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Home , Andreas Schager, Das Rheingold, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Iain Paterson, Leipzig Opera, Lioba Braun

Wagneriana Autumn 2013 Volume 10, Number 3

It is an attribute of the poet to be more seasoned in his inner perception of the world than in his conscious abstract knowledge.

—— Richard From the President

In This Issue The bicentennial year has almost ended. Nevertheless, the celebrations ■■ From the continue as we organize more special events for the winter and spring. We President 1 began celebrating in the fall of 2012 with Cori Ellison, Asher Fisch, and ■■ Wagnerian Fireworks , and will continue through the spring of 2014. Wagner’s 200th Launch Odyssey anniversary, deservedly, is taking a full two years. 2 On September 14 we all enjoyed a wonderful celebration of the Boston ■■ Odyssey Opera’s Wagner Society’s 10th anniversary. It was gratifying to see so many happy Superb 3 members and to mingle in the convivial social atmosphere. It’s not often that we

■■ A Visually Stunning get together just for fun. Adding spice to the celebration was William Berger’s Ring Cycle at La intelligent and well thought out presentation titled “Producing Wagner on Scala 4 Stage: Beyond the Traditional and the Avant-Garde.”

■■ The Ring in the In late September and October we had a fruitful collaboration with Boston “ of University’s College of Fine Arts. Professor Deborah Burton spearheaded six America” 6 events in close succession, including a concert, a presentation by Met Opera

■■ Delightful Meeting chorus master Donald Palumbo and Met Opera commentator William Berger, with Heldentenor two talks by Wagner’s great-grandson Gottfried Wagner (the second one 9 with Lilienstein and Ron Della Chiesa), a round-table discussion by BU

■■ “Time Here Becomes professors (including Deborah Burton), and a screening of Hilan Warshaw’s Space”: in Wagner’s Jews. What a month that was! 10 We have more interesting events in store for you in the near future. On

■■ Upcoming February 22 composer Tony Schemmer will present his irreverent and hilarious Events 11 take on Wagner’s art. On March 8 William Fregosi, the stage designer, director, and librettist who gave our very first talk in January 2004, will return after ten years to introduce “What the Composer Intended: Producing Wagner on Stage.” And on April 5 the marvelous speaker Saul Lilienstein will present “Wagner and Brahms: Rivalries and Common Ground,” with piano. For those

