Bedenken will ich’s: Wagneriana June–July 2006 wer weiß was ich thu’! Volume 3, Number 3 – Das Rheingold From the Editor

Thanks to all of you who contributed to our fund­raising drive. Your donations will ensure the success of the Boston Wagner Society and the means to present musical events to you. Due to your generosity, we will offer another recital in September 2006. See the back page for details and save the date. Also, there will be another presentation by Donald Arthur, on October 23. This issue of Wagneriana brings you three reviews of live performances, the Met’s Lohengrin and Parsifal and the Copenhagen Ring Cycle. –Dalia Geffen

Met Orchestra Brilliant in Lohengrin

Lohengrin, May 3, 2006; Metropolitan Opera, cond. Philippe Auguin; Herald: Charles Taylor; King Henry; René Pape; Telramund: Greer Grimsley; Elsa: Karita Mattila; Lohengrin: Klaus Florian Vogt (debut); Ortrud: Margaret Jane Wray; production: Robert Wilson

The Met’s production of Lohengrin this season featured the stage design of Robert Wilson. According to a recent review in the New York Times, when Wilson’s ideas were unveiled in the 1998 Metropolitan Opera production of this work, they drew lusty boos from the audience. Apparently, less robotic movements by the singers and improved synchronization have helped Wilson’s vision come through (there were no boos this time). However, one can’t help but wonder how much “vision” is too much, especially with a composer who is so meticulous about all the facets of the work and their unity. There was no horn, sword, or ring (Lohengrin defeats Telramund in a stare down), let alone a knight in shining armor. Yet the two­dimensional aspect that the sets and simplified movements gave to the characters created a storybook effect, as if one were looking at an illustrated page. The starkness of the production did cause one to focus more on the playing and the singing, both of which were excellent. Under Auguin, the Met orchestra played brilliantly, with notes seeming to come out of thin air. Margaret Jane Wray was well cast as a controlling Ortrud, though the role seemed to be all she could handle. Karita Matilla’s Elsa was beautifully sung and portrayed in a lost, dreamlike state. As the King, René Pape was, as always, true to form, and Greer Grimsley was a strong presence as Telramund. This performance marked the Met debut of Klaus Florian Vogt as Lohengrin. At first his voice seemed 1 very light, even lyrical. But he quickly became the Swan Knight—delicate, forceful, and never strained. The crowd loved him. –Robert Reed Robert Reed is the BWS’s new treasurer.

Singers Soar at the Met’s Parsifal

Parsifal, May 12, 2006; Metropolitan Opera, cond. Peter Schneider; Gurnemanz: René Pape; Parsifal: Ben Heppner; Kundry: Waltraud Meier; Amfortas: Thomas Hampson; Klingsor: Nikolai Putilin; Titurel: Robert Lloyd; production: Otto Schenk

Despite the pedestrian conducting by Peter Schneider, who replaced James Levine after the Maestro’s accident, this Friday evening performance of Wagner’s last opera was magnificent. Otto Schenk’s naturalistic sets shimmered with mystery and glamour, and almost the entire cast of Wagnerians performed at their peak, a rare feat. For me the biggest surprise in this memorable presentation was Thomas Hamp­son’s Amfortas. Although Hampson has sung and recorded Wagner, his lyric baritone and his penchant for Americana made him an implausible choice a few years ago for this musically dense bass­baritonal role; much to my delight, however, Hampson performed admirably, reaching the lower notes with astounding ease. The most striking aspect of Hampson’s portrayal was his nuanced and dramatic acting skills. In this highly realistic interpretation, Amfortas’s suffering and depression were in full evidence, supported by elaborate armchair writhing and convincingly guilty facial expressions. In a few passages, particularly in Act 3, Hampson sacrificed tonal accuracy in favor of passion and drama, pouring his entire repertoire of stage skills into the role of the wounded king; this, however, was a forgivable and effective calculation. René Pape was a much­anticipated Gurnemanz, and this enormously talented bass surpassed all expectations. His perfect intonation and suave acting skills infused the role with great nobility and 2 presence. Most striking of all was the transformation in his mien and gestures as Gurnemanz aged. In the last act, Pape’s halting gait and slowed movements perfectly captured the knight’s senescence. Later generations will most likely speak of Pape with the same reverence that we now speak of Alexander Kipnis or Hans Hotter. Ben Heppner’s absence at the dress rehearsal had given rise to rumors that Mark Baker, his understudy, would take over from him at this performance, but fortunately Heppner stepped up to the plate. Unlike in the Saturday afternoon radio broadcast of Lohengrin, Heppner was in good form and his voice did not crack. The only drawback in this performance was his stiffness, as though he was afraid his voice would crack again. Heppner’s sweet and tender articulations, however, were never in question, even if they did not quite reach the heroic splendor of a heldentenor. Waltraud Meier, a veteran Kundry, is perfectly suited to the role. Her acting skills were superb, transforming her from a guilt­ridden hag to a seductive femme fatale and finally to a repentant sinner. Vocally, she was in splendid shape. Although some aficionados do not enjoy her strident notes and occasionally harsh articulation, she can also be exquisitely subtle and delicate. Nikolai Putilin was a powerful and intimidating Klingsor. This was a magician to be reckoned with, both physically and vocally. He sang with good intonation and stage presence.

