In progress: A new direction
Jehane Morsi is director of Cairo Opera House's main stage, responsible for the design of scenography and the staging of various types of musical performance. She began her career as a mezzo-soprano, performing Carmen, Flora and Marcellina among other roles. She was introduced to opera direction as an assistant director to several foreigner opera directors and is now the only Egyptian woman specialising in this field.
You are asking whether or not I am happy directing operas and other performances instead of pursuing my career as a mezzo-soprano. To this I must reply: yes, I am. I am happy because I love directing just as much as I love singing. As you know I have studied singing with excellent teachers, like Carmen Zaki and Violette Makar. I have performed in a number of operas and given many concerts and recitals and I must admit that I do sometimes miss the stage as a singer. Which is perhaps why I never stop vocalising, just to see whether my voice has undergone any changes.
On the other hand I am quite happy to realise that I am still going strong vocally.
There are very few opera directors available locally. The scene is hardly overpopulated, which allows me lots of possibilities. When I began to think of directing there were no opera directors in Egypt and for every new production we had to call in foreigners. I was very much aware of the lack of directors at the time: at the opera we were quite often obliged to cancel productions due to the absence of adequate direction. I began to be overwhelmed by the feeling that I had to do something in this field and that I was capable of being successful.
I must admit, though, that what tempted me most was the feeling of authority directing gave me. I am by nature an authoritarian, tending to direct others and disliking the feeling of being directed by anyone. As a singer I am placed under the authority of a conductor, and when I sing opera I have a director who tells me what to do. And though I may disagree with his opinion I have to submit to it. As a director I have the conductor, the cast, all the sets and technicians under my magic wand.
It goes without saying that love of directing alone does not a good director make. There is a great deal to learn, a lot to know and understand in the world of music. I remember, as a singer, feeling that the director had very limited knowledge of the performer's requirements on stage when he or she is acting and singing. They might have been excellent in straight theatre, but directing opera presents a whole new set of challenges. You see, a singer needs breathing space, a singer's breath is a central part of the performance. Without breath, or with breathing difficulties, it is impossible to sing. Now many directors have very little knowledge of such matters. They are not familiar with the relationship between the singer on stage and the conductor in the orchestra pit. Both must remain in contact at all times. The same goes for the choir, and for duos and trios. And ensuring this happens entails a great deal of hard work.
When I began directing, it was as an assistant to a foreign director, and I was still singing at the time. I was performing Marcellina in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro while helping the director at the same time. This continued for some time, and as the seasons passed I consolidated my knowledge and experience.
In 1994 I collaborated as assistant on Verdi's Aida in Luxor, which was a huge production, and following that I was lucky enough to be given two contracts by Cairo Opera House, one as a singer and another as assistant director.
Then, a few years ago, I was asked to direct an opera alone, which included the staging, sets and costumes. It was a challenge, and one which I was grateful to accept. I decided on a one-act opera, Mozart's Impresario, staged in the Small Hall. The recitative parts were in Arabic, though the arias and duos remained in Italian. It was very successful, even with the local audience who often have difficulty with performances in Italian or other foreign languages. Now that a simultaneous translation into Arabic is projected in the Main Hall, for every opera, audiences are starting to like the idea and their numbers are growing every season.
Impresario having been well-received I went for my second opera, another one-act piece in two parts, Pergolesi's La Serva Patrona, a ravishing comedy that met with approval from press and public alike.
I am very grateful to Hassan Kami who asked me at the time to direct an opera for the Main Hall. He decided on La Boheme, in four acts. I would perhaps have preferred something else, but this was a challenge I had to accept. It was a revival, but I introduced several changes that seemed to go down well. When someone told me Schaunard's wig was all wrong I had it changed by the next performance. I had discovered that out there, among the audience, were many people who knew far more than one might suspect about opera.
And that was when I finally decided to give up my singing career to concentrate exclusively on directing. I did it, admittedly, with a heavy heart, but being pragmatic by nature I had decided that I could become a good director among very few whereas I would have been a good singer among many. After La Boheme I directed Verdi's three act Un Ballo in Maschera and have not stopped since.
I am happy with my work. It is creative, artistic, and requires not only know-how but imagination and taste. When I picture a scene, and see it growing in front of my eyes on the stage, it gives me a sense of fulfilment I would find it difficult to describe.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 21 - 27 August 2003 (Issue No. 652)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/652/cu2.htm