Continued on back page REVIEW Augmenting the onstage were two brass bands placed at the rear of the balcony, with two sets Wagnerian Fireworks of snare drums located at the front of the balcony. The Launch Odyssey Opera surround-sound effect of this arrangement enhanced the visceral, emotional impact of the music, which Rienzi, concert performance by Odyssey Opera, was thrilling. Here was an early example of Wagner September 15, 2013, Jordan Hall; Rienzi: Kristian trying to create an altered state of consciousness in Benedikt; Irene: Elisabete Matos; Adriano Colonna: the listener; musical repetition and auditory overload, Margaret Jane Wray; Kardinal Orvieto: Kristopher with their insistent forte dynamics, resulted in a musi- Irmiter; Paolo Orsini: David Kravitz; Stefano cal hypnosis. (Of course, Wagner also achieved this Colonna: Stephen Salters; Baroncelli; Ethan Bremner; state with his more mature and compact scene-change Cecco del Vecchio: Robert Honeysucker; Messenger music in Act 3 of Parsifal.) of Peace: Christina English; Herald: Frank Kelley; I single out the brass players for their excellent conductor Gil Rose; chorus master: Harris Ipock; work. They had an immense amount of music to play. Odyssey Opera Orchestra and Chorus; Lorelei The only drawback of the orchestra was its loudness. Ensemble There are moments when massive amounts of sound On September 15, 2013, Odyssey Opera exploded on are appropriate, but overall there was a need for more Boston’s operatic firmament with the city’s first per- varied dynamics, even in so bombastic an opera as formance of Wagner’s early opera Rienzi. Jordan Hall’s Rienzi. walls reverberated with the music of almost 200 play- The title role was sung by the Lithuanian ers and singers, who gave their heart and soul to the Kristian Benedikt. This is a difficult and long role with excesses of Wagner’s French-style . a great deal of forceful declarative singing. I found Written with the hope of financial success and an Benedikt’s sound disappointing. He seemed to push eventual production in , Rienzi was first per- his vocal production to the back of his throat. This formed in 1842 at the Court Theater and technique resulted in a somewhat muffled sound. Yet was the most popular of Wagner’s works during his “Rienzi’s Prayer” (Allmacht’ger Vater) in Act 5 was lifetime. sung with an open and forward sound. Gil Rose, conductor and artistic director of Odys- The unforgiving role of Irene was performed by sey Opera, presented this work in its premiere version, Elisabete Matos. This role needs to be sung which lasts almost four and a half hours. Wagner himself above the orchestra and chorus much of the time, had made cuts for its 1842 premiere, whittling it down which took its toll on Matos’s voice, rendering it from almost six hours. The opera’s length and grandios- screechy at times. ity are a sure indication of where Wagner intended to go Wagner reserved the most exciting solo music for eventually. Unfortunately, the complete manuscript of the trouser role of Adriano, and Margaret Jane Wray this opera is missing. It was in Hitler’s possession until made the most of this. This mezzo-soprano is endowed the end of World War II and then was lost. with a big dramatic voice and sang with conviction and From the beginning of the , it was obvious involvement. Ms. Wray used her whole body to give that this concert would be a great event. The perform- expression to the character’s various emotional states. ers were well prepared, and Gil Rose had full com- There were moments when the music required her to mand of the score. Wagner, influenced by Beethoven’s push her voice, but it never became unpleasant. style of , highlighted all the sections of the David Kravitz threw himself both vocally orchestra in this overture. Under Rose’s direction, each and histrionically (as much as a concert performance instrumental group dazzled with its glorious sound. allows) into the role of Paolo Orsini, and Stephen Salt- The musicians played with excellent tone, compelling ers took the role of his compatriot, Stefano Colonna, rhythmic drive, and melodic momentum throughout. with his full and beautiful sound. Kristopher Irmiter’s Especially amazing was Act 3, the “battle music.” strong voice lent authority and gravitas to the role of

– 2 – Kardinal Orvieto. Baroncelli and Cecco del Vecchio, REVIEW two characters who voice the desires and disappoint- ments of the Roman populace, were intensely sung Odyssey Opera’s Superb by tenor Ethan Bremner and baritone Robert Honey- Rienzi sucker. Mezzo-soprano Christina English performed After a year of mourning the demise of Opera Bos- the part of the Messenger of Peace with a lovely liquid ton—an inventive and daring company with high voice that displayed a beautiful sense of legato and musical standards and a fascinating repertory—the city purity of tone. In the small role of the Herald, tenor celebrated its “revival” when Odyssey Opera presented Frank Kelley commanded the attention of the audience the Boston premiere of Wagner’s Rienzi in concert with his firm delivery. at the acoustically magnificent Jordan Hall. Opera I give a special commendation to the outstand- Boston’s music director, Gil Rose, established the new ing work of the chorus. Whether singly or in divided company and decided to place it before the public with groups, they were responsive, in tune, and exciting. a splash—and nothing operatic makes quite the splash Chorus Master Harris Ipock deserves praise for his of a well-cast and gorgeously played Rienzi. excellent work. Added to this chorus was the fabulous This edition was the one used at the opera’s world singing of the women in the Lorelei Ensemble. Their premiere in Dresden, which observed Wagner’s own purity of tone and perfect intonation were highlights of cuts, without any of the “new” material that has come this performance. to light in recent decades. Given Rose’s taut, exciting I have one suggestion to make: when unfamiliar , it’s time to put aside fears of this opera’s are presented in concert form and there are “impossible” length. Any audience that can sit through extended moments of instrumental music—interludes, Tristan, Götterdämmerung, or Meistersinger should eas- recessionals, processionals, marches, dances, and so ily make it through the extra fifteen minutes or so of on—it would help audience members if the subtitle Rienzi. And the rewards are considerable. screens were used to explain the purpose of these When played and sung as well as we heard it on pieces, thus placing the music in context. Sunday, September 15, Rienzi holds the audience’s Despite the weaknesses of parts of this opera (espe- attention through its great massed choral scenes. cially the overuse of musical sequences), Rienzi has its This is grateful, if demanding, vocal writing, with an moments of glory. Odyssey Opera deserves praise for absorbing plot of the rise and fall of a people’s hero who expanding Boston’s operatic horizon with this blazing succumbs to his own success, becoming an enemy of performance. his countrymen, who in the end destroy him. Lithua- —— David J. Collins nian tenor Kristian Benedikt brought a medium-weight budding heldentenor to the role. With a dark-toned David J. Collins, a board member of the Boston Wagner voice—a bit too far back in the throat for maximum Society, was the resident lecturer for Opera Boston and impact—he was nevertheless untiring and handled teaches opera appreciation in the Greater Boston area. declamatory passages confidently with sturdy high notes. His performance of the Act 5 prayer was lyrical and got a very good hand. One hopes that his voice will grow and come forward to develop some brilliance up top. Margaret Jane Wray, a significant Wagnerian these days, sang Adriano with richly colored floods of tone. Only a couple of the highest notes in her great emerged with slight strain; the rest of the performance was thrilling. Elisabete Matos, the Irene in Opera Orchestra of New York’s concert performance of Rienzi

