door Nicolas Mansfield

Nicolas Mansfield is artistic administrator en hoofd productiebureau bij de Nationale Reisopera. Na afgestudeerd te zijn in o.a. musicologie aan de Universiteit van Sheffield ging hij naar The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester voor een postgraduate studie in opera.

Sinds 2000 werkt hij als zanger, adviseur, zangcoach en dirigent. Tussen 2001 en 2003 was hij koordirigent bij de Nationale Reisopera. Tegenwoordig is hij al meer dan 5 jaar verantwoordelijk voor de totstandkoming en de kwaliteitsbewaking van operaproducties, en als zodanig artistieke rechterhand van de intendant.

Our hard work has paid off

The first seeds of my love for classical music were sown by the composers of the ‘romantic’ violin concertos. As a fanatical seven year old violin student I could, and often would, drown for hours on end in the warm baths of Mendelssohn, Bruch and Korngold.

Like many young musicians I knew little of Wagner and what little I knew stemmed more from obligation than inquisitiveness. An impossible dinosaur, so I thought, that gave me neither pleasure nor inspiration.

Some thirty-three years later, in the summer of 2008, I made the journey from Enschede to Bayreuth to join the lucky few who grace the pews of that earthly temple. Although the production itself (director, Tancred Dorst) reminded me somewhat of my youthful aversion, the experience dramatically changed my perception of all things Wagnerian. There is neither time nor space here to recount these perceptions in detail, suffice it to say that the two performances that have engraved themselves deepest in my memory were by Dutch artists. Eva Maria Westbroek’s perfect Sieglinde and Arnold Bezuyen’s masterful Loge.

Three years prior to my visit to Bayreuth I had started work on Der Ring des Nibelungen. As Artistic Administrator part of my job is to pre-select candidates for audition. An impossible task without detailed knowledge of the material as well as current information about artists: their past experiences, current qualities, dreams and limitations. And so followed many Sundays (the best day of the week to be focused and undisturbed) filled with auditions and discussions between Guus Mostart (intendant), Ed Spanjaard (conductor), Antony Mcdonald (director) and myself. A fascinating, inspiring, and thankfully infrequently frustrating process.

It is highly likely to audition a singer who is, in his or her own right, suitable for the role but who just doesn’t quite ‘ fit’ into the half-finished jigsaw puzzle. The sonorous sounds of giant Fasolt need to be perfectly balanced with the more dramatic vocal requirements of giant Fafner. Wotan and Fricka are not only bass-baritone and mezzo but also husband and wife. Scheming dwarf tenor, Mime, needs to be as much scheming dwarf as the baritone, Alberich. And the three Rhinemaidens must have contrasting vocal qualities that blend together whilst maintaining their individual sounds. The list is endless and is the stuff of casting and the secret recipe of successful productions.

And then the premiere on 26^th of September! Judging by the audience reaction and the press reviews all our hard work has paid off. Years of preparation all bundled into one evening of concentration and commitment. The Reisopera and the town of Enschede have just made their mark on the international opera map. And there’s more to come. So don’t miss it!

But in all the euphoria of success let’s not forget the most important person in this whole tale.

Last week I listened to the Bayreuth recording of Tristan und Isolde from 1966, the year of my birth. I now fully understand why, as I child of seven years old, I adored Mendelssohn and loathed Wagner. I still love Mendelssohn, but Wagner even more. Not only for his pivotal role in the history and development of opera as we know it today, but also for the richness of his scores and the utter brilliance of his genius.