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Wagner Society of New Zealand Patron: Sir Donald McIntyre NEWSLETTER Vol. 14 No. 4 July, 2019 Opera Nights The Memoirs of an Opera Knight t home in Munich, Sir major Wagner roles during nearly Donald McIntyre takes two decades at Bayreuth. A great delight in showing The Auckland gathering off his book of memoirs, entitled welcomed about twenty of the The Only Way Is Up. McIntyre family and friends, and Together with The Sir Donald a family group from Nelson came McIntyre Trust, the WSNZ to the Wellington meeting. This arranged for the funding and latter event was enriched by a publication of this book, not only ‘drop-in’ appearance from Simon as a way of honouring the O’Neill, who spoke with Heath society’s patron, but also as a way Lees about Sir Don as his model of celebrating its own twenty-fifth and teacher. With typical, birthday. generosity, he sang two Wagner During May and June, Heath items, with Heath at the piano. and Liz Lees, the 1994 founding The book has been very well pair of president and secretary, received and sales are brisk, now toured all four NZ centres with a passing the 200-mark. WSNZ retrospective presentation of the members enjoy a discount of 30% growth of the society since its ($35 instead of $50) if they order inception, and launched the book from Liz Lees ([email protected]) into the wide Wagnerian sea with or the publisher, Quentin Wilson a review of Sir Don’s 50-year ([email protected]). career, short excerpts from the Copies will be available at all book, and a showing of Peter WSNZ meetings this year, and a Coates’ excellent 1974 film about full review of the book will appear Sir Don’s many appearances in in the next newsletter. and the Continuing Waves of an Opera Watershed Nearly Thirty Years Ago No prizes for guessing that the figure Seated behind Sir Don is WSNZ on the right is Sir Donald McIntyre member Rosie Barnes, much-travelled (Hans Sachs). His earnest partner in musician and pianist extraordinary who conversation is Georg Volker, a was such a supportive repetiteur and seasoned baritone who was brilliant in unofficial dramaturg for that 1990 the role of Beckmesser. production. Together, Georg and Sir Don created a The toddler next to her is 15-month- memorable Meistersinger partnership, old Alexander, son of Rosie and especially in Act III, in Hans Sach’s clarinettist Murray Khouri. That little workshop. There, they combined the boy is now all of thirty years of age, with finest singing with their own well- a music degree in the recent past and a rehearsed brand of acting that turned the Graduate Diploma in Computer town clerk’s attempt to steal the cobbler’s Science in the near future. Time flies. song into a brilliantly artistic yet lightly Sadly, Wellington-born Murray Khouri knockabout comedy double-act. died just nine months ago, taking with A similar approach re-surfaced two him his multiple musical gifts and his years ago in Barrie Kosky’s Bayreuth wonderfully outsize personality. he picture above was snapped in Meistersinger, between Michael Volle A New Zealand memorial service for this T1990, during rehearsals for the and Johannes Martin Kränzle, but this clarinettist, conductor, music manager, Wellington Mastersingers, whose time it was hailed as a completely recording entrepreneur and broadcaster watershed operatic achievement is now original idea. Obviously the critics is to be held in the Auckland church of St. being serialised on our back pages by should have been in Wellington three Marks, Remuera, 95 Remuera Road, on New Zealand baritone Roger Wilson. decades earlier! Saturday 31 August, at 2.30pm. 11 Dunkerron Avenue, Epsom, Auckland 1051 • Ph: 021 610 869 • Web site: www.wagnersociety.org.nz NOTEBOOK COMING EVENTS Die Walküre Auckland he Met HD showing of Die Venue: St Heliers Community Centre, TWalküre will be making its way 100 St. Heliers Bay Road through New Zealand (there’s a Sunday, 14 July at 2.30pm. review/preview on the next page). Please note afternoon time The film will be at a cinema near you sometime between 25 July and 7 Lohengrin in Perspective August. Check out the movie times from Antony Ernst, artistic director of the Royal the internet or you might miss it! Danish Orchestra, arrives with a packed, four-hour presentation on Wagner’s opera. Wagner Murmurs Sunday, 22 September at 3.00pm • Deutsche Oper Berlin launches a Lohengrin new Ring cycle in June 2020 with Das A full screening of the opera with optional Rheingold, directed by Stefan Herheim catered dinner. Performance is from the and conducted by Donald Runnicles. Semperoper, Dresden, with Anna Netrebko. • In September this year Simon Sunday, 8 December at 7.00pm O’Neill will sing Siegmund and Froh in Antony Ernst will be returning to A