Director’s Notes

I want to present a minimalist and uncluttered approach to the staging. The various spaces utilize symbolic props to represent places and characters while keeping a purified and visually graphic aesthetic. For example, thematically colored costumes for the two armies in front of light backgrounds combined with sculptural lighting effects achieve an aesthetically bold presentation that is “made to measure” with this beautiful Hall. Having an extensive background in theater (I was an actor for 20 years), my priority in staging an opera is always to make the text heard and understood. My job is to refresh the text, and above all to create something that resonates with the singers and audience. To do this, I begin with creating a proper dramaturgy that serves as a reference point for the singers and I to build a convincing story for the audience. Clarity and logic in the staging are essential to me in maintaining coherence in the narrative and a dialogue between words and music. Because for me, opera is above all...sung theater! Regarding the choice of time period, I believe that an opera must be a true reflection of our current lives and time. This resonance is found in the show through the set and choice of costumes. Here they will be deliberately contemporary. This does not necessarily mean costumes from 2022, but costumes that are modern enough to mirror our current selves in this story and its characters (which may be a little dated). Radamisto is about love, but also about rivalries, jealousy, betrayal, and alas wars of power. A bit like real life…

About Stanford Live

Stanford Live presents a wide range of fine performances from around the world, fostering a vibrant learning community and providing distinctive experiences through the performing arts. From its home at Bing Concert Hall and Frost Amphitheater, Stanford Live functions simultaneously as a public square, a sanctuary and a lab, drawing from all Stanford University has to offer to connect performance to the most significant issues, ideas and discoveries of our time.