The biggest disappointment was the ho­hum dreariness of Peter Schneider. His conducting was unimaginative and perfunctory, perhaps more suited to a Mozartean opera. A violin squeaked during the prelude, and the famed Wagner bells were nowhere to be seen, possibly played on a synthesizer strategically placed in the orchestra pit. –Dalia Geffen

The Copenhagen Ring Cycle

Der Ring des Nibelungen, Royal Danish Opera; May 23–May 28, 2006; cond.: Michael Schønwandt; dir.: Kasper Bech Holten; set and costumes: Marie í Dali and Steffen Aarfing Wotan: Johan Reuter (Das Rheingold) and James Johnson (Die Walküre); Fasolt: Stephen Milling; Fafner: Christian Christiansen; Alberich: Sten Byriel; Mime: Gert Henning­Jensen (Das Rheingold) and Bengt­Ola Morgny (Siegfried); Fricka: Susanne Resmark; Freia: Anne Margrethe Dahl; Erda: Mette Ejsing; Donner: Hans Lawaetz; Froh: Jens Kroogsgard; Loge: Michael Kristensen; Brünnhilde: Tina Kiberg; Siegmund: Stig Andersen; Sieglinde: Gitta­Maria Sjöberg; Hunding: Stephen Milling; Siegfried: Johnny van Hal; Wanderer: Robert Hale; Gunther: Guido Paevatalu; Hagen: Peter Klaveness; Gutrune: Ylva Kihlberg; Waltraute: Anette Bod

The Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House in

Copenhagen was a wonderful production, particularly in its staging. Unfortunately, our seats were too 3 close to the stage, so that the orchestra sometimes drowned out the singers, who were all topnotch! Das Rheingold opened with Wotan’s study. The costumes were contemporary, and the furniture in the study included an Eames chair! Fafner—but not Fasolt—was a morbidly obese cripple bound to a wheelchair. There was an open display of affection between Freia and Fasolt. The Nibelungs who carried the gold from Nibelheim were 10­year­old boys having a ball—especially during the screaming section as they walked off­stage. The aging of the gods due to Freia’s captivity, however, was overdone and featured some physical disabilities. Hunding’s hut (Die Walküre) was a contemporary pad, with Sieglinde working at a computer as Siegmund entered it. One wall was made of glass, which Siegmund smashed when the two principals found out who they were. At that point the two lovers entered a field of poppies, with trees descending from the sky. Unfortunately the one containing Nothung got stuck, and the curtain descended quickly. Siegmund loosened Nothung from the tree but let Sieglinde pull it out! In Siegfried, Mime’s dwelling place was a three­tiered edifice, with sword­making activities on the lowest level, dining on the next one, and Siegfried’s bedroom on the third. The latter was decorated with posters of pop singers and three guitars hanging on the wall. Mime (Bengt­Ola Morgny), who had a wonderful voice, was played as a buffoon. However, since he never whined, complained, or manipulated, it was difficult to see why Siegfried hated him so much. The forest bird was real! Fafner was portrayed as a kind of Dr. Strangelove surrounded by of electronics. Brünnhilde was asleep not on a rock but in a relic of a mausoleum, replicating a building in downtown Copenhagen. Siegfried and Brünnhilde’s love was consummated on a plaid blanket that the hero dragged out of his backpack! Götterdämmerung opened with a very pregnant Brünnhilde and with Siegfried having breakfast in the mausoleum, which was transformed into a bower. Hagen’s abode resembled a penthouse with a view of the New York skyline, with modern Danish furniture and a white grand piano. The Gibichung scene opened with Hagen working out. Gunther was handsome and, in contrast to other productions I’ve seen, a strong personality. Gutrune was so seductive in skintight jeans and with her buttocks outlined by sparkling buttons that one could not blame Siegfried for abandoning Brünnhilde. Toward the end of the opera and the Cycle, three blue angels flew toward the audience, representing the ravens. Siegfried did not raise his arm. Brünnhilde, who set fire to all the carts containing her biography, disappeared and then returned with a baby as the conflagration spread! In our group of 14, about 6 people hated the production. They claimed, “It’s not Wagner; it’s a sacrilege,” to which I replied, “The music, my dears, is Wagner’s!” –Audrey Lewis

