La Rondine director continues to shape the world of opera

BY MITCH CARTER

Iranian-born Lotfi Mansouri loves Western music, poetry, drama, the symphony and the ballet, and he devotes his life to the craft that integrates them all. “I've always said Opera is the greatest art form created by the human mind. It's what I'm writing on my tombstone.”

In his distinguished career as a stage director (1960-1976), general director (1976-2000), and now stage director again, Mansouri has helped create a new base of opera fans. Also, thanks to his efforts, many established opera fans are adopting a more favorable opinion of La Rondine, which he directs for Michigan Opera Theatre this spring.

Indeed, Giacomo Puccini's WWI era work is among the composer’s least-loved. “La Rondine is a difficult piece to present and difficult to get a hold of,” says Mansouri, “audiences are so used to La Boheme, Butterfly, and Tosca. They come in expecting blood and thunder.” What they'll get instead, Mansouri assures us, is a lyric comedy of fine delicacy, unlike any other Puccini work. “It reminds me of an impressionist painting.”

Mansouri brought his vision of a subtler La Rondine to a revival production at New York City Opera, which has made its way to the Detroit Opera House this spring. “It's a simple set. I chose an unembellished design in order to concentrate on the characters. Funicello [Ralph, the designer] had designed more plays than operas. This piece is basically like a musical play and I do it like a play.” Mansouri compares Puccini's character, Prunier, to a theater personality from the era, playwright Noel Coward: "He's a musician, he's charming, he offers witty dialogue. And now, because of the titles, the audience can follow the details."

By “titles,” Mansouri is referring to live supertitle translations, which he invented in 1983 out of frustration. “We were so concerned with characterization that we would work hours on a single line, getting every nuance, and then the audience wouldn't know what the hell was going on.” One day he and his wife, Marjorie, were watching the The Ring on television with English subtitles. At one point Marjorie — not much of a Wagner fan — turned to him and said “You know, this isn't as dumb as I thought.” [continued...]

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