidentally, Alexandra had just won the Liederkranz Competition in New York with a young tenor, Adam Herskowitz, whom she recommended we hear. Upon her strong recommendation, we hired him.
OSL: What can you tell us about the vision of this production in regards to your collaboration with set designer Patrick Huber and costume designer Teresa Doggett?
MJM: One of my favorite periods is art deco and I wanted to have a set inspired by it which would work really well with the piece. Patrick and I discussed it and he has designed a 1930s-inspired art deco set which makes my heart go pitty-pat. I love it! With the costuming, we are going for a 1930s Peking Opera influence.
Operatic Saint Louis: What would you say to convince the undecided or unfamiliar to run out and get Turandot tickets?
Mark James Meier: This opera is worth coming to for its epic scale. The stage action at the beginning will sweep you away and the arias will absolutely melt you. The ensembles are trademark big Puccini. I have the stage packed with principal singers, chorus, dancers, supers, children...what grand opera is all about. If you want to be sent on an emotional ride, this is the piece for you.
Turandot opens this Friday, July 8 and will run for three more performances on July 9, 15 & 16. Performances begin at 8pm. Sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church located at 733 Union Blvd in St. Louis. To purchase tickets or learn more about this production, visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ or call 314.361.2881
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