Ring Cycle By: David Barbour

OPERA Copyright Lighting &Sound America January 2011 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html

Das Rheingold commences the Metropolitan

Opera’s stunning new Ring Cycle By: David Barbour

52 • January 2011 • Lighting &Sound America he opera world loves a controversial the set function as required? And new production, and this season the how would the worldwide audience Metropolitan Opera has given it a of Wagner fans—an eccentric lot not real beauty in Das Rheingold , the known for being shy about their opener in its new staging of Wagner’s opinions—react? Ring Cycle . All the elements were in The answers are not yet final— place for a potential scandal: An there is no way to judge the whole internationally famous director, an cycle until all four operas have been ambitious set design that tested the staged—but the early signs are limits of the venue, interactive projec - promising. Das Rheingold opened to tions, and a staging that makes use raves for the cast and James Levine’s of acrobatic feats and body doubles. handling of the score. The production Oh, and a budget that reportedly garnered a broad range of opinions, reached $16 million dollars. most of them ranging from respectful Usually, the pre-opening publicity to favorable. At the very least, for a new Met Opera production everyone seems to agree that it is a focuses first on the stars, secondly fascinating combination of complex on the director, and, if there is any technology and aesthetic simplicity, a time or interest left, on the design that, above all, means to serve production. In the case of the Ring Wagner’s sprawling epic drama of Cycle, the design concept became a gods and humans locked in a major talking point months before struggle over a magic ring—a the curtain rose on Das Rheingold . struggle that will mark the end of one The New York Times sent a reporter world and the beginning of another. to cover the load-in. The New York According to Robert Lepage, who Post offered a detailed guide to the is staging the operas at the Met, “The set and how it functions. As the Ring is a revolutionary work of art. premiere approached, the level of You’re not the same person once chatter became deafening. Many you’ve done it.” By the time Wagner’s questions lingered: In this economy, cycle has been completed, one has could the Met afford it? Would the the feeling that the Metropolitan design overwhelm the opera? Would Opera may never be the same. a r e p O n a t i l o p o r t e M / d r a w o H n e K : s o t o h p l l A

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Above: The entrance into Valhalla. Previous spread: Wotan and Loge descend into Nibelheim. Boucher is especially proud of this scene, which he lit with one unit shining through the doorway.

The Valhalla machine and a canvas for projections. The Wotan’s sister-in-law, as payment— The lion’s share of attention has been planks, driven by an old-fashioned the wall breaks into five parts. The focused on Carl Fillion’s set, or what spindle system, ripple like water or left, right, and middle sections lean the Times , in its feature story, called form giant hands for Fasolt and back at about a 45° angle. Between “The Valhalla machine.” Interestingly, Fafner [the giants] to stand on.” them are formed two platforms, it is meant to serve all four operas. It The figures are impressive: Each of lowered like drawbridges, on which that seems like an unworkable idea, the 24 planks is 2' wide, 29' long, and the giants appear. When Wotan, and rest assured that this is no ordinary weighs 726lbs. The axis is 5' wide. Loge, his servant, head to Nibelheim set. As described by Daniel J. Wakin The planks can revolve a full 360°. in order to obtain the ring that in the Times , it “consists of two 26'- The set, which sits directly upstage of Alberich, the dwarf, has stolen from tall towers holding an axis, which can the deck where most of the action the Rhinemaidens, the wall rises up move up and down driven by takes place, changes position every and spirals around, creating a winding hydraulics. Twenty-four planks, five to ten minutes throughout Das pathway that hovers over the deck. In actually in the rough form of severely Rheingold . The wall rears upward, this configuration, the set, rising up elongated triangles, are attached to with a slight buckle in the middle, to even further, provides the ceiling for the axis at their thickest point, like make the underwater home of the Nibelheim, where Alberich, drawing seesaws. When at rest, they create a Rhinemaidens, who are rigged to fly on the power of the ring, has platform that fills out most of the in front of their watery home. When enslaved a race of dwarves. At the stage. But the planks can revolve Wotan, ruler of the gods, confronts opera’s end, when the gods enter around the axis together or independ - the giants Fasolt and Fafner—the their new home by way of a rainbow ently, producing myriad shapes, and latter have built Valhalla as home for bridge, the wall rises up, and the they serve as both stage architecture the gods and they want Freia, middle portion provides a walkway,

