City Feature: Dusseldorf – Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Interview with Christoph Meyer

InterContinental Life

Christoph Meyer, artistic director of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf.
© Marc Meyerbröker

“I HOPE MY LUCK LASTS …”

Christoph Meyer is the artistic director of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf. He arrived at the regional capital after stints in Barcelona, Berlin, Cologne, Basel and Leipzig. His mission: to establish opera as an art form for everyone – something which is uncomplicated but of the very best quality.

InterContinental Life: Do you know what your colleague Robert Schumann made of the light-hearted disposition of the Rhine people and their understanding of musical discipline?
Christoph Meyer: He wasn’t keen.

InterContinental Life: And what do you think, coming from North Germany?
Christoph Meyer: I have travelled so extensively around the world that I have no problems getting along with people of different mentalities. You meet good people everywhere. I got a wonderful welcome in Dusseldorf and it has been everything it promised to be. I feel at home here.

InterContinental Life: Dusseldorf has no debt, so the Deutsche Oper has no reason to worry, unlike some other cultural institutions.
Christoph Meyer: It’s not quite like that. We have a sister theatre in Duisburg, and they are not doing quite so well. But thankfully we have been able to increase our budget by three million euros with the help of the city of Dusseldorf.

InterContinental Life: What will the money be used for?
Christoph Meyer: We have been able to create 29 and a half jobs. The choir has been expanded and for the first time we have two permanent music theatre teachers …

InterContinental Life: To promote youth employment …?
Christoph Meyer: This is an issue which is very close to my heart! So this year’s programme will also include our children’s operas “robin hood” and “Puss in Boots”. We are also putting on a version of Mozart’s “the Magic Flute” for children.

InterContinental Life: But this isn’t your only mission?
Christoph Meyer: No, i also aim to take opera out to the people. to explain what i mean, i often tell a story of what happened when i was negotiating for this position: three times, when i took a taxi from the airport, they didn’t know where the opera house in Dusseldorf was. We need to work on that. (he laughs).

InterContinental Life: You are doing things which have never been done in Dusseldorf before, such as public viewings. How is that going down?
Christoph Meyer: Fantastically. This year we are putting on ‘opera for all’ again on 16th July 2010, and there will be ballet this time too. We are also having our first public viewing of a complete opera on 9th July 2011 on Burgplatz. We will be showing la Bohème featuring internationally acclaimed soprano Anja Harteros.

InterContinental Life: Dusseldorf seems to be lucky for you. You started out by finding a flat in Oberkassel that would normally take about six years to find.
Christoph Meyer: It was pure fluke, it belonged to friends who were moving abroad. But I hope my luck will last ...

InterContinental Life: Thank you for the interview.