Bob Wilson on staging Wagner's Ring: painting with light at the Châtelet

Robert Wilson discusses his approach to staging Wagner's Ring cycle at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, emphasizing the primacy of light and space. He compares his method to painting with light, citing Luchino Visconti's praise for his lighting at the 1974 Spoleto Festival. Wilson collaborates closely with conductor Christoph Eschenbach, who he says is rare among conductors for watching the stage. He describes Wagner's music as creating a vast mental and visual space, and argues that too much clutter on stage prevents audiences from truly hearing. Wilson also reflects on his Watermill Center as a laboratory for developing ideas, contrasting it with the constraints of opera houses. The article includes an interview with Wilson and mentions other productions: Bill Viola's video for Tristan und Isolde at the Opéra-Bastille, and various stagings of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte by Jaume Plensa, Achim Freyer, and William Kentridge. Performance dates for the Ring cycle at the Châtelet run from October 2005 to April 2006.