54 • January 2011 • Lighting &Sound America Another shot of the rainbow bridge to Valhalla. The color effects on the upstage cyc are generated by ETC Selador Vivid LED units. shimmering with color, that provides production; he also staged The feel very organic. Very early on, we an entry point into Valhalla. Damnation of Faust at the Met two decided to create a spine to the set The setting has a stark and seasons ago, in a production that that allows us to move things and monumental quality that makes it made extensive use of interactive articulate things. So the set is actually more than suitable for a bleak and projections. And readers of this not only illustrating some of the ideas tragic drama about the lust for power. magazine will recall him as the director in the Ring , but it’s also literally Lepage, in an interview on the the Cirque du Soleil spectacle KÀ , supporting the characters and the Metropolitan Opera website, says that which also features interactive projec - ideas...it was important for us that the he drew inspiration for the production tions and a stage that is a remarkable set be very nimble, very flexible, very from a trip to Iceland, which he feat of engineering. Speaking specifi - adaptable, and alive, so that it not only describes as “a land of fire and ice cally about the set, Lepage says, “We moves, but it also breathes. and weird phenomena that you don’t were guided by Wagner’s use of Speaking of the design process, see anywhere else. It’s like another leitmotifs. He positions them in Fillion says, “From the beginning, we planet. And it’s a great place to build different relationships; sometimes he had the idea of the single set. But we a Valhalla. Because there are almost uses the same motif that he plays weren’t sure if it was a good idea, no trees or vegetation, you see the backwards, or in major or minor, so because, after all, we are talking weather formations for days and days the motifs are cousins. It was about 16 hours of music. It could be in advance…It’s a place where nature important that we create a theatre difficult to keep the audience’s speaks to you, so it gives you a machine that would be similarly interest over that amount of time. This plethora of ideas for image, set versatile—a set that had its own life was the big concern, an interesting design, music, sound effects.” and could actually go through different challenge to try, at least.” This is, of course, a Robert Lepage metamorphoses but, at the same time, Fillion, a longtime Lepage collabo -

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The Rhinemaidens. In Nibelheim, Alberich transforms himself into a dragon.

rator, adds, “The idea of the planks under a tight deadline. The 65' I- and performing other tasks.” Of moving on the axis was there from beams, the sort used to build high- course, he notes, there are many E- the beginning of the project, although rises, were chopped into smaller stops built in the set, which can be it changed somewhat during the pieces, shoved through holes in walls operated by the performers. “There process of design. We always work of the rooms below the stage, and are other possibilities before the E- with prototypes in a laboratory; this is spliced together. They had to be stop,” he adds. “You can hit the stop how we have worked for many years. passed over gas, electric, water, and button the computer and it stops the You cannot just draw it, build it, and telephone lines that traveled below action until you hit ‘play’ again.” put it on a stage. You have to work the ceilings. Each end of the beams with prototypes and models, to do was attached to a load-bearing wall.” A world of elements the research to know if you’re putting The set was built by Scène Projections constitute a major aspect on something that’s completely Éthique, the Montreal-base scenic of the design, and, in fact, they break wrong.” He adds that the research fabrication company. (This in itself is down into two different categories: paid off: “There are so many possibil - rather unusual, as the Met normally traditional and interactive. The inter - ities with this set, it is incredible.” builds its own sets.) And, of course, it active images respond to the action Not that the set didn’t pose a few comes with its own custom on stage. When Alberich lands at the problems along the way. As was automation system. “There are many bottom of the Rhine, the pebbles that reported in the Times last June, struc - different techniques that we use to make up the riverbed shift around at tural engineers had concluded that move the set,” says Fillion. “There are the touch of his feet. Similarly, there the 45-ton set might cause the floor hydraulics to lift the axis and produce are bubbles emanating from each under the stage to collapse. To avoid the rotation. We have a program - Rhinemaiden’s mouth. Loge travels this, the Met hired Koenig Iron Works, mable brake system to stop it at with a pool of fire beneath him that based in Long Island City, New York precise positions set by the also reacts to the touch of his feet. to install three 65' girders beneath the computer. The power unit that runs Boris Firquet, another longtime stage, an effort that the Times called the set is located under the stage. Lepage collaborator, designed the “a feat of delicate engineering They had to organize a space for it, traditional projections and provided involving thousands of pounds of because it is very heavy and you overall creative direction for the steel that counts as a permanent cannot move it.” opera’s visual imagery, much of structural change to the opera house, The hydraulic system is run by one which has an elemental nature. the most extensive work yet to operator, but, Fillion adds, the Often, cloud formations pass across prepare for a new production there.” management of the machine is a the set. When the action moves to Also, according to the Times , complex, labor-intensive job: “You Nibelheim, the underside of the wall, “Koenig’s president, Barry Leistner, need many technicians under the in its spiral configuration, is covered said the reinforcement was tough, apron to load in the movements, and with angry red and copper rock performed in cramped spaces and also behind the set, clipping ropes formations. For the entrance to