– 3 – last year, was much the same in Boston. The voice is REVIEW loud, easily carrying the top line in the massed ensem- bles, but it is also strident at fullest volume and often A Visually Stunning Ring crude in phrasing. The strong ensemble in support of Cycle at the leads featured Kristopher Irmiter, David Kravitz, Stephen Salters, Ethan Bremner, and Boston legend , La Scala, June 24–June 29, Robert Honeysucker, who at 70 is still pouring out a 2013; conductor: ; staging and rock-solid, authoritative bronze-toned baritone. Special design: Guy Cassiers, with the assistance of Enrico mention should be made of soprano soloist Christina Bagnoli; costumes: Tim Van Steenbergen; Wotan: English and the Lorelei Ensemble, a women’s modern René Pape and ; Fricka: Ekaterina and early music ensemble, who were outstanding as the Gubanova; : Joh annes Martin Kränzle; Messengers of Peace. Mime: Peter Bronder; Erda: Anna Larson; Fasolt: The orchestra of 77 and the chorus of 72 performed ; Fafner: Alexander Tsymbalyuk; tirelessly, with the addition of 22 brass and percussion Loge: Stephan Rugamer; Siegmund: Simon O’Neill; players divided into two bands, who played in the bal- Sieglinde: ; Hunding: Mikhail cony during the massive third act with its lengthy cho- Petrenko; Brünnhilde: Iréne Theorin; : ral passages. There was not a crack or an instru- and ; Forest Bird: mental misstep of any kind throughout the demanding Mari Eriksmoen (singing) and Viviana Guadalupi score. The effect in Jordan Hall was overwhelming. (miming); Waltraute: Waltraud Meier; : Gerd The audience gave the performers and the triumphant Grochowski; : Mikhail Petrenko; Gutrune: conductor a tumultuous ovation. Who’s afraid of Anna Samuil. Rienzi? Clearly, not Boston—nor should anyone else be. In June I had the good fortune to attend the first of two Ring Cycles at La Scala. Led by Daniel Barenboim, —— William Fregosi these were the only complete cycles performed at La William Fregosi is a stage director, designer, and librettist. Scala in the course of a week since 1938. La Scala has He will give his third presentation to the Boston Wagner been celebrating the bicentennials of both Wagner Society on March 8, 2014. and Verdi all season, and in addition to the Ring, they offered and the Dutchman. I learned that La Scala was presenting the entire Ring from Dalia Geffen’s e-mail to the BWS member- ship at the end of April. After I checked La Scala’s Web site and their brochure, it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. Following a fruitless effort to purchase a ticket through La Scala’s Web site, I turned for assistance to good friends who live in Milan. They obtained a prime, second-level box seat literally on top of the orchestra and just off the stage. The four operas in this production were rolled out separately over the last couple of years both at La Scala and at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, its co-producer. Götterdämmerung was presented just before the complete cycles began. The Belgian director Guy Cassiers was in charge of the staging and set design, assisted by Enrico Bagnoli, with costumes created by Tim Van Steenbergen. A theater director for much of his career, Cassiers and his

