Quite a few operas are still being commissioned around the world, although nothing apart from audience popularity can ensure more than a few performances.

For a director, the most challenging scenes are the dialogue scenes.

It is essential to do everything possible to attract young people to opera so they can see that it is not some antiquated art form but a repository of the most glorious music and drama that man has created.

The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals.

When the music and the characters are flawlessly synchronized, the opera develops an emotional force that movies and plays cannot match.

Perhaps the most difficult thing is shooting scenes set 6,000 feet up in the mountains of Mexico.

Everyone has seen photographs of Mexicans wearing those big sombreros. When you come to Mexico, the astonishing thing is, nobody wears these hats at all.