Dr. Audrey Lewis is a member of the Boston Wagner Society.

Dutch Production of Das Rheingold on DVD Is a Bore

Das Rheingold, Deneder Landse Opera, cond. Hartmut Haenchen, Residentie Orchestra, The Hague Wotan: John Bröcheler; Fricka: Reinhild Runkel; Alberich: Henk Smit; Mime: Graham Clark; Freia: Carola Höhn; Erda: Anne Gjevang; Loge: Chris Merritt; Fasolt: Peter Mikuláš; Fafner: Carsten Stabell; Woglinde: Gabriele Fontana: Wellgunde: Hanna Schaer; Flosshilde: Catherine Keen; set design: George Tsypin Opus Arte, 2 DVDs, with illustrated synopsis, cast gallery, and 50­minute introduction to the Ring Cycle; stereo and DTS surround sound; 206 mins.

This futuristic production of Das Rheingold, performed in The Hague by the Deneder Landse Opera, has a few elements to recommend it— imaginative costumes and sets— but for the most part it is plodding and provincial. Some singers—Reinhild Runkel as Fricka and Peter Mikuláš and Carsten Stabell as the

4 Giants, for example—are attractive in voice and dramatic in action, but the uninspired pace and conducting disappoint. When the curtain rises, the Rhine maidens appear in Spiderwoman costumes, cavorting on a derelict industrial riverbank in all their middle­aged splendor. Due to their age and size, it would be more accurate to call these water nymphs Rhine matrons. In fact, the average age of the singers would place this production squarely in the AARP segment of the population. The lighting in the opening scene is spectacular, but the singing merely adequate. Alberich is closer to form than the Rhine maidens, sporting a simian forehead and bumps on his bald, flat head. This true gnome of the night slips and slides on a glassy surface in his relentless pursuit of the fair creatures of the water, until he spots the gold, which is enclosed inside a Plexiglas box. Surprisingly, when Wotan makes his first appearance, he is walking rather than sleeping, which renders Fricka’s injunction “Erwache” (Wake up) totally superfluous, if not ridiculous. John Bröcheler is a decent Wotan, but he carries no spear (he merely sings about it). Runkel’s Fricka is a complex character with a wide and expressive range. Fafner and Fasolt are encased in caked­earth costumes sporting large phalluses, presumably to render them more menacing. Both roles are sung by Mikuláš and Stabell with power and accurate intonation. Carola Höhn as Freia is as bland as Wonder Bread, a pouty puppet without a will of her own. Loge (Chris Merritt), in this production, is a more rounded, fleshed­out character than usual, his quick and fluid movements charmingly betraying his trademark moral slipperiness. And Erda, at first all in white, is a frightening apparition with an expressive but unsteady voice. Graham Clark’s Mime, dressed as a hideous beast or a giant insect, is wonderfully comical. The conductor, Harmut Haenchen, remains strictly within the conventions of the dramatic action, and as a result the orchestra sounds like a pops band. The aural quality on this DVD is mediocre, despite the surround sound, and the recording seems muffled.

