San Francisco Ring 2011 Text: John L. Digaetani

Text: John L. DiGaetani San Francisco Ring 2011 / San Francisco Opera Weaver Kuva: Cory I was very happy to be at the second of the three Ring cycles which the San Francisco opera performed during June of 2011. The star of the whole cycle became Nina Stem- me, a Brünnhilde who reminded many of us of Birgit Nilsson and her singing of that role. Stemme, another Swedish soprano, sang the role gloriously with a large, gorgeo- us voice which could easily be heard over the orchestra. Her top was secure, her mid- dle was very good, and her low notes usually projected well. She can even sing with por- tamento — the shaping and connecting of notes — something Birgit Nilsson could also so. But Stemme is a better actress and can move around the stage with dramatic intent. One wished that her German diction were better, but this was a minor flaw. Certainly drama and acting were real fortes in this Ring, thanks to Francesca Zambello’s forceful direction so that the sympathetic throughout this Ring, making Katy Tucker added tremendous meaning singers’ acting became consistently involved him a wonderful foil to Wotan’s attempts at and visual variety during the musical inter- and motivated. Donald Runnicles provided legality and love. ludes between the scenes, emphasizing natu- excitement from the orchestra thanks to his The production mixed visual styles, with re and its destruction by human greed and conducting an orchestra with a solid and ac- most of the singers appearing in contempo- corporate industry. The theme of industria- curate brass, though one sometimes wished rary dress, but the updating usually made lism and its destruction of nature, while re- for a lovelier tone from the strings. Runnicles sense — though if Wotan were a corporate levant in the Ring, made for some very dre- also generated rhythmic energy throughout executive why would he be carrying a speak ary sets during the last two operas, often do- the cycle. This was a feminist Ring, with the and worrying about what the goddess Erda minated by shades of gray — especially sad female roles particularly emphasized, an en- thinks? Changing time periods usually ma- during Act II of Siegfried. The theme of ho- ding with a young girl planting a tree — an kes the plot look silly, but can be very ef- melessness, still so apparent in San Francis- effective symbol of new hope for the world fective despite this — which happened in co, also appeared in this Ring with the Rhi- now that the gods have died and humanity this Ring. ne maidens in the last opera, appearing as takes control. Some of the feminism beca- Speaking of Erda, Ronnita Miller be- women who lived on the streets and beg- me rather naive — implying that men are al- came a vocally impressive Erda, and also a ged Siegfried for their ring back. Melissa ways interested in power and carrying guns. first Norn. Her large mezzo-soprano/cont- Citro made Gutrune a lively presence, here Both Fricka and Brünnhilde voiced murde- ralto voice sounded glorious and added to having an affair with her half-brother Ha- rous intent as well and caused the deaths of the impression of her music. The Siegfrieds, gen. Gerd Grochowski’s Gunther personi- Siegmund and Siegfried. always the most difficult roles to cast, were fied the weak leader, looking for direction Brandon Jovanovich became a very force- satisfactory as well. Both Jay Hunter Mor- from his siblings. ful Siegmund and an interesting Froh — sin- ris (in Siegfried) and Ian Storey (in Götter- Zambello’s production and direction and ging both parts very well with a lovely bari- dämmerung) sang these difficult parts very Runnicles’ conducting, plus this excellent tonal color in his beautiful heldentenor voi- honorably, though one wished the costume cast of singers, created standing ovations at ce and acting with abandon. Anja Kampe’s designer (Catherine Zuber) had not made the end of each of the four operas and in- Sieglinde became a victim of spousal abuse, them look like stagehands so often. dicated the success of San Francisco’s Ring. though not always sung beautifully enough. More successful than the costumes were Both dramatically and musically, this Ring Mark Delavan’s Wotan convinced more for the sets by Michael Yeargan, which varied became a moving artistic experience and his acting, playing each scene forcefully and from corporate boardrooms to scenes of na- (thankfully) not a freak show. presenting Wotan as a leader horrified by his ture. The film strips by Jan Hartley and S. own power and the victim of that power, but / San Francisco Opera Weaver Kuva: Cory his singing sometimes wore out by the final scenes. Andrea Silvestrelli was both Fasolt and Hagen and his acting remained always impressive, though his vocal quality varied from wonderful to