– 4 – team created a visually stunning and evocative produc- tion. The setting was abstract and timeless, yet vaguely contemporary. One could say it was the present—the lights of a distant city were seen in some of the back- ground aerial views—yet reflective of the past. This was a world in decline. Abstractions abounded, such as Mime’s workshop crafted entirely in metal, with the walls composed of the broken remains of swords. The staging made heavy use of every imaginable hi-tech visual device, including projections and animations. A uniting element in the staging was a large fiber- glass reproduction of Jef Lambeaux’s bas-relief Les passions humaines, which formed a backdrop at the rear of the stage throughout the four operas. It depicted various writhing and twisted nude figures in a variety of positions. Brown University professor Michael Stein- berg’s essay in the program book described them as “human bodies entwined in poses suggestive of erotic bliss and physical torture, eros and thanatos, love and death.” The original marble of Lambeaux’s Passions humaines was executed in the 1890s and is housed in Brussels in a Greek-temple-like structure built to exhibit it. The piece has been rarely seen, as it was highly controversial when inaugurated, and the exhibit closed to public viewing after just three days. In Cas- siers’ staging, the relief was almost invisible at times and in bold relief at others, depending on the lighting Anna Larson as a huge Erda in La Scala’s Ring Cycle and video projections against it. It was the clearest at the very end of Götterdämmerung, when a second copy of the piece appeared at the front of the stage, clos- tracting, as it was difficult to figure out why they were ing off everything behind it. The lighting turned stark there. Their presence became clearer as they writhed white and raked in to emphasize the bold relief. Were about, becoming a throne for Wotan or a means we supposed to be mindful of the wages of sin? To to disguise Siegfried as Gunther when he claimed repent? It hardly reflected the dawning of a new era, as Brünnhilde. Dancers under a sheet represented the suggested by the redemption motif at the end. dragon Fafner in his cave in Siegfried. One particularly Casts of human body parts created fillers between effective use of a dancer was the personification of the the risers of a stepped platform in Gibichung Hall. forest bird in Siegfried. As Mari Eriksmoen sang the These were used for the chorus scenes of Hagen’s part from the side of the pit, Viviana Guadalupi mimed vassals (in this case, including both men and women). her onstage, enticing Siegfried with her movements as Presumably, they were meant to reflect the brutality of well as with her words. the Gibichungs. Video projections and lighting created magical Another novel feature of this staging was the use effects, such as turning metallic poles into stylized of dancers to personify various objects, including the trees (reminiscent of Lepage’s treatment in the Met- . Appearing primarily in Rheingold and Göt- ropolitan Opera’s new production) and projecting the terdämmerung, at first the dancers were somewhat dis- flowing in Rheingold and the ’ horses