festive fare of Wagner items, and our much- a Ring revival at the Staatsoper, Berlin. New Zealand this month, with three talked-about cake and wine. • Asmik Grigorian will be Senta in Der different Wagner presentations. fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuth In Auckland, on 14th July, he will Christchurch Festival in 2021. unveil a four-hour view of Lohengrin Venue: The Music Centre St Mary’s Pro- Cathedral, Manchester St. • Oper Leipzig aims to present all of in Perspective, from 2.30 to 6.30pm. Wagner’s operas (13 of them!) in a On 19 July, in Christchurch, Antony’s Friday, 19 July at 7.30pm Wagner Festival in June/July 2022. presentation will be less Wagnerian — Tristan und Isolde • Simon O’Neill will sing Tristan in a two hours rather than four — and the As part of a New Zealand tour, Antony Ernst, new production of Tristan und Isolde opera featured will be Tristan und lectures on Tristan und Isolde, the opera to at Santa Fe Opera in July/August 2020. Isolde. Then, on 21 July in Wellington, be shown on 13 October. Antony’s two-hour subject is again • Opera Australia are presenting a new Lohengrin, beginning at 4pm. Friday, 13 September at 7.30pm production of The Ring in Brisbane in Antony was born in Sydney and Magic Fire November/December 2020. holds a PhD from the University of The 1955 film of the life of Wagner, with Alan • Melbourne Opera is to mount Das Newcastle. He is currently the artistic Badel as the composer. Music arranged by Rheingold in August 2020 with director of the Royal Danish Erich Korngold. Anthony Negus conducting. Orchestra, the world’s oldest Sunday, 13 October, Time and Venue TBA • Opera Australia will stage Lohengrin orchestra. Tristan und Isolde (with La Monnaie, Brussels) in May 2020. In the past he has worked as a Complete DVD with a meal between the acts. • Opera Queensland plans semi- dramaturg, opera director and artistic staged performances of Tristan und planner, most recently as Artistic Sunday, 1 December, Time and Venue TBA Isolde in October 2020 with Simon Planning Manager of the Orchestre Christmas BBQ/Pot-Luck O’Neill and Meagan Miller in the title Philharmonique de Strasbourg, having roles. Pietari Inkinen conducts. previously held a similar position with Dunedin Michael Sinclair the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Venue: Black-Sale House Lecture Room cnr. St. David and Leith Streets New Members He has also worked with many European and Australian orchestras, Sunday, 20 October at 2.00pm Big Wagnerian greetings to: as well as being a tour leader for Don Juan in Hell Thelma Greer...........................Dunedin Renaissance Tours and a contributor Mozart, Ibsen, Wagner, and Shaw Fiona Luey ............................Wellington of musical services to various Chris Ackerley joins this quartet through two Christopher Marshall ......Christchurch international organisations. semi-serious Wagnerian parodies by GBS. Leb’ wohl . Wellington Member Rex Benson Sunday, 24 November at 12 noon Note Venue Change: Carrington College, 57 Heriot e record with sadness the death on W Row (Turn right off Pitt St.) 7 June of Rex Benson, pictured left at Wagner’s grave in the gardens of Christmas lunch followed by Wagnerian goodies. Wahnfried, two years ago. Rex had been fighting worsening Wellington Venue: St Andrew’s Hall, 30 The Terrace health since last February. His (except 14 July) indomitable enthusiasm for the works of Wagner took pride of place in a Sunday, 14 July at 9.30am (note time) huge range of interests and passions, At Te Auaha; NZ Institute of Creativity, Dixon St. including cinema, philosophy, bridge, Rienzi the Last of the Tribunes and rugby. Joint meeting with the Opera Society for a As special friends of the conductor DVD screening of the complete opera. Anthony Negus, Rex and his wife Sunday, 21 July, at 4.00pm Judith were often welcomed to Wagner performances, especially Lohengrin during the Longborough Festival in Antony Ernst’s NZ tour finishes with a two- England. hour session on Wagner’s “Romantic opera”. Michael Ashdown, a Wellington Sunday, 13 October at 4.00pm friend, says “I will always remember Documentary film. Details to follow. Rex as a very warm-hearted, clever and supportive guide to the November/December/Date TBA Wagnerian riches. I will miss him.” End of year party. poisonously anti-Semitic views are not brushed away. He BOOK REVIEW was a composer like no other, and the creator of perhaps the most sublime and most troubling body of work in the Being Wagner by Simon Callow, 2017 (Collins) history of music. Reviewed by Syd Kennedy I learned many new snippets. The Wagner household had imon Callow is an actor, director and writer who has lots of pets — hamsters, dogs, parrots, even a wolf pup Sappeared on stage and in many films.