Daniel Serafin in conversation

“If life were only happy, it would be boring”

Preparations for the premiere of Guiseppe Verdi's "Aida" are in full swing. Daniel Serafin, the artistic director, has his hands full.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Daniel Serafin, the son of "Mr. Wunderbar" Harald Serafin, likes big emotions. He must, otherwise he would hardly be the director of Europe's largest open-air stage at the opera in the quarry in St. Margarethen. The 42-year-old bachelor told us what moves him and who gets his blood pumping.

"Krone": From July 10, Europe's largest open-air stage will be transformed into ancient Egypt. Then you can immerse yourself in thetime of the pharaohs and in the world of the Ethiopian princess Aida, who serves at the Egyptian court of the king's daughter Amneris. What exactly is the opera of the same name about?
Daniel Serafin: Amneris intends to marry the officer Radamès, but he loves Aida. It is a secret love. A love against reason, class and origin. When Radamès is chosen as commander against the attacking Ethiopians and Aida is encouraged by her father to scout out the military strategy of the enemy army, conflicts of conscience and loyalty arise. Ultimately, Aida and Radames can only be united in death. A great love tragedy, but many operas are based on this melodramatic material. If life were only happy, it would be boring. Sun and moon, ebb and flow, up and down: the wave of life always needs opposites. If it's a flatline, we're all dead because no development is possible. Opera produces waves of emotion all the time.