In the Metropolitan Opera's production of Der Ring des Nibelungen, there's no question that the opening prelude evening or Vorabend, Das Rheingold, takes the award for scenic spectacle. How could it not? This 2-hour-20-minute single act demands the appearance of giants, dwarves, gods, a massive heap of golden treasure, a dragon, a toad, swimming and singing river nymphs, and a rainbow bridge. The story begins under the waters of the river Rhine, ascends to a mountain top, descends into a cavern deep under the earth, returns to the mountain, and finally climbs the rainbow bridge to a castle in the clouds.
One can only imagine the hassles Wagner went through trying to achieve all of that with the stage machinery of the 1860s at his disposal.
In the Robert Lepage production now onstage at the Met, the scenic and lighting resources of modern technology have gone a long way towards achieving what Wagner could only imagine in his wildest dreams. The result is a production in which scenic spectacle becomes almost another character in the drama brought before us.
Yet the technological wizardry of the production serves to enhance the performances of singers and orchestra without acting them off the stage.
Speaking of wizardry, this production also calls on the services of body doubles for the singers -- but these are body doubles with a difference. Drawing on his experience working with Cirque du Soleil, director Lepage brings in acrobats for two powerful sequences. First is the descent into and return from Nibelheim, in which Loge and Wotan "walk" (suspended from wires) at an otherwise-impossible angle across the steeply tilted staircase which the machine forms. Then, for the final spectacular ascent of the rainbow bridge to Valhalla, the acrobats climb (again on wires) almost vertically up the central strip of the set, splashed with projected rainbow colours, all to the sounds of Wagner's most resplendent and grandiose orchestration -- an unforgettable moment.
Some of the singers have to act on wires too. The Rhinemaidens in the opening scene gradually appear suspended beneath the machine as it rotates slowly upwards, bathed in cool blue and violet light, and disappear in the same way during the transition to the second scene. And Loge, the trickster fire-spirit, on his first appearance, walks backwards up the tilted surface. Both scenes are proof positive that a modern opera singer has to be a versatile and active actor, not just a voice!
But let's get to those voices. Amanda Woodbury, Samantha Hankey, and Tamara Mumford made a splendid trio of Rhinemaidens, voices blending beautifully in their trio passages. All three dealt splendidly with the acting demands of their roles, capturing the playful insouciance of the nymphs to perfection as they rolled about on top of the set, waving their "fins" in the air and laughingly mocking at Alberich.
Tomasz Konieczny presented an Alberich who, in the opening scene, appeared imposing rather than merely comical, and his voice -- a clear-toned baritone -- matched that. In the Nibelheim scene, he at first came across as too matter-of-fact to be truly threatening. Voice and face alike, though, ideally displayed the ego which flattered him and beguiled him when Loge and Wotan buttered him up. His singing became much more powerful in the two moments when he sent the Nibelungs running in screaming terror, and reached its peak in an intense performance of the curse.
Gerhard Siegel gave a good account of the part of Mime, the butt of Alberich's fury. His physicality in the scene where the invisible Alberich kicks him about the cavern was most convincing.
When we reached the mountaintop and met the gods, an interesting problem arose. Wendy Bryn Harmer as the victimized Freia absolutely out-sang Jamie Barton as her sister, Fricka. I was more than a bit surprised. I've heard both artists live before, and would have said Barton had by far the more powerful voice. Perhaps she was dealing with throat problems. Bryn Harmer's voice sounded bigger than I've ever heard it before, and this didn't fit too well with the helplessness Freia has to display.
Adam Diegel's clear-toned tenor made the most of the relatively ungrateful part of Froh.
Michael Todd Simpson gave an intense, quick-tempered portrayal of Donner, and his great moment of summoning the storm clouds to sweep the sky clear was a vocal highlight of the evening.
Günther Groissböck as Fasolt and Dmitry Belosselskiy as Fafner made a strong impression, singing with clarity and power and dominating the stage -- not just by virtue of their higher physical position.
