Tuesday, August 13, 2013

August 4th - 9th, 2013: Wagner's 'Der Ring des Nibelungen'

I had originally intended to write a separate blog post for each of the four operas in Wagner's Ring cycle, but there was a lack of time during the week of the Ring, and so now I will try to remember everything as best as I can and review the performances all together.

Back in November 2012 I purchased a pair of front row seats for the whole cycle, and then later in the spring I convinced a couple family members to come along as well, so there were four of us embarking on Wagner's fifteen hour journey together.

Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four operas (technically a trilogy with a prologue) that Richard Wagner composed over a twenty-six year period, from 1848 to 1874. The four operas are Das Rheingold (The Rheingold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), and they were performed on August 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th. In the 21st century there are very few traditional productions of it left in the world, set in nature, with beautiful costumes, scenery, etc. Here in Seattle we are lucky to have this 'green' Ring, inspired by the nature of the Pacific Northwest. If this had not been a traditional production there is no way I would have bought tickets. This production debuted in Seattle in 2001, and was performed in 2005, 2009, and now 2013.

Das Rheingold:

The first of the four operas is a sort of genesis piece, depicting the events which set in motion the story throughout the rest of the cycle. It is shorter than the others, and contains no intermission since the music is non-stop. After the house was packed to the tilt with eager Ring-goers, the lights dimmed to darkness and Asher Fisch snuck quietly into the orchestra pit and began the prelude without receiving an ovation.

The orchestra sounded solid throughout the prelude, which swelled further and further throughout its five minutes, depicting the movement of the waters in the Rhine river. The curtain then went up to reveal the three Rhinemaidens swimming around in the rocky depths of the river. They were actually suspended and swimming around through the air. A Nibelung named Alberich comes stumbling into the scene after a few minutes and tries to seduce the Rhinemaidens, who laugh at him and taunt him. They guard a precious hunk of gold which sits on a rock in the river, and Alberich ends up renouncing love and stealing their gold so he can forge a ring of power and take over the world. Contrasting from Sauron and the creation of the ring of power in The Lord of the Rings, here in Wagner's work it's made very clear that "evil," "hatred" and desire for domination stem not from something inherent in the Nibelung, but in being rejected and being denied love. To me this makes the story much deeper than a classic good vs. evil story.

After the initial scene in the Rhine river, the rest of the opera deals with giants and gods up on the surface of the earth, and a sort of legal dilemma that Wotan, the head god, got them into by hiring two giants to build a castle for the gods and then trying to weasel out of the payment that he promised them (that payment was the goddess Freia). With the help of Loge, the demi-god of fire, they wrest the ring from Alberich (as well as a hoard of gold that he has accumulated from the depths of the earth by this point) and use it as wages for the giants. However, when the ring is taken by force from Alberich, he places a deadly curse on it, which is central to the rest of the Ring cycle.

The three sets for Das Rheingold were stunning, but by far the most beautiful one was the forest on the surface of the earth, where much of the opera plays out. It was a lush, green, beautifully designed set that was a constant pleasure to look at. The other two sets were in the Rhine river and in the depths of Nibelheim where Alberich was using the power of his ring to enslave other Nibelungs and accumulate his hoard of gold.

The singers were of a very high level and sang Wagner's unique and incredible music with great expression and clarity. Richard Paul Fink (Alberich) brought incredible power and expression to the role, delivering Wagner's often complex and chromatic melodies with a precision that actually allowed the audience to hear each note and follow the phrases of the music. Mark Schowalter was an enchanting Loge, playing the trickster 'lawyer' character with subtlety, wit, and a charming, creamy voice that was absolutely perfect for the music. Stephanie Blythe was of course magnificent as Fricka, her rich, deep voice projecting out like a razor bell over the orchestra. The orchestra could play as loud as they wanted when they were accompanying her; she would never get covered up. Andrea Silvestrelli and Daniel Sumegi were great as Fasolt and Fafner (the two giants who built Valhalla, the gods castle), and of course Greer Grimsley was a very captivating Wotan. Lucille Beer sang the small role of Erda, the earth goddess who warns Wotan to give up the ring, and Wendy Bryn Harmer sang Freia, the goddess of beauty.