gravelly. Daniel Sumegi sang both Fafner and Hunding, both very capably. Also in Das Rheingold, Elizabeth Bishop sang the part of Fricka with gorgeo- us voice and subtle and varied acting. Stefan Margita stole the show in Rheingold as Loge for his comically cynical acting and clear and always audible diction. David Cangelosi became a comic but still malicious delight as Mime in the first and third operas, earning well-deserved ovations. Gordon Hawkins’ Alberich appeared malevolent rather than http://www.suomenwagnerseura.org/wagneriaani/ Wagneriaani 53 Kuva: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera Lepage’s Walküre at the Met Text: Craig Knobles Disappointment was what I felt as I left the air like the floating promontories painted backlighting have much to do with fire as Metropolitan Opera House after the première by Magritte. The effects strove for realism it streamed blindingly into the opera hou- of the second segment of Robert Lepage’s (more effective in the opera house than on se, not unlike the sun that ended the Paris Ring, Die Walküre. The feeling came not just HD.) Symbolic elements did exist: Fricka ar- Opera’s new Siegfried. from swollen expectations of the visual ex- rived on a throne, which glided slowly but One expects spring, the Todesverkündigung citement that would result from this inven- noisily down from the top of the crag, her and the Zauberfeuer to be high points, but tive director, but from the misapplication of rams as armrests. This impressively enfor- here they disappointed. What was memo- spectacle that showed a lack of concern for ced her majesty and the correctness of her rable, however, in this Walküre were the inti- the drama’s profile. argument. The crag itself was furrowed by mate moments, though these came through The inevitable machine was back at work, lava flows, or fissures in the earth through better in the HD broadcast than in the hou- rising to pure vertical to represent logs, like a which one could see the magma pulsing, se. The gestures between that old married stockade; then with the planks separating to Lepage’s evocation of the Icelandic fire be- couple Wotan and Fricka were sometimes indicate the trunks of trees in a forest through neath the ice – suggesting too that Nibel- touching, sometimes angry, but always vividly which Siegmund and his lantern-carrying pur- heim was erupting into Wotan’s world. La- depicted. Brünnhilde’s hesitant approach to suers wove their way. Next the planks spun to ter, in the god’s monologue with Brünnhil- Siegmund was achingly poignant. The Wo- create the ceiling of Hunding’s house, with de, the crag became an eye socket, while a tan/Brünnhilde scene of Act III was intri- the two central slats remaining vertical to be- disk rose to form an eyeball, on which were cately choreographed up until the last mo- come the sword-pierced tree. Finally with the projected vaguely the scenes Wotan descri- ment when he lifted his daughter off-stage freeing of Notung, the ceiling turned over bed. Was this Wotan’s other eye, the one gi- on their two spears. Even a bit of humor was to form Hunding’s roof and thrust the Wäl- ven up to gain knowledge (or Fricka), or was added as Hunding hung his fur cape on the sung pair outdoors. Other than these chan- it the eye described to Siegfried as “das eine, sword: familiarity breeding contempt. ges, the machine remained inert in Act I, a das mir zum Sehen verblieb”? These images Act I had the most exciting of the principal mere backdrop to the action. A bit of visu- had vividness, so much so that they trum- singers, Jonas Kaufmann, whose virile, thro- al relief did come during Siegmund’s narra- ped what should have been the magic cen- aty sound had a distinct edge, but warmth, tion, when the ceiling was used to show sil- ter of the act, making painfully prosaic the endowing his Siegmund with melancholy – houettes of his tale in the flickering hearth- Todesverkündigung, with Brünnhilde merely and I have never heard a securer high A in light, an animation almost as clever as that stepping out from the wings. “Wälsungen-Blut.” His Sieglinde, Eva-Ma- used in Act I of Stockholm’s Siegfried. But Act III likewise misplaced its effects. The ria Westbroek (after a first-night indisposi- this was all there was of visual excitement; Walkürenritt had the Valkyries riding planks tion required her replacement post Act I by and, what should have been riotously ex- made to look like the heads of particularly the ever competent Margaret Jane Wray) had pressed, namely the coming of spring, was long-nosed horses: it was a crowd pleaser. good moments too, lavishly pouring out her shown here merely by the backdrop’s being Later the magic mountain mentioned abo- broad soprano at every opportunity.

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