One of the most compelling star turns of the performance came with the Loge of Norbert Ernst. Not only did he negotiate the character's often rapid, scherzando musical lines with ease and fluency, but Ernst also presented a spectacular take on the physicality of the character. Completely at ease with his position hanging from a wire up on the tilted set, Ernst used a whole repertoire or facial expressions, gestures, and unique body positions to present the mercurial practical joker. It's no wonder the audience kept chuckling.
Karen Cargill sang the brief but significant role of Erda with compelling intensity, albeit with an uncomfortably wide vibrato in the high notes.
Michael Volle gave an outstanding reading of the role of Wotan. Both vocally and physically, he presented a nuanced portrayal of the god who only gradually realizes that he is painting himself into a corner. Power and fury in the confrontations with the giants were matched by awe and dread in the encounter with Erda.
Speaking of the Erda scene, it's unfortunate that the inevitable live-performance glitch had to happen right there. Musically and dramatically, it's one of the most telling moments of the entire cycle when the set lifts up, the music suddenly goes from fury to dead quiet all in a moment, and the cold bluish-white light shows Erda rising into view under the uplifted machine. At least, it would show that -- but last night, the lift failed to deliver the goods. Conductor Philippe Jordan had no choice but to simply stop and wait. After a long silent pause of perhaps 15 seconds, Erda finally appeared and the performance resumed.
Overall the staging is excellent, but I do have one caveat. The scenes on the mountaintop force the cast to stick to the narrow forestage, for the most part. There are a number of moments when one of the characters crosses from one side to the other, for no apparent reason -- certainly no dramatic reason. One of the perils of Wagner's more long-winded scenes is the lack of outward activity, but for my money it would be preferable to have the singers stand still rather than force them into making pointless stage crossings.
Philippe Jordan is a definite star among today's Wagner conductors, and showed his skill with a well-shaped reading that avoided extremes of tempo, either fast or slow, and maintained a through line in the composer's extended scenes.
Throughout the performance, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra delivered the score with passion, power, and nuance, as needed -- right up until the final Entry of the Gods into Valhalla, when a couple of the brass players choked at one of their most exposed moments. I could practically feel the musicians cringing all over the audience.
But these are, in the end, minor issues -- and in live performances, something will always happen.
What matters is that the Met's Ring was launched with a performance of the challenging Vorabend that met the demands and challenges imposed by its creator, and gripped the audience from first to last. Did it really last for two and a half hours? It didn't seem that long at all.
Although I have seen live performances of the other three Ring operas in Toronto on one or more occasions, last night's New York performance marked my first-ever live encounter with Das Rheingold -- which happens, musically and dramatically, to be my favourite of the four instalments. It was definitely worth the trip.
Speaking of wizardry, this production also calls on the services of body doubles for the singers -- but these are body doubles with a difference. Drawing on his experience working with Cirque du Soleil, director Lepage brings in acrobats for two powerful sequences. First is the descent into and return from Nibelheim, in which Loge and Wotan "walk" (suspended from wires) at an otherwise-impossible angle across the steeply tilted staircase which the machine forms. Then, for the final spectacular ascent of the rainbow bridge to Valhalla, the acrobats climb (again on wires) almost vertically up the central strip of the set, splashed with projected rainbow colours, all to the sounds of Wagner's most resplendent and grandiose orchestration -- an unforgettable moment.
Some of the singers have to act on wires too. The Rhinemaidens in the opening scene gradually appear suspended beneath the machine as it rotates slowly upwards, bathed in cool blue and violet light, and disappear in the same way during the transition to the second scene. And Loge, the trickster fire-spirit, on his first appearance, walks backwards up the tilted surface. Both scenes are proof positive that a modern opera singer has to be a versatile and active actor, not just a voice!
But let's get to those voices. Amanda Woodbury, Samantha Hankey, and Tamara Mumford made a splendid trio of Rhinemaidens, voices blending beautifully in their trio passages. All three dealt splendidly with the acting demands of their roles, capturing the playful insouciance of the nymphs to perfection as they rolled about on top of the set, waving their "fins" in the air and laughingly mocking at Alberich.