The orchestra however did not play their best in Das Rheingold. There were several passages where it seemed like they were sight-reading, and in general throughout the opera they lacked power and precision in their sound. It was rarely bothersome to me though, because the singers were excellent and they were the main focus throughout the evening. And I assumed that the orchestra had spent more time rehearsing the other operas (there's only so much you can do when you have fifteen hours of music to prepare), so their performance during Das Rheingold did not trouble me too much nor diminish my excitement for the rest of the cycle.

Die Walküre:

The second opera (the first of the 'trilogy') was performed the next evening, beginning at 6:00 pm because of its vast length. Asher Fisch again gave the downbeat to the orchestra without receiving an ovation. Immediately it was clear that the orchestra was going to be more on top of it tonight. The prelude, depicting a wild storm, was played slower than normal but with solid intention and delivery. The curtain then went up on a brand new set, a wooden cabin in the forest. This set was equally beautiful to the forest set in Das Rheingold. Shortly after the curtain rises, a wounded Siegmund comes stumbling through the storm and collapses on the floor inside the cabin.

The three singers in the first act were Stuart Skelton (Siegmund), Margaret Jane Wray (Sieglinde) and Andrea Silvestrelli (Hunding). All were very strong singers, but Andrea Silvestrelli in particular was absolutely exquisite as Hunding. His voice was deeper and more terrifying than the vast majority of bass singers. His stage presence was electrifying. Siegmund had a rich, strong tenor voice, and Sieglinde, though she had just a bit too much vibrato in her tone, was very expressive and had a voice that projected well throughout the auditorium.

This first act of Die Walküre is an incredible work in itself. It builds from a complete mystery into a seemingly endless, soaring love duet, and then reaches an absolutely electrifying climax before banging out of existence with a last, desperate and triumphal chord. Asher Fisch led the orchestra wonderfully, and they played with much more presence, skill and intensity than they had the night before.

For the second act we are again with the gods, and the unusual artistic choice was made to have the first part of the second act take place in the same set as the first act. Normally it would be in a mountain setting, but since Wotan and Fricka are arguing about the fate of Siegmund, Sieglinde and Hunding, it actually made sense to have them set in the same place. Stephanie Blythe was again flawless as Fricka, and Greer Grimsley gave a strong performance as Wotan in the epic marital spat. Wotan's daughter Brünnhidle appears in this act for the first time, sung by Alwyn Mellor, who was quite good.

The second part of the second act entailed a change of set. We now found ourselves in a hilly, rocky area of the forest with a sloping path on the right and a high cliff on the left. Siegmund and Sieglinde escape together to this point, and it's at the end of this act that one of the great climaxes and pivotal moments in the entire cycle takes place. The battle between Siegmund, Hunding, Brünnhilde and Wotan was absolutely terrifying; it was one of the most intense and violent depictions of the scene that I've ever encountered. It was one of those experiences where after the curtain falls you realize you've been holding your breath for the past minute.

The third act begins with the famous Ride of the Valkyries music. The orchestra kept up its solid performance throughout the evening, and continued to do so into the third act. The curtain opened onto a new set, a rocky ledge near the top of a mountain. The eight Valkyrie warriors gathered on the rock, singing a whirlwind of exciting music, and were then joined by Brünnhilde, carrying with her the desperate Sieglinde, who just lost her lover Siegmund in the previous battle. Wagner did something very precarious in scoring so much music for eight soprano voices, but the singers in this performance did an admirable job of bringing out the harmonies and not sounding like one homogenous block of high, indiscernible notes.

This third act contains some truly terrifying music, as Wotan is heading towards the rock, enraged at Brünnhilde for siding with Siegmund in his fight against Hunding. All the Valkyries are terrified as he pronounces judgment upon Brünnhilde for defying the God. They eventually retreat from the scene, screaming in terror, and leave Wotan and Brünnhilde alone on the rock. Some of the most beautiful music in the whole cycle takes places here, as Wotan says goodbye to his beloved daughter and locks her in sleep on the mountaintop in punishment for her defiance. Greer Grimsley and Alwyn Mellor gave a wonderful performance of this famous scene. At the end, when Wotan summons Loge to light a fire around the rock to guard Brünnhilde from cowards, fires actually did light up around the rock, providing a spectacular visual effect.

The following evening, Tuesday the 6th, there was no performance, and I was playing piano in the lounge at the Canlis restaurant. None other than Mark Schowalter (Loge from Das Rheingold) was sitting in the lounge with his wife towards the end of the evening, so I had the distinct pleasure of meeting them.

