Jenny is a singular character on the operatic stage. What makes her special?
When I sang her for the first time, I was like: Finally! At last a woman who’s not a victim, doesn’t die, doesn’t suffer. Jenny is one of the few self-determined female protagonists in opera. Her actions are her own, she stays true to herself, even at the cost of not always being an appealing character. I’ve had a lot of audiences who have problems with that. They need to see her show some refinement, or rescue someone, or fall in love after all.

Why do audiences have such a problem with a female character doing her own thing?
Because we’re used to women in opera being either rewarded or punished – usually both – and preferably with death and tears into the bargain. Jenny’s not part of that at all. Ok, she sells her body, but she stays emotionally independent. She stays clear of any games that she has no control over. Some see that as being cold and unlikeable, but I think it’s liberating. She’s not a mirror for people’s moral projections but someone who takes her own decisions.

Brecht and Weill wrote MAHAGONNY as a didactic work. Is that approach still relevant today?
More than ever! These places which only revolve around consumerism and where humanity counts for nothing have long-since been created. The internet is full of mechanisms catering to addictions. Everything is set up with a view to seducing and exploiting people. As a mother I try to protect my children from precisely these structures. And then you’ve got heads of state saying »---k climate change! Just keep buying stuff!« So crude it’s mind-boggling. Horrific, how applicable Brecht’s piece is to the present day.

How do you go about singing a role that has such up-to-the-minute relevance?
With all my vocal power – and with full awareness. It’s a grand, opulent score, orchestrated to the hilt, not a collection of chansons with stopped trumpets and accordion. But that doesn’t mean you can go hardcore operatic and sing it like LA BOHÈME or something. If I sing »First food, then morals« in full-blown opera mode, it sounds ridiculous. Singing’s not just about technique; it’s also about aligning precisely and clearly with the thoughts of the character. And that’s the key to Jenny. If you’re thinking her thoughts with clarity, you’re singing her with clarity too.

Benedikt von Peter’s production is going to be a very interactive experience. What’s your take on singing in the middle of the audience?
I think it’s amazing! I didn’t become an opera singer to deliver my precious performance on stage and then take my bows and disappear through a back door. I always had a hard time with this buffer between us and the audience. I always wanted to get closer. Theatre is interaction, encounters, communication, which is why I’m so looking forward to this staging.

You’ve sung Jenny several times. What have you taken away from the role on a personal level?
She has made me think a lot about the way women are portrayed on stage. We so often replicate images that are deeply rooted in the patriarchal gaze. All the Elsas in a white nightgown, all the Carmens in a tiered skirt and wrap-around blouse, and don’t get me going on harlot clichés. Jenny was the first protagonist where I was thinking about how to put my body about on stage in a self-determined, non-objectivised way. Since then I’ve been looking at all roles through new eyes. It’s all about how sensuality is being conveyed – and who is calling the shots.