– 5 – in Die Walküre. Particularly effective were the lighting REVIEW effects for the fire surrounding Brünnhilde’s rock in Die Walküre and the fall of in the final scene of The Ring in the “Bayreuth of Götterdämmerung. America” The costumes were vaguely modern, but not explic- itly so. In , Wotan appeared in a collared Der Ring des Nibelungen, , August shirt and double-breasted suit jacket, and the goddesses 20–25, 2013; conductor: Asher Fisch; director: were dressed in long evening gowns. At the beginning Stephen Wadsworth; set designer: Thomas Lynch; of Siegfried, Mime wore leather coveralls, and Siegfried costumes: Martin Pakledinaz; Alberich: Richard a dark leather jacket and trousers. One highlight was Paul Fink; Wotan: ; Fricka: Stephanie the appearance of Erda, who not only rose up from the Blythe; Freia: ; Fasolt: Andrea ground but continued to rise, with her dress growing Silvestrelli; Fafner: Daniel Sumegi; Loge: Mark longer and longer until her head was virtually even Schowalter; Mime: Dennis Petersen; Erda: Lucille with the top of the stage curtain. Less effective were Beer; Donner: Marcus Brück; Froh: Ric Furman; the large-scale live projections, including a seemingly Siegmund: Stuart Skelton; Sieglinde: Margaret Jane screaming face in black and white against a stark, open Wray; Hunding: Andrea Silvestrelli; Brünnhilde: background. Alwyn Mellor; Waltraute: ; Hagen: My favorite singer in this production was Waltraud Daniel Sumegi; Gunther: Marcus Brück; Gutrune: Meier, with her strong, steady delivery and acting—as Wendy Bryn Harmer Sieglinde, Waltraute, and the Second Norn. As one would expect from La Scala musicians, the Das Rheingold orchestra was magnificent, especially the brasses, and This production was absolutely stunning!!!! The staging, full of warmth. The performance was almost unani- singing, acting, and directing were wonderful. I believe mously well received, with the loudest applause and Wagner would have admired it, as it closely followed cheering reserved for Daniel Barenboim. This was what I think he wanted to deliver to his audiences. The so even among the famed loggionisti in the uppermost opening Rhinemaiden scene was mesmerizing, as if one balcony, for whom opera at La Scala is a blood sport. were watching tropical fish swimming in a home aquar- At the curtain calls, Barenboim made a particular point ium. The ’ movements were so fluid and of acknowledging their applause with raised eyes and realistic, one would have thought they were actual fish. hands gesturing to the top of the house—almost as if Oh, how I wish this production had been recorded for he were saying “So there—take that!!” history, if for no other reason than to show future direc- —— Miguel de Bragança tors and producers what can be done with the Ring. Seattle Opera’s major difference from other opera Miguel de Bragança, an avid Wagnerian, has been a mem- houses is its proscenium, which is slightly more hori- ber of the Boston Wagner Society since 2006. He is on the zontal than vertical. The stage is like a high-definition board of the Boston Lyric Opera. television screen with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio, and the pro- duction fills every square inch of it in stunning detail; imagine watching a super-high-definition 3D produc- tion on a TV. After seeing the Lepage Ring live in HD and live at the Met last year and again in HD, I was struck by this one’s attention to detail, which was passed over, par- ticularly in the lack of directing, in the Lepage Ring. One example is the death of Fasolt, who is mourned by the clan of gods for the remainder of the opera. Even

– 6 – Seattle Opera lavished a lot of attention on the staging and directing, which would have made Wag- ner proud. “Marvelous” is not too strong a word to describe this production, especially after having read how the Wagner sisters despoiled the Wagner heritage in Bayreuth.

Die Walküre Die Walküre was as great as Das Rheingold. The detailed attention paid to the scenery was stunning, and the staging was completely faithful to the text. All the performers sang beautifully and did some fine act- ing. The orchestra, under the baton of Asher Fisch, was spot on. The fire Wotan built around Brünnhilde at the end of the final act? Well, that wasa real fire!!Magnificent. The staging gave me the illusion that Wotan could walk right through it as he left his favorite asleep on the mountain, surrounded by the flames.

