Cycle trailer: https://youtu.be/WQWvSDzdeGA
Well, this provided a wonderful climax, not just to the cycle but also, probably, to my Coronavirus operatic viewing – at least in terms of frequency.
The set was wonderfully versatile and was made to be ideal for all the operas and locations. The essence was that the wide walkway that circled the orchestra pit allowed an intimacy of involvement by the performers that is very unusual in Wagner –and given the quality of the acting, the subtle and thoughtful direction of performers’ dramatic interactions could be marvelously highlighted. As I mentioned in earlier remarks, a major strength was the gripping involvement that one felt in scenes of intimacy and argument which are not always highlights of a Ring cycle. Here, due to the above combination of factors, Wagner’s mastery of such scenes became radically apparent – but this was as much driven by the performers as the set – the set merely allowed them to be ‘the best that they could be’.
In addition, the filming was done in such a way as to increase one’s involvement. It was infinitely more creative than many of the Met relays which too often consisted merely of close-up’s alternated with panoramic shots of the entire stage. Here what we saw – be it close-up intimacy or panoramic overviews – and all possibilities in between – invariably seemed to be exactly the right shot for that moment. And the occasional aerial shot allowed one to have a view of the entire ‘world’ that was being created; and it was in such shots that one could clearly see that the set, fundamentally, was a massive ring. Very smart and true to the music. The moving of the orchestra pit – traditional central position for Rheingold and Gotterdammerung and rightly, dramatically to where things started! And then left and right for Walkure and Siegfried which allowed for a different stage configuration which suited the dramas
The quality of the singing and acting (the two cannot be separated) meant too that the experience was a whole and organic one where all aspects of performance combined to give one the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’. The lighting worked together with this with certain colours being dominant for certain locations – vivid red/blue/green for the gods, green for much of Siegfried and Act 1 of Walkure and much white and gold for musical and emotional climaxes.
In the opening Norns scene, the look of the stage was unlike anything we had seen before (again dramatically appropriate given their nature, not related to any of the three essential locations of all other character groups viz the sky, the gods, earth the mortals, underground the Nibelung (and the Rhinemaidens partially underground - at least below the surface of the world on which the mortals walked but above the depths of Nibelung-world. I loved the long intertwined neck jewellery they all wore and which they constantly fingered, effectively suggesting the weaving of the rope. Their movements were beautifully stylised and choreographed and their strange, bald non-gendered appearance was equally effective. The rectangular shape of their costumes combined with the ritualistic playing pf hands beside the face appropriately recalled Erda’s appearance in Siegfried.
The lighting, referenced above, was wonderful for the duet of Siegfried and Brunnhilde – the ecstasy of the music being wonderfully matched by the brilliant white and gold and this subtly changed when Brunnhilde was left on her own as Siegfried departed on his Rhine journey.
The depiction of the Gibichnugs was interesting – Hagen a massive shirtless figure with a spear and wide black trousers while Gunther and Gutrune were in elegant white and gold long frock coats. Gunther had a definite feminine element in his costume and as Gutrune was wearing a very similar outfit (we did not see her in a dress until she appeared for her wedding to Siegfried) I had the sense of their being a very close relationship between the two – perhaps too close? Was there something of a parallel being made between this brother and sister and Siegmund and Sieglinde? I am not sure and it was not explored or explicit but there was an interesting ‘vibe’.
Siegfried’s reaction to the love potion was extremely rapid – instantaneous almost and he virtually attacked Gutrune as it hit him – but it was a something clumsily teenage about it – which was not inappropriate as, emotionally, Siegfried is surely not much more than that at the start of this work (and throughout all of the preceding opera).
Back on the rock the Waltraute/Brunnhilde encounter was another example of a gripping duologe and the similarity with the sculptural and pointed-edged costumes of both Brunnhilde and Waltraute subtly reminded us of how close they were – and it was a great idea to have Waltraute, in the latter part oft the scene take off her large all-embracing cloak/robe (along with the wings of course) and be seen as much more humanly feminine as she desperately tried to make Brunnhilde see why she should return the ring.
The appearance of Siegfried as Gunther has always been a rather problematic one (not least from the staging point of view) but here there was a smart solution used in that both appeared, and both wearing a Tarnhelm. Gunther mimed to the singing Siegfried and only at the end was he silent as Siegfried ‘spoke’ as Siegfried (bac in his normal tenor register rather than at the very bottom of it when he ‘was’ Gunther.
Act 2 (probably my favourite) was stunning. The appearance of the Gibichungs as somewhat robotically moving figures, completely covered in what reminded me of wooden armour (?!!) was very unusual – and disconcerting. One had the sense that they were totally at the command of Hagen in the way that the dwarves were for Alberich in Rheingold – like father, like son! Makes sense. Brunnhilde’s first appearance was completely veiled and in red while having Siegfried dressed very much like Gunther (elegant white silver and gold frock coat style) made the necessary visual point very well.
In the concluding scene between the three of them the lighting was a very effective combination of vengeful red and a livid, almost sickly yellow – a corrupt golden colour I suppose. (This is one advantage of having to re-write this whole review –new thoughts and details come to mind!)
The Act three opening was beautiful, giving us a moment of sweetness before the final cataclysm. The lovely watery movement of the Rhinemaidens was as effective as at the start and here Siegfried actually came across with some charm – not a quality one associates with him – and of course, suggesting his growing emotional maturity and confidence. And for his final utterances he found a wonderfully sweet and plangent tone with which to say farewell to us.
The funeral march was very powerfully done; Brunnhilde appeared and so the music became an expression of her grief and mourning as she slowly moved around the corpse – and then, subtly, at the very end, lay down behind the body from where she re-appeared to start the Immolation scene. Her movements and responses were perfectly calibrated to the emotional climaxes of the march as well, pulling herself along the ground so that she finally touches Siegfried at the shattering musical and emotional climax of the march.
Loved the fact that Gutrune when she appeared was carrying Brunnhilde’s veil – and having Hagen kill her after her brother was a new idea – but it made sense – as it would establish his authority (as he vainly hoped)
Traditionally it seems that the moment when she begins the Immolation scene (’Starke Scheite’)is when she finds out about Siegfried’s killing and her control at this moment has always struck me as strange. But in this staging, she has ‘done’ her mourning earlier and is so at a different place and one where she can be far more controlled as she contemplates her and the world’s end. Marvellous idea. And at the very end of the scene, by placing her hands either side of her face she recalled the actions of the Norns in the Prologue.
The apocalyptic ending was satisfying – probably the most difficult response to achieve in this seemingly impossible scene. The flames of the funeral pyre were beautifully simply done by a vast piece of red material, manipulated from its four corners that gradually embraced Brunnhilde (and Hagen). And as the destruction of Valhalla was heard, struts and platforms, in glittering gold and silver descended slowly and then stopped so that the Rhine could re-appear and the final image was that with which we started four nights ago.
So a totally wonderful lamost transcendent experience. Who says Coronavirus is all bad!
Siegfried Stig Andersen
Gunther Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester
Alberich Werner van Mechelen
Hagen Kurt Rydl
Brünnhilde Catherine Foster
Gutrune Astrid Weber
Waltraute Michaela Schuster
Erste Norn Nicole Piccolomini
Zweite Norn Barbara Senator
Dritte Norn Astrid Weber
Woglinde Machteld Baumans
Wellgunde Barbara Senator
Flosshilde Bettina Ranch
Muzikale leiding Hartmut Haenchen