Siegfried:

The third opera is arguably the greatest in the cycle. Wagner called it "the loveliest of my life's dreams," and it serves as a kind of sanctuary, a lush interlude between chaos in Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung. Much of the opera is spent looking at life from the perspective of an innocent and naïve fifteen year old (Siegfried), and it is bursting with haunting, beautiful music depicting nature, animals and love.

The first act takes place in a cave in the forest where Mime (Dennis Peterson) is raising Siegfried by himself, after receiving the infant from Sieglinde, who died during childbirth. Wotan appears in the act as well to give advice to Mime, and in the end Siegfried forges his father's sword and sets out to conquer the world. The set was essentially the same as the forest in Das Rheingold except that it had different structures and props on it, depicting Mime's living area.

Dennis Peterson was masterful as Mime. He looked like a veteran singer who had really taken on, cherished, cultivated and embodied the role. It's truly a pleasure to have someone like him on the stage. Stefan Vinke was a well-cast Siegfried who looked the part and acted the defiant fifteen year old boy quite well. His voice was on the quieter side throughout the first act, but he began to project more during the rest of the opera.

The second act of Siegfried is a work which has traditionally been adored even by those who do not like Wagner in general. It contains incredible music depicting forest murmurs, twittering birds, as well as the lush, haunting moments where Siegfried is alone, contemplating life and thinking about his parents.

In this act multiple characters all converge around the cave where Fafner now lives (he has transformed into a dragon and he guards the gold and the ring), each with a different motive all revolving around the ring. Alberich and Wotan appear at the beginning of the act, and then Mime and Siegfried come later, the former spurring the latter on in the hopes that he will slay the dragon and bring him the ring. Siegfried does slay the dragon, but ends up slaying Mime as well.

The set was the same as for the second half of the second act of Die Walküre; the forest with the sloping path and the cliff on the left.

Richard Paul Fink was again perfect as Alberich, really bringing out the incredible chromatic melodies that Wagner wrote. He was one of my favorite singers to hear in general throughout the performances. Greer Grimsley was even better as Wotan than he was during Die Walküre, probably because he had that Tuesday to rest. One of my favorite moments is the brief brotherly spat between Alberich and Mime, who bicker at each other while Siegfried is inside the dragon's cave retrieving the ring. The music is quirky and superb, and the incredibly fast and difficult passage was executed perfectly by the singers and orchestra. I thought Fafner was a little weak; he sings some of the most terrifyingly haunting music as he sings to Siegfried after being slain, and there was just too much vibrato for the notes to really be delivered to the audience in an impactful way. Also, the forest bird towards the end of the second act was a slight disappointment. Her melody is absolutely enchanting as she sings to Siegfried, but she had too much vibrato and was a bit too shrill.

It's more or less between the second and third acts of Siegfried that Wagner took an eleven or twelve year break in the composition of the work, so the musical style changed somewhat as we headed into the third act of Siegfried. It begins with an epic, driving music that has a galloping nature to it, and the curtain rises to reveal Wotan in the mountains, seeking out Erda again for advice. The music at this point is absolutely exquisite; beautifully twisted and haunting beyond words. After Erda descends again into the earth, Siegfried approaches on his way to find Brünnhilde on the rock. Wotan speaks with him and ends up trying to bar his way because Siegfried is rude and disrespectful, but Siegfried shatters Wotan's spear. This is sort of the ultimate turning point in the story for the Gods, who are now essentially over, since Wotan was overpowered by a human.

Siegfried climbs the rock, makes it through the fire, and wakes up Brünnhilde. Thus ensues another absolutely gorgeous love duet, and the only happy ending in the whole Ring cycle. Before the third act began, Speight Jenkins, the general director of the Seattle Opera, took to the stage (and received a standing ovation) in order to announce that Alwyn Mellor had had an allergy attack and withdrew from the performance that evening. Lori Phillips was her replacement, and she was surprisingly good. Her voice projected very well and she looked the part. Her only drawback was a bit too much vibrato, but on the whole I was very satisfied.

Orchestra and singers throughout Siegfried were in very good shape, and overall it was a great performance of the most beautiful and most difficult to perform opera in the cycle.

Götterdämmerung:

First of all, I feel that the quality of the performance was very good. And I am also more convinced than ever that Wagner ran into some problems in the conception and creation of Götterdämmerung. It lacks something that the other operas have. I'm not sure what it is, but it just doesn't have the same beauty or impact as the others.