Stuart Skelton (Siegmund) and Margaret Jane Siegfried and Götterdämmerung Wray (Sieglinde) (photo © Elise Bakketun) Seattle Opera concluded the Ring’s final cycle, which was rumored to be the last run of this production. up to the last chord, Fricka seems lost when realizing All the singers gave us good to excellent performanc- that Alberich has cursed the ring, personified by the es. The German tenor Stefan Vinke, making his Seattle body of Fasolt still lying near center stage. There are Ring debut, offered a fine Siegfried in Siegfried, and no happy hikers across the rainbow bridge in Seattle, he was quite strong to the very end of the opera. That except for Wotan. His clan seems to understand that their fate is sealed as Wotan plots to regain the ring that brings death to whoever possesses it. This Rheingold sets you up with a vision of the dire consequences that will befall the gods in the remaining three operas. Seattle’s titles, projected above the proscenium, add to this dramatic effect, as the translations are much stronger than at the Met or in other productions I have seen. A lot of detail seems to have gone into these titles, which communicate what the producers and director think Wagner wants to tell us. Also striking is this production’s interpretation of the relationship between Loge and the Rhinemaidens. Loge constantly pleads with Wotan to give the gold back to the maidens and the river. This is no jovial Luretta Bybee (Schwertleite), Sarah Heltzel (Siegrune), demi-god; he is serious and preoccupied throughout Jessica Klein (Helmwige), Margaret Jane Wray (Sieglinde), the opera, with a single-minded mission to return the Alwyn Mellor (Brünnhilde) (photo © Elise Bakketun) gold to the river and the maidens.

– 7 – was four hours of singing, not counting the two intermissions. Vinke’s successful perfor- mance, with his attractive voice and wonderful stamina, contin- ued in Götterdämmerung. I got goose bumps as the first chords of Götterdämmerung sounded in the darkened theater. To me, the beginning bars of Göt- terdämmerung are among the finest sounds ever heard. The beautiful staging con- tinued in these two operas, as did the excellent titles, mak- Greer Grimsley as Wotan, surrounded by real fire (photo© Alan Alabastro) ing this production accessible to those who have little or no experience with the Ring. They functioned as a narra- tive of the plot, partly because of the excellent transla- tion and also because they were projected above the stage in large type, in the audience’s line of sight. Seattle Opera is nicknamed the Bayreuth of Ameri- ca. To that I say amen.

—— John Sauer

John Sauer, a member of the Boston Wagner Society, keeps opera friends around the world aware of the latest with his Sharpjack Opera News, especially “What is going on behind the curtain.”

The final curtain call at Seattle’sRing Cycle (photo by Dalia Geffen)

Stefan Vinke (Siegfried) with Fafner (photo © Alan Alabastro)

– 8 – Delightful Meeting with this arduous role. I was completely flabbergast- Heldentenor Stuart Skelton ed. Not only is Skelton Before I flew to Seattle for last summer’s production of a true heldentenor, but the Ring Cycle, I contacted the Australian heldentenor he also has a phenom- Stuart Skelton via Facebook. I already knew about him, enal memory. It was having attended Lepage’s Die Walküre last year, where obvious to me that he is his “Wälse, Wälse” had been astonishingly long, just a extremely motivated to hair under Melchior’s, and without any sign of strain. master his roles and to After messaging back and forth on Facebook, Skel- make all the necessary ton agreed to meet me in my hotel lobby in the after- sacrifices for his interna- noon of the third Rheingold. He was right on time. We tional career. Along the walked to a nearby café, and while sipping our cappuc- way, he also manages to Heldentenor Stuart Skelton cinos, we chatted about his amazing career and what have some fun, which is in a café in Seattle (photo by it’s like to be so much in demand all over the world. absolutely essential. Paul Geffen) Skelton, who now lives in Florida, said that in this We were get- calendar year he has spent only seven days at his house! ting along famously, and toward the end I asked him The rest of the time, he has been flying from city to whether he would come to Boston and sing for us. city, regaling audiences everywhere with his gorgeous “Absolutely,” he replied, which surprised and thrilled singing and wonderful acting. During one hectic tour me. Then and there, we picked a month and a year. in Europe, he woke up in a hotel room one morning not He said he would be unable to come for three years knowing which city he was in. because of all his engagements, and then rattled off his I asked him how many Wagnerian roles he has future singing roles and the cities. Another astounding mastered. Five, he said, Tristan among them. Then feat. Most singers rely on their agents to keep track of I inquired how long it took him to learn the role of their performances. But not Skelton! He will come in Tristan. The answer? Three months! This is an October 2016. astounding feat, as it takes a year or two for most hel- dentenors to get to the point where they can perform —— Dalia Geffen

