Der Ring des Nibelungen 1:
Das Rheingold. Wagner Days MUPA Budapest
June 13th 2019
Well, this was a superb start to the first cycle – and if the rest is up to this standard, then it is going to be a cycle to remember.
The unique way the festival has of staging Wagner is described as partially staged but I feel that this does not really do it justice. It makes creatively imaginative use of all dramatic elements – sound/lighting/costume/props/modern technology – but always at the service of the music so that it become something like Wagner intended…the ‘total’ art-work experience. Not all of these elements are fully in place e.g. only essential props are there, like Wotan’s spear here, or costume details – the Rhinemaidens were, as almost all others, in formal black but the style of the full-length dresses with the slit down the side and a partial train, effectively hinted at watery/fish-like elements in a stylish and effective way. But even if what is spelled out in the libretto is not fully visibly realised on stage, it is always acknowledged, often in an effective and original way, using technology.
From my excellent seat (rear stalls, dead centre) you saw a stage area, slightly raised with chairs on either side. At the back of this small stage area, steps led up to a narrow stage-width walkway with a series of 8 screens at the upper level. These rested on a near-rectangular transparent block which could be illuminated from inside and indeed was so, often in gold in this work. The eight screens which were used to project film and images upon – although some of the screens could be opened, door-like as when Freia was revealed to be framed in one as she was gradually surrounded by gold as the giants’ payment; in this production, it being done by gold light/film gradually filling in her body outline with gold – a very smart and effective way of conveying what was happening without being clumsily literal with actual blocks of gold being hauled on stage as I recall from the ENO Ring cycles of the 80’s.
At the front and either side of the stage were chairs for the singers. The physical acting/interactions between the singers was always effective and gave us what was needed but it was often understated as additional information, indications of mood and atmosphere was also being conveyed, in true 21st century multi-media style, the images and film on the screens. This combination I found very engaging as the two elements were very thoughtfully integrated and I never felt that one element (the acting by the performers or the technology was upstaging the other; there was a really good balance between them. This is not always the case nowadays it seems where often the technology can seem to ineffectively upstage the actual performers, as I sense with the Met LePage Ring – although I have only seen excerpts and read reviews and comments) Of course at times one element DID dominate but when that happened it was dramatically justified and very effective. This occurred particularly vividly with Alberich’s curse. This was a section that was one of the best and most effective sequences in the entire evening. Alberich was bowed down and for much of the curse his face was obscured, only revealing itself at the climax. But as he uttered the curse, on the dark golden screen behind him changed to a sickly flesh and gold colour and runes appeared, slowly, across the whole width of the screens but looking like deep bleeding cuts being made in flesh. A marvellously gruesome effect that brought home the horror of what he (Alberich) was saying. This was an excellent example of the combining of superb acting and singing with technology, with all elements enhancing the other.
However there were other elements which did not work quite so well – and the depiction of the giants was a good example of this; there were some very good elements and some that were less so. When they first appeared the two singers entered just in front of the screen at the side but at the same time two vast heads appeared above the top of the screen and looked down on what was happening. I quite liked that but did feel that more could have been made of these features – could they have somehow got facial expressions on them for key moments? In addition a vast disembodied forearm and hand was also brought on (by black-clad ‘invisible’ stage hands) and was occasionally manipulated – to very poor and sometimes inappropriately comic effect. I could see the logic of it but the way it was executed did not work at all for me. It was one of those ideas which, as soon as it was put into practice, someone should have said ‘no, this I not working at all. Great idea but the execution does not work’.
All the singers were in formal evening dress except for Loge who was, rightly, much more casually addressed although still all in black – and I noted too how effectively stage space was used to place him for much of the time separately from the rest of the gods as befitted his dramatic role. In addition his movements were also freer than the more formal movement patters of the gods. The singers did not move too much either and the stillness was very effective at certain points, particularly after Freia had been taken and the gods began to age. There were also three red-clad Loges – clearly representing him as a child, a young man and an adult…and I was puzzled by this. He appeared spasmodically, sometimes when the singer was onstage, sometimes not, but it was not really clear why this was done. Near the start where the adult figure appeared and was watching the action I wondered if he was going to be seen throughout as an observer and/or manipulator of the events (which could work) but the figures were not consistently used in this way. In fact when he first appeared I assumed it was going to be the singer…but not so.
Dancers were made good use of, particularly as the Nibelung hordes both on the main ‘stage’ and, very effectively in silhouette against the screen and, most dramatically, as spider like shapes crawling up and across the screens. This was a fantastic and sinister effect and a great example of technology and artistic intention working hand in hand.
I’ve already mentioned some aspects of the film and video used and this was very well established from the start where the depiction of the growing and swelling Rhine was a marvellous visual counterpoint to the music – a classic case of music and images working in perfect harmony. The Rhinemaidens appeared both as actual singers in front of the screen and as filmed underwater on the screen –again superbly conveying the watery and seductive nature of these teases. There was effective use made of Alpine scenery when we were with the Gods in front of Valhalla and the journey down to Nibelheim was pretty well done although the anvils sounded much too tinkly and delicate; I missed the brute noise that I feel should characterise this moment.
At the end we did have a rainbow and it was at this moment that the orchestra was finally fully unleashed – a marvellous example of how Adam Fischer superbly controlled the structural arc of the piece.
But now the singers: As Wotan Johan Reuter met all the demands of the part – vocally and dramatically. He has a varied tone colour that he used very well and effectively and he had a richness of tone that combined the best of the bass and baritone registers – just what is needed. As Fricka, Atala Schok was highly effective; less acidic and forceful than some performers but perfectly fine nevertheless the three Rhinemaidens blended very well and as Erda Erika Gal was suitably sonorous – although again with a lighter voice than is sometimes heard in the part. The giants were fine – Per Bach Nissen and Walter Fink although I personally prefer more deeply sonorous voices in these parts. Gerhard Siegel made an excellent Mime – not too exaggeratedly annoying and a performance that promises well for Siegfried.
If there was one outstanding sung performance though it was by Peter Kalman as Alberich who encompassed all aspects of the role – virulent power and hatred, self-pitying self-regard and, to a degree, creating at times sympathy for himself as his character.
All of these though would be as nothing were it not for the magnificent Adam Fischer who, as I have suggested, showed total musical and structural mastery, drawing wonderful sounds from the exemplary orchestra.
So a fantastic start. Onwards and upwards.