56 • January 2011 • Lighting &Sound America The gods confront Fasolt and Fafner.

Valhalla at the end, the wall is trans - gestures, and can follow the 24 server system involves a custom formed into a cliffside effect. planks of the moving set that serve as software written by the designer, Firquet says he creates his images screens. Our system detects using the popular software Isadora as by combining elements of various movement and sounds, generates its basis. The projection system is pictures. “My approach is more like images, distorts them as the scenery controlled by a stand-alone painting,” he says. “I live in the rotates, and assigns images to the grandMA2 console. country, and I roam around taking appropriate video projectors, all in In this situation, with the set photos and mashing them together to real time.” constantly changing its shape, create an organic feel.” The latter The projections are, by and large, dealing with the keystoning of the point is especially important to him: “I subtly worked into the stage pictures; images was a major task. “It was kind don’t want the images to have a as a result, they are meant to add of crazy,” says Firquet. “When you video-game look,” he adds. bits of telling detail, not to draw have ten projectors on a moving set, The interactive images are another attention to themselves. “We worked you have all sorts of crazy calcula - matter altogether. Roger Parent, hard not to upstage anything,” tions. Also, you have encoders in the president of the firm Realisations.net, Firquet says. “What’s important is the set sending data to the computers; it says he developed “a custom system music and the singing.” involves a lot of engineering that I based on interactive technology Nevertheless, getting proper don’t really understand. My called SENSEI.” As he points out, coverage of the large set isn’t easy, computers send signals to the image these constitute a very different he adds. “It’s kind of tricky, because composing system, which is then fed notion of projected images. “You’ve certain angles are hard to reach. The to a distortion system that handles seen the pebbles in the Rhine set is also hard to light; it’s mostly lit the mapping of the image.” Maidens scene,” he says. “We’re not from the back. We worked on “It’s this idea of putting playing a video of pebbles. Although maquettes in the workshop, using 1:5 technology to the service of the we’re using a video projector, we’re models, but it was really hard to music and the choreography and the not putting video inside it.” Instead, predict how it would look at the Met. theatrical presence of the he says, the pebbles “are computer- Really, it was a process of trial and performers,” says Lepage in his generated particles that are waiting to error, finding the right approach.” Metropolitan Opera interview. “We’re be triggered by performers on There are ten projectors: seven trying to braid together a lot of stage—like when Wotan turns his Panasonic 10K D-10000U units with a elements. For instance, at the top of hammer and the clouds turn with it. 4:3 aspect and two Christie 30K Die Walk üre [the next production in These particle images have behaviors Roadie and one 35K Roadie, each the cycle], you try to follow all the that are waiting to be activated. with a 16:9 aspect. “There are three motifs that are in that three-minute Because they’re triggered by motion stacked together in the dome of the prelude and the action and energy detection devices, they’re ready to be auditorium,” says Firquet, “and seven that it suggests. In our production, influenced by an actor’s voice or on the parterre level.” The media we ask people to run in through the