Photos from Seattle

Left to right, front: Members Dalia Geffen, John Sauer, David Friend, Margaret Shepherd, and Renata Members David Friend and Margaret Shepherd Cathou at the opera house in the lobby of Seattle Opera House

– 9 – REVIEW phor of the opera), and “animals are special in this opera.” “Time Here Becomes My German depends on the dog-eared, battered Space”: Parsifal in Leipzig Larousse that I have with me at all times. For the nearly four hours of Parsifal, I depended on projected German Parsifal, May 20, 2013, Oper Leipzig, Gewandhaus- text above the stage. This made a lot of sense. It wasn’t orchester; conductor: ; director: a translation I was reading as the piece moved along, Roland Aeschlimann; costumes: Susanne Raschig; but the original Wagner. As the words and concepts Gurnemanz: Jan-Hendrik Rootering; Kundry: Lioba became clear and the meaning of the text sank in, I Braun; Amfortas: Tuomas Pursio; Parsifal: Stefan began to feel as if I were seeing Wagner’s music and Vinke; Klingsor: Jürgen Kurth listening to his images. My on-and-off, life-or-death struggle with the Ger- Both Das Rheingold and Die Meistersinger, the two man language continued in Leipzig on May 20, with other operas staged, featured projected Parsifal, a bicentennial production that the seemingly German text above the stage. I blanked out on most ubiquitous Leipzig Wagner Society (Richard-Wagner- of the text in these operas, so that by the time I got to Verband Leipzig) generously brokered seats for. Parsifal, I realized that however much I have listened to Despite having only six principal soloists and the and seen these operas, I still don’t know the language intimacy of its dramatic focus, Parsifal is a big show: well. the full technical and vocal resources of a major opera company are required to do it in the grand style, and Leipzig had both on this occasion. They had more. To beef up the resident chorus in the Grail Temple scenes of Acts 1 and 3, the producers brought in additional chorus members, together with a children’s and the Women of Leipzig Youth Chorus for the ethereal parts of the temple tableaux (are they scenes or diora- mas?). So what I saw and heard was not chamber-music Wagner, but something bigger and heavier. The adjectives big and heavy apply to the instru- mentalists as well. Maestro Ulf Schirmer drew sounds from the Gewandhaus Orchester that approached the monumentality of Wagner’s score. If the onstage drama was gripping, the orchestra’s performance was thrilling. At the Met, Parsifal is one more repertory opera with an international cast of singers. At Leipzig, (Kundry) and Stefan Vinke (Parsifal) in Maestro Schirmer was out to show that the opera Leipzig Opera’s production (photo © Andreas Birkigt/ represents Wagner “making reparations toward God.” Oper Leipzig) I don’t know whether he succeeded, but he certainly led a strong performance on all counts. As I settled into my seat (on the floor, about ten feet from the stage), I scoured the voluminous program Parsifal was the only one I felt comfortable with lin- notes for insights into Wagner’s last, enigmatic work guistically. I began to feel that I was grasping Wagner’s (1882) in that distant, convoluted German. I came words for the first time as they came from the singers, up with: “Time here becomes Space” (a line from the instead of somebody else’s interpretation. opera), “philosophical advice and an entrance ticket to All the singing was capable instead of inspired, with the World of the Wound” (a reference to a key meta- a stand-out Kundry from the mezzo-soprano Lioba

