Allow me, Giacomo Puccini!

For the second time, NEST, the new venue of the Vienna State Opera, is bringing one of the great composers of the operatic repertoire to life. This time: Giacomo Puccini. In the composer portrait Gestatten, Giacomo Puccini! which is aimed specifically at children and adults who are young at heart, the composer himself guides us through the most formative moments of his life - accompanied, of course, by the most beautiful melodies of his operatic works.

Sometimes the most moving and inspiring work is created on a small scale - without large stage sets, without elaborate costumes, without a 90-piece orchestra. But the concentrated dedication is palpable from the very beginning. And it is rewarded when the enthusiastic shouts of the young audience fill the auditorium on the day of the performance.

Two women are once again at the center of this enthusiasm: Christiane Lutz, director and author, who coordinated the Vienna State Opera's children's opera tent for several years and was responsible for the Opera animated series and the first composer portrait Wagnis Wagner at NEST. And Lisa Padouvas, assistant director and stage manager at the Vienna State Opera for many years, has also worked as a director several times, including for Wagnis Wagner. A tried and tested duo who not only want to tell the story of this exceptional composer's life, but above all inspire enthusiasm for opera.

I speak to both of them after rehearsals have already begun - work is already in full swing. The script has, of course, long since been written, although Christiane Lutz wants to retain sufficient flexibility in the rehearsal process: "I really appreciate having someone like Lisa who approaches the script with her own ideas, works out the characters differently, rearranges scenes and so on. That's exactly what's so fascinating about musical theater in particular, where so many forces come together - the director with his own view, actors with their own sensibilities and humor, the music, the conducting ... I think it's great when you sit in at the end and are suddenly surprised by your own work."

Of course, the focus is on the joy of storytelling and music. The most important works and stages in the composer's life are presented in a playful way - this time with the master himself on stage: "I was particularly concerned with the question of how to prepare the material for a younger audience," says Lisa Padouvas. "Puccini as a historical figure is incredibly interesting, but his works are not so easy for children to understand. So we asked ourselves: 'Okay, how do we package this well? And then we came up with the idea of Puccini himself leading us through the play - as a point of reference for the audience. We play with the idea of theater within theater. Puccini was known for interfering heavily in productions, finding fault with directorial concepts or criticizing casts - perhaps he copied this from Wagner. In any case, I thought to myself: that's exactly what you can show. So we build it in such a way that Puccini is always on stage as a character, composing his operas almost impromptu and the other characters slip into the various operatic characters again and again."

"We naturally asked ourselves: 'Who is exciting? Who has an interesting biography?", says Christiane Lutz. "But in the end, I was also very specifically concerned with communication: the repertoires of this world don't work without Puccini. And if we want to do opera 'in a nutshell' at NEST, Puccini is inevitably part of it. At the end of the performance, the children go home having heard all the great melodies from Puccini's operas. That is an incredible density of emotional experience."

This density is also reflected in the visual impressions. As in Wagnis Wagner, the orchestra sits on the stage. This may take some getting used to for the director and the performers, but it also offers new potential: "You get a completely different impression of how the music works - in itself and in connection with the scene." (Lisa Padouvas)

Does she also work differently in the knowledge that the audience is different? "Definitely! For me, it's particularly important that there are always points of contact - moments in which we address the children directly and involve them. That's why we deliberately tell the story in shorter episodes so that nobody loses the thread."

Christiane Lutz has a similar view: "Theater is first and foremost communication. I write differently when I'm addressing a young audience, just as you choose different words depending on who you're talking to. I really enjoy writing for a young audience that is completely unbiased on the one hand, but also mercilessly honest on the other. If the jokes don't work, there's no reaction. But it's wonderful how uninhibitedly enthusiastic children can be when everything works well."

At the end, I ask what the situation is with the next generation of opera performers - naturally against the backdrop of the videos of actor Timothée Chalamet that have been circulating on social media in recent weeks: "Opera has been said to be dead for a very long time, and it's still alive," says Christiane Lutz. "But cultural assets must always be passed on from generation to generation: Only by living on can opera live on. In other words, it is up to us to keep opera alive. But the capacity for enthusiasm is unrestricted - absolutely undiminished, and I am convinced of this because the immediate sensation of the theater is simply incomparable."

So what is so special about Puccini? Why can you arouse this enthusiasm with him of all people? "I simply love these great emotions with Puccini," enthuses Lisa Padouvas. "You can completely immerse yourself in the emotions and the music. No matter how the working day goes, as soon as you hear his music, you know with complete conviction why you have chosen this profession."