Tomasz Konieczny presented an Alberich who, in the opening scene, appeared imposing rather than merely comical, and his voice -- a clear-toned baritone -- matched that. In the Nibelheim scene, he at first came across as too matter-of-fact to be truly threatening. Voice and face alike, though, ideally displayed the ego which flattered him and beguiled him when Loge and Wotan buttered him up. His singing became much more powerful in the two moments when he sent the Nibelungs running in screaming terror, and reached its peak in an intense performance of the curse.
Gerhard Siegel gave a good account of the part of Mime, the butt of Alberich's fury. His physicality in the scene where the invisible Alberich kicks him about the cavern was most convincing.
When we reached the mountaintop and met the gods, an interesting problem arose. Wendy Bryn Harmer as the victimized Freia absolutely out-sang Jamie Barton as her sister, Fricka. I was more than a bit surprised. I've heard both artists live before, and would have said Barton had by far the more powerful voice. Perhaps she was dealing with throat problems. Bryn Harmer's voice sounded bigger than I've ever heard it before, and this didn't fit too well with the helplessness Freia has to display.
Adam Diegel's clear-toned tenor made the most of the relatively ungrateful part of Froh.
Michael Todd Simpson gave an intense, quick-tempered portrayal of Donner, and his great moment of summoning the storm clouds to sweep the sky clear was a vocal highlight of the evening.
Günther Groissböck as Fasolt and Dmitry Belosselskiy as Fafner made a strong impression, singing with clarity and power and dominating the stage -- not just by virtue of their higher physical position.
One of the most compelling star turns of the performance came with the Loge of Norbert Ernst. Not only did he negotiate the character's often rapid, scherzando musical lines with ease and fluency, but Ernst also presented a spectacular take on the physicality of the character. Completely at ease with his position hanging from a wire up on the tilted set, Ernst used a whole repertoire or facial expressions, gestures, and unique body positions to present the mercurial practical joker. It's no wonder the audience kept chuckling.
Karen Cargill sang the brief but significant role of Erda with compelling intensity, albeit with an uncomfortably wide vibrato in the high notes.
Michael Volle gave an outstanding reading of the role of Wotan. Both vocally and physically, he presented a nuanced portrayal of the god who only gradually realizes that he is painting himself into a corner. Power and fury in the confrontations with the giants were matched by awe and dread in the encounter with Erda.
Speaking of the Erda scene, it's unfortunate that the inevitable live-performance glitch had to happen right there. Musically and dramatically, it's one of the most telling moments of the entire cycle when the set lifts up, the music suddenly goes from fury to dead quiet all in a moment, and the cold bluish-white light shows Erda rising into view under the uplifted machine. At least, it would show that -- but last night, the lift failed to deliver the goods. Conductor Philippe Jordan had no choice but to simply stop and wait. After a long silent pause of perhaps 15 seconds, Erda finally appeared and the performance resumed.
Overall the staging is excellent, but I do have one caveat. The scenes on the mountaintop force the cast to stick to the narrow forestage, for the most part. There are a number of moments when one of the characters crosses from one side to the other, for no apparent reason -- certainly no dramatic reason. One of the perils of Wagner's more long-winded scenes is the lack of outward activity, but for my money it would be preferable to have the singers stand still rather than force them into making pointless stage crossings.
Philippe Jordan is a definite star among today's Wagner conductors, and showed his skill with a well-shaped reading that avoided extremes of tempo, either fast or slow, and maintained a through line in the composer's extended scenes.
Throughout the performance, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra delivered the score with passion, power, and nuance, as needed -- right up until the final Entry of the Gods into Valhalla, when a couple of the brass players choked at one of their most exposed moments. I could practically feel the musicians cringing all over the audience.
But these are, in the end, minor issues -- and in live performances, something will always happen.
What matters is that the Met's Ring was launched with a performance of the challenging Vorabend that met the demands and challenges imposed by its creator, and gripped the audience from first to last. Did it really last for two and a half hours? It didn't seem that long at all.
Although I have seen live performances of the other three Ring operas in Toronto on one or more occasions, last night's New York performance marked my first-ever live encounter with Das Rheingold -- which happens, musically and dramatically, to be my favourite of the four instalments. It was definitely worth the trip.
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