– 10 – Braun. All the principals were German, with one exception—the Finnish -baritone Tuomas Pursio Upcoming Events (Amfortas), who had made a strong impression a few nights earlier as the Wotan in Das Rheingold. Pursio Saturday, February 22, 2014, 2 p.m. delivered his two extended monologues of suffering with powerful vocalism and penetrating acting. As “The Importance of Being Parsifal, Stefan Vinke wore big, floppy bloomers, which Wagner” brought a Moorish touch to an opera with a Moorish A humorous talk and audiovisual presentation setting (medieval Spain). But he overdid the kid act in by composer Tony Schemmer Act 1. On several occasions he belted it out instead of Hunnemann Hall singing. Public Library of Brookline I wasn’t swayed by this production, but it did have 361 Washington Street its memorable touches and images. The Grail was not Brookline, MA 02446 a vessel but a mirror that flashed the image of a suffer- Free and open to all ing Christ on the scrim during the first Grail Temple scene. In Act 2 the scenery was a gigantic spear point that levitated miraculously when Parsifal vanquished Saturday, March 8, 2014, 2 p.m. the evil magic of Klingsor. The temple scenes had a “What the Composer Intended: giant, spiraling funnel that I took to be a symbol of Producing Wagner on Stage” infinity. In an unorthodox touch, the German director Roland Aeschlimann gave us a huge stage full of gold Talk and audiovisual presentation by director/ Buddha statues for the Good Friday passage in Act 3. stage designer/librettist William Fregosi “Leipzig’s time has come,” read a text by Nike Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Wagner (Wagner’s great-granddaughter). Performances 80 Gerrys Landing for the bicentenary year and later will continue with Cambridge, MA 02138 a Parsifal reprise (March 30 and April 18, 2014), Das Free and open to all Liebesverbot (March 1 and May 28, 2014), Die Walküre (December 7 and 22, 2013; January 5 and 11, 2014), Saturday, April 5, 2014, 1:30 p.m. and (April 20 and 25, May 6, and June 27, “Wagner and Brahms: Rivalries 2014). A musical created specifically for children and young adults, Wagner’s Ding mit dem Ring, will also and Common Ground” be performed. This work “uses all the elements of the Talk and audiovisual presentation by Dr. Saul musical comedy genre” and explores the “intricate Lilienstein family relationships of The Valkyrie,” as well as the Hunnemann Hall runes and dragons of that inspired Public Library of Brookline Wagner (November 26 and 27, 2013; January 25 and 361 Washington Street 26, March 1 and 2, and April 5 and 6, 2014). Brookline, MA 02446 —— John Engstrom Free and open to all

John Engstrom, a member of the Boston Wagner Soci- ety since 2012, is a writer and photographer who lives in Boston.

– 11 – Photos from the Boston Wagner Society’s tenth anniversary

Jerry Merson and board member Maestro Jeffrey Brody and soprano Members Hildegaard Kiel and David J. Collins Joanna Porackova Mima Leivi, with Nicholas Newman in the background

From left to right: Secretary Brian Reasoner and Paul Kleinman (background), Kathleen McDermott, Bill Nigreen, and Tom Henderson Photos by Dalia Geffen and Paul Geffen

From the President, from page 1 of you who have tickets to the Met’s HD broadcast on that day, please note that there is an encore of the Editor and Publisher: Dalia Geffen broadcast on April 9. Associate Editor: Donald Rosenthal All over the world, there were numerous Wagner Designer: Susan Robertson performances in celebration of the bicentennial. This Proofreader: Paul Geffen Logo design: Sasha Geffen issue is full of reviews, beginning with two of Rienzi Wagneriana is a publication of the Boston Wagner in Boston. The Wagner Society of Leipzig, Wagner’s Society, copyright © The Boston Wagner Society, birthplace, organized numerous wonderful events, Inc. including Leipzig Opera’s performances of Parsifal, We welcome contributions to Wagneriana. Please contact us at [email protected] or here reviewed by John Engstrom. La Scala presented 617-323-6088. a Ring Cycle, here reviewed by Miguel de Bragança. www.bostonwagnersociety.org Seattle Opera’s gorgeous Ring Cycle is reviewed by Boston Wagner Society, P.O. Box 320033, Boston, John Sauer. MA 02132-0001, U.S.A.

—— Dalia Geffen

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