This is, of course, with the exception of the prologue and first act. During the prologue we see the three Norns spinning the rope of fate, and having it break on them, meaning the end of their worldly wisdom. The music for this opening scene is chilling and magnificent, and the three women who sang it (Stephanie Blythe being one of them) were perfect. Then we go up to the rock again where Brünnhilde and Siegfried have another duet as she bids him farewell so he can go on more adventures. Lori Phillips was still singing Brünnhilde, and she was much better than in Siegfried; to me at this point she was a fully adequate replacement for Alwyn Mellor. The duet contains some of Wagner's most stupendous music, and the orchestra and singers performed it brilliantly.

The first act kind of officially begins as the curtain rises on the Gibichung residence, and after a brief period of some less interesting music (very well fitted by Wagner to rather boring characters) we are back on the mountaintop for some of the greatest music Wagner wrote. Stephanie Blythe was magnificent again as Waltraute, and the music throughout this entire act is just really really beautiful and dramatic, and it was extremely well performed by all at the Seattle Opera.

The beginning of the second act promises a continuation of the kind of opera we've seen in the first act, as Alberich approaches his son Hagen in a dream and begs him to retrieve the ring and to stay faithful to him. The music is haunting and the performances were wonderful. But then the rest of the act becomes a rather melodramatic, confused mess, as the plot becomes so convoluted and out of hand that we no longer really care about what happens or who lives and who dies. Wagner set up the coming apocalypse for so long that by this point it's easy to feel like "get it over with already." Wagner sets up the idea of the twilight of the gods as a tragedy in the first few operas, but by the second act of Götterdämmerung, we no longer see it as a bad thing. Perhaps this is part of the genius of the story; I'm certainly no Ring scholar. But in any case, it does seem that there is dramatic music intended to make the audience feel a certain way about the events that are happening, and yet we don't quite feel that way because we've been set up to not see it as that big a problem. In the third act of Siegfried, Wotan even says that the end of the gods doesn't trouble him anymore and that he rejoices in it.

Daniel Sumegi was a slightly underwhelming Hagen, and this may have played a role in my feelings about the second act, but I've felt similar feelings with any production that I've seen. The music and plot both become convoluted, and it just doesn't carry the direct, powerful emotional impact that moments throughout the first three operas deliver so brilliantly. In any case, with what the artists had to work with I think they gave a very solid performance.

In the third act, the Rhinemaidens reappear for the first time in a while, popping out of the Rhine river in order to beg Siegfried to give them back the ring. He does not do so, and then he gets stabbed in the back by Hagen while on a hunting trip. They return to the Gibichung residence with the dead Siegfried, and Brünnhilde brings the world to an end in response. Siegfried's death and funeral music is very moving, but it would be much more moving if we weren't told for the past several hours that Siegfried is going to die and that ultimately it's a good thing. In any case, the orchestra and the singers performed very well, and I have no major issues with this performance of Götterdämmerung other than the issues I have with Wagner himself. Although, the set design for the apocalypse in the last five minutes of the opera could have been better. That was the one point in the whole cycle where I thought there was something lacking in the sets and visuals. During the most climactic parts of the music we were just seeing what looked like white clouds, and then the gods arose on a platform in the middle of the stage and Loge set Valhalla on fire. Alberich was also on the platform with them for some reason. The last thing we saw was the forest set from Das Rheingold, with lighting that implied a new dawn.

Overall thoughts:

It was a wonderful experience to see Wagner's complete Ring cycle in the course of one week. The Seattle Opera truly has a wonderful tradition of Wagner which was clearly evident throughout the performances. They brought a strong cast of singers, a great conductor, and the solid players of the Seattle Symphony, combined with incredibly beautiful sets and seamless visual effects to really bring Wagner's epic to life. It was on the whole a very traditional production, though there were of course a sprinkling of instances that reminded us that we are in post-reality. Random, goofy, funny touches throughout the works revealed that even at the Seattle Opera they are not content to simply perform the piece as Wagner conceived it. These were all minor instances though, and they were amusing, and they didn't seem to detract very much from the overall traditional presentation of the story and the characters. I would actually go again if my schedule and bank account allowed it. It truly is an excellent production.

I wish I had had the time to write a post about each opera right after seeing them. I've left so much that I wanted to say out of this, but oh well. If there are any performances remaining at the time that you're reading this, go! You won't regret it!

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