In 2013, director and soprano Julia Mintzer sang in a revival of “Die Zauberflöte” at the Semperoper Dresden. The production was mounted, Mintzer said, “in three fucking days.” At the same house, she told me, “Ariadne auf Naxos” was on its feet in a week, and “La Traviata” in a luxurious two—but only because the leads were new to the show.
Filling the Map
How revival directors keep operas interesting long after their original directors have moved on
