Well, not as impressively gripping as Rheingold but still pretty damn good. There was a new layout of the stage and put. The orchestra is now on the right and a large curved area stretches out into the audience, narrowing to an exit point as it passes in front of the orchestra. The advantage of this is that the action is brought forward to the audience – and as in this work personal interactions are of crucial importance (and in fact were the major strength of the performance, this was a good and unusual move. The only problem is that at times the orchestra were sometimes intrusive – at least as far as the film was concerned, particularly when in close-up. But this would not be a problem if one was in the house I think.
For me, certainly in the first two acts, there were sections that were utterly gripping and others that, whoile sound, rather less so. The relationship between Siegmund and Sieglinde was particularly marvelously done by the singers and the close-ups were highly beneficial. One could see all details of eye contact and body language and the voices of the two were superb, particularly Sieglinde although on occasion Siegmund was a little underpowered and forced. It was interesting that Sieglinde seemed to handle the sword at least as much as Siegmund – not sure of that is actually specified in the text or if is a quirk of the production – a decent idea, particularly as she becomes the guardian of it when shattered and takes with her when she flees to the forest in the East.
In Act 2 the appearance and movement of the Valkyries was excellent. I loved the skull helmets and the angular costumes with sharp should points and at the front of the long robes they wore. But the best idea were the glittering metal wings they had, worn effectively on the arm and their sparing movement, both individually and as a group was very effective. The singers’ movements on stage too were restrained and there was no attempt to give the sense that they were flying – although, as ever, that awkward section where they Valkyries discuss the fights between their horses was as awkward as it usually is. What do you get the performers to do during that? Not yet seen a really smart solution.
Wotan’s spear was prominent – this time suspended above the action, rightly giving the sense that everything that happens is bound by the contract runes engraved in it. Becoming almost a structural part of the set was a subtle way or reminding us how it and its power underlay the actions of most of the characters.
A characteristic of this production was that the scenes with detailed interactions between characters were the best staged and most gripping – S and S as indicated in Act 1 and, quite unusually in my experience, the argument between Wotan and Fricka in Act 2. This was particularly the case in the marvelously staged Todesverkunding scene, bathed in a rich blue light and with Brunnhilde gradually descending from the high walkway she was initially in to close physical contact with S and S as she gradually became pulled into their lives and dilemma. I also liked the way that she was only face to face with them at the very end of the scene. The moving and interactions of the singers was excellent here – and in many other similar scenes. Wotan’s reaction on seeing the dead Siegmund was very powerful.
Act 3 had a spectacular opening with flames in the sky and a well-staged Ride – the Valkyries quite often moving as one unit was effective and differentiated Brunnhilde from them too. The angular geometric shapes of the wings and costumes came into their own in this scene. Excellent use was made here, as elsewhere, of all the space on the stage.
The final scene with Wotan and his daughter was a stunning as it should be. Having Wotan reveal a coat with the World Ash Tree on it was a great touch as it tied in important elements just as having the spear and basis of all contracts as a structural element of the set was. The movement (and stillness) between Wotan and Brunnhilde in this final scene was marvelous, like the smart use of space, and I loved the way that Wotan, in the orchestral moments before his summoning of Loge, simply lay down beside Brunnhilde to stilly and silently say goodbye.
I was definitely expecting flames for the final moments but not to be – but the use just of red and a lot of stage fog was just as good – as was the appearance of a massive rock platform above Brunnhilde in the final moments, appearing initially as gold.
Really pretty good but the parts were finer than the whole – but those individual parts were stunning.
On to Siegfried!
Siegmund Christopher Ventris
Hunding Kurt Rydl
Wotan Thomas Johannes Mayer
Sieglinde Catherine Naglestad
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster
Fricka Doris Soffel
Gerhilde Marion Ammann
Ortlinde Martina Prins
Waltraute Lien Haegeman
Schwertleite Julia Faylenbogen
Helmwige Elaine McKrill
Siegrune Wilke te Brummelstroete
Grimgerde Helena Rasker
Rossweisse Cécile van de Sant
Muzikale leiding Hartmut Haenchen