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Philippe Jean, of the Montreal-based firm Ateliers Numeriques. The units are all custom-made, notes Jean: “Everything was handcrafted; I designed the electronics to find something that could be highly configurable. They’re all based on RGBA LEDs Each costume can contain up to 12 units, each with five colors; one single costume has 60 DMX channels.” They are controlled via wireless DMX, using components from New York-based City Theatrical. “In each costume is the equivalent of a small light board,” says Jean. “I used tiny microcontrollers, using DMX to control all the channels. We use one channel in record mode to record Loge has LED units built into his costume (above, left). He also moves in a pool of fire; all the channels in a cue, then we use the effect is one of the many interactive projections. In this case, it is altered by the movement of his feet. playback mode to execute the cue. The controller box is about 6" by 6" by 1", because you need batteries forest, and we see the forest being Overall, the designer relies heavily and, of course, the LED units.” formed. We even see the snowstorm, on sidelight and diagonal backlight as Building these units into the as it’s actually being produced by a way of dealing with the set and costumes was not easily achieved, he the music coming from the pit. A projections. “At the Met, you have to adds: “There were many problems. bunch of pixels and particles are place the projection units really far Finding the right battery was a big there, and the wind twirls them and away from the stages,” he says. “This issue—one that was not too heavy moves them around, all according to reduces their output, so I have to be but which gave us enough power to the music. It’s not prerecorded; it’s very careful with the lighting. do what we wanted to do. You’re because of the swelling that comes Sometimes it was tough for me, basically integrating something that’s from the orchestra.” because I wanted to have more meant to be in a hard box punch on certain effects.” Because somewhere, and you’re putting it in a Colors of the gods the Met’s repertory rig was of little costume, which is a supple, moving Etienne Boucher was charged with use in this situation, Boucher had piece of work. That integration was a creating a lighting design that dealt installed a set of 39 automated units, bit of a challenge. And when you try with a malleable environment that is used not for big sweeping effects but to do it an opera house like the Met, informed by large-scale projections. because they could be constantly you have to deal with many different Furthermore, he had to deal with the refocused. These units consist of departments—costumes, wardrobe, relatively short cueing time allowed for Philips Vari*Lite VL3500s—in both electrics. They don’t normally have to in the Met’s production process. “As Spot and Wash versions. “All of the meet with each other. It was an inter - soon as I realized how short the time backlight is made by the Wash units,” esting challenge to blend all those would be for me to create everything, he says. “The top light and side light departments together. For them, it I went to Proluxon, a studio in in front of the axis is provided by the was a different way of doing things” Montreal, to work on previsualization,” Spot units.” Also added to the light Boucher says his efforts at he says. “Using WYSIWYG, I was able plot was a series of ETC Selador integrating lighting effects into the to play with my ideas for nearly a year Vivid LED striplights, which provide production also proved challenging at before we got on the set last August. the colorful effects seen on the cyc times. “I created a gold reflection for At that point, we had two weeks to do located just upstage of the set. the moment when Alberich slides all the cues for Das Rheingold and Die In one of the production’s more down toward the gold at the bottom Walk üre . It was a challenge, but unusual aspects, some characters of the Rhine. I used a Rosco X- Robert Lepage and I have worked carry LED units in their hands or have Effects projector to make a water together for many years, and it was them built into their costumes. These effect, then added a goldish color to easy for us to exchange our ideas.” were developed for Boucher by it, but there was so little room under

58 • January 2011 • Lighting &Sound America the apron that I couldn’t use more light it properly, but also to create radical reinterpretation one sees in than one unit; my goal was to have a some ambiance and follow the many European opera houses—which big punch of gold reflections, but all I projections. And, working at the Met, usually raises the hackles of conser - could use was that one spot.” He you have to do it quickly.” He will get vative Met audiences. It stands in adds, “One cue I’m really proud of is additional cueing time for Die Walk üre contrast to the Met’s last Ring Cycle , when the acrobats [representing in March, but, he says, “In a far more literal interpretation Wotan and Loge] move across the September, the set was on stage all directed by Otto Schenk and stage to Nibelheim. [See pages 52- week long. In March, there will be a designed by Gunther Schneider- 53.] It’s a nice moment for me, new show each evening. We will Siemssen. In is theatricality, its because I lit the entire scene using rehearse in the morning, then strike technological innovation, and its one spot through the doorway.” I the set for that evening’s show. It will straightforward storytelling, Lepage’s The lighting is controlled by a be another ballgame at that point.” production reveals much about the grandMA2 console, running Met under the guidance of Peter grandMA1 software; it triggers the Crossing the bridge Gelb, who, as an artistic director, has grandMA2 that controls the video. The favorable reviews for Das a remarkable ability to balance “For me,” says Boucher, “it was a Rheingold noted that Lepage’s tradition and innovation. We’ll report nice challenge, given the moving set production was not a spectacle for its back after Die Walk üre opens, to see and the video. My challenge was to own sake. Neither is it the kind of how the design is used.