–Dalia Geffen

Letter to the Editor

The True Wagnerian Hero

In the English Wagner Society magazine, the writer of a recent letter raised the question as to why Siegfried could be regarded as a hero. It was acknowledged that he was strong and could kill dragons, and so on, but the writer questioned the usefulness and the morality of such activities. Well, a visit to Dictionary.com returns the following definitions of hero: 1. In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. 2. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war. 3. A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine. . . . 4. The principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. That Siegfried matches up to definition 4 seems to be without question. He also does a good job of definition 1: he is of divine ancestry, and his courage seems to be beyond doubt—he sees off Fafner and strolls through Wotan’s fire. He may not be actually favored by the gods because only an unassisted hero can be of use to Wotan. I suspect the writer of the letter, and possibly most of us, want fulfillment of definition 2, especially the requirement for nobility of purpose. Here Siegfried falls down. Siegfried lacks moral courage. But Wagner gives us something close [to a hero] in Siegmund, who rejects Valhalla in order to stay with his sister, knows fear but can overcome it, and risks his life to save a young girl from a forced marriage. But the girl turns on him and dies, and, in Siegmund’s own words, both men and women shun him. Perhaps we find perfect heroes a bit hard to stomach outside of children’s literature, but then even Superman is allergic to

5 Kryptonite. Perhaps Brünnhilde is the real hero. Wagner was fascinated by the concept of the redemption of others through death, and in her last speech, Brünnhilde makes it clear that this is what she is attempting by her voluntary immolation (see definition 2). Yet Wagner was keen on Siegfried. He even named his son after him. I would like to offer up another definition of a hero in a work of art—a projection of the artist’s ego. –Ian Runcie Dr. Ian Runcie lives in Sussex, UK, and is the author of Alberich and Friends. You can find his Web site by going to http://alberich4.tripod.com. For a description of his book, see also http:// sassoonfellowship.org/tregolwyn/id151.html.

Wagneriana invites readers to respond to Dr. Runcie’s letter with their own opinions of the meaning of hero and whether Siegfried or Brünnhilde fulfills the requirements expected of a heroic character. Please send your letters via e­mail or postal mail. All letters may be shortened and/or edited.

Historical Singers: Helen Traubel (1899–1972)

Known for her secure vocal powers and down­to­earth inclinations, Helen Traubel was Kirsten Flagstad’s replacement at the Metropolitan Opera after the Norwegian soprano left for Norway in 1941. Traubel was also the first American­born and –trained soprano to sing Wagner. Born in Saint Louis, Traubel began singing at the tender age of 12 and at 17 started voice lessons. In 1926 she made her debut with the St. Louis Symphony, conducted by Rudolf Ganz. Three years later she was already singing Isolde’s “Liebestod.” Traubel made her Met debut in 1934 as the female lead in Walter Damrosch’s opera The Man without a Country, but her Met career did not take off until she sang Sieglinde at the age of 40, opposite Kirsten Flagstad and Lauritz Melchior. After this success, she sang all the major Wagnerian soprano roles. In the press, she was hailed as the “Isolde from St. Louis,” “First Lady of Valhall,” and “America’s answer to Kirsten Flagstad.” Unfortunately, Rudolf Bing, in his first year as the Met’s general manager, did not approve of her television appearances and cabaret singing, and her contract was not renewed. Her last performance at the Met was on March 21, 1953, as Isolde. Traubel also wrote novels. Her first thriller was titled Murder at the Metropolitan (1952).

–Dalia Geffen

Upcoming Events

Wagner Recital Presentation by Donald Arthur Extended excerpts from Tristan und Isolde and Parsifal Author of upcoming book Hans Hotter: Memoirs Soprano Joanna Porackova, mezzo­soprano Gigi With audiovisual illustrations and book signing Mitchell­Velasco, heldentenor George Gray, pianist Oct. 23, 2006 Jeffrey Brody Details to be announced Sept. 10, 2006, 7:30 p.m., St. Paul’s Church, Brookline Free Members: $15; nonmembers: $25; students: $5 A reception will follow

Wagneriana is a publication of the Boston Wagner Society, copyright © The Boston Wagner Society, Inc. Logo design by Sasha Geffen.

6 Contact information: 617­323­6088; [email protected]; P.O. Box 320033, West Roxbury, MA 02132; www.bostonwagnersociety.org.

7