Mary Birnbaum: Otello (and opera) Overseas

Mary Birnbaum is a brilliant stage director with a background in English (and French) who directed a remarkable performance of Verdi’s Otello this past summer in Taipei. We managed to get in touch with each other and I had a wonderful conversation with her about opera in Asia (and anywhere), what opera represents and why it’s so important, how her background informs her craft, and how a first-timer to the opera house (or concert hall) should think about their first visit and why they should absolutely go. She speaks very eloquently about the power and importance of music. Enjoy. Find her at www.marybirnbaum.com, with photos of the Otello production.

Find Fugue for Thought on Twitter and Facebook, and at www.fugueforthought.de. The podcast is recorded with Zencastr, and the music comes from musopen.org. This episode features Verdi's (only) string quartet in E minor.