No: 214 July 2014 Wagner news Number 214 July 2014 CONTENTS

4 Wagner Society AGM 2014 Andrea Buchanan 5 From the Committee Andrea Buchanan 6 Report on the 2014 RWVI Congress Andrea Buchanan 7 The 2014 International Congress Tom Empson 10 Sir Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal: Stuart Pendred 12 Katie Barnes 13 Mark Eynon 14 Rhonda Browne 14 Humphrey Burton 15 Magdalen Ashman 16 Paul Dawson-Bowling 17 David Edwards 19 News of Young Artists: My journey this year Rhonda Browne 20 Goodall Scholars update 2014 Malcolm Rivers 22 Après le Déluge : Aldeburgh with The Mastersingers David Edwards 25 and Tannhäuser at Norwich John Bultitude 26 Fulham Ring Katie Barnes 34 Deutsche Oper Berlin Robert Mitchell 35 Der fliegende Holländer in Florida Ralph Lavender 36 in Madrid Paul Dawson-Bowling 37 Nina Stemme Recital Keith Richards 37 New Players’ Die Walküre elements in Islington Robin Green 38 The new RWVI Praesidium Andrea Buchanan 38 Travesties or imaginative staging? Karel Werner 39 Directing Der fliegende Holländer Dame Gwyneth Jones 42 A Jungian exploration of Parsifal Hilary Reid Evans 43 Wagner Society Contacts 44 Forthcoming Events Peter Leppard

Cover Picture: Sir John Tomlinson with his Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Photo: Simon Jay Price Printed by Rap Spiderweb – www.rapspiderweb.com 0161 947 3700 EDITOR’S NOTE

Photo: Simon Jay Price On 13 th May 2014 the Wagner Society’s Vice President Sir John Tomlinson received the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal from the President of the RPS, John Gilhooly. This issue of Wagner News carries tributes to Sir John from those who have worked with him, reviewed him and who have been taught, encouraged and supported by him. It is especially perhaps as a mentor of young artists that we in the Wagner Society know him best at close quarters, attending the many masterclasses and performances which he has brought us as the Patron of The Mastersingers Company. His commitment to the cause of helping younger singers with their development was made clear in a conversation with Petroc Trelawny broadcast on BBC Radio 3 following his presentation in which he said: “In the beginning of a career as a singer you need all the help you can get these days. It’s a truly global situation now and it’s a global marketplace. It’s a great new world in that sense. “Singers take different amounts of time to mature. A like myself matures later. With a bass voice you’re talking about ten years until it is really fit for purpose, during which time you still need to have bread on the table and you still need to be studying with really good quality teachers and people who are going to improve your musicianship. “There is so much involved in being a singer: the languages, the dramatic side of things and paramount of course is the health and development of the voice. It’s the instrument which you cannot actually see, so you are speaking in imagery when you are teaching singing and its development can take a long time, as I know from my own experience. In my adolescence I found that I had this unusually strong and deep voice. It took about 15 years until it was really serviceable. In those years you need all the help you can get.” Those of us who have been privileged to watch Sir John at work with The Mastersingers, and those many young musicians who have gained so much from his understanding that “you need all the help you can get” know that Sir John does not just talk the talk in this respect. In sharing the riches of his own talent and experience so generously with others he has earned the reputation not only of being one of the greatest artists of our times but also that of a man who walks the walk in all areas of his professional life. –3– THE WAGNER SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2014 Andrea Buchanan

Members will be pleased to learn that the AGM held on 12 th May in London was well attended. Highlights were as follows: * We were pleased to welcome the President, Dame Gwyneth Jones to the meeting. * The proposed new Constitution was overwhelmingly adopted by the members present, subject to the deletion of Clause 2(d) which had proved unacceptable to the Charity Commission for legal reasons. In the meantime the draft Constitution minus this clause has been posted on the website. * The Committee were re-elected with no opposition and are now subject to the governance laid down in the new Constitution. * The 2013 accounts were accepted, and the auditors duly elected for the coming year. It was agreed that monthly management accounts will be posted on the website for members (only) to read. Please keep an eye on the Society Information section of the site if this is of interest to you. * There was a lively debate on the Singing Competition/Bayreuth Bursary and the majority of members present expressed their support for continuing the relationship with Bayreuth by sending singing competition winners there as part of their prize. The Committee noted this expression of support. * We managed to finish in time for a quick drink, which was much appreciated by all present. * Full minutes have now been posted on the website. These will be submitted for approval at the 2015 AGM. If you were present and wish to comment, please contact me.

STOP PRESS Eva Wagner-Pasquier to attend the 2014 Wagner Society Singing Competition

The Committee of the Wagner Society is delighted and extremely proud to announce that Eva Wagner-Pasquier has kindly consented to attend our Singing Competition on 30 th November. She will join judges Susan Bullock, Lionel Friend and David Gowland in what promises to be a wonderful afternoon of hearing talented young singers perform Wagner. There will be an audience prize so you will also get the chance to vote for your favourite. This is indeed an honour for the Society and we hope that as many of you as possible will attend. The event will take place at the Royal Academy of Music from 2pm on Sunday 30 th November. Further information will follow in the October Wagner News . Tickets will be available at £25 to include refreshments (full-time students: £10) from Peter Leppard. Please see the events listing on page 44. You are advised to book tickets early to avoid disappointment. Last year’s event was a sell-out and space is limited.

–4– FROM THE COMMITTEE Notes from the meeting held in London on 3 rd June 2014 Andrea Buchanan, Secretary

Apologies for absence were received from Charlie Furness Smith and Ed Hewitt. The Committee was delighted to welcome Roger Lee to his first meeting in London. Agenda items included the following: 1: Approval of minutes and new members. Notification of membership numbers. 2: Budget update. The financial situation still required prudent management. Monthly management accounts would be available shortly for April and May and would be posted on the website for members to read. 3: Events update. The programme for the rest of 2014 looks very good. 4: Post AGM discussion. The Committee considered the implications of the new Constitution and the next steps towards getting it approved by the Charity Commission. 5: Singing Competition update. The Secretary reported on progress and various pertinent logistical items were discussed. The Secretary noted her recent election to the RWVI and had therefore requested that she co-opt some assistance from Tom Empson with this year’s event. This was approved. 6: Website. Various issues regarding website strategy and management were discussed. A meeting has been arranged with the service provider on 6 th June. 7: AOB: a) Roger Lee noted some exciting developments of his own with regard to the Singing Competition. Finalised details will appear in the October issue of Wagner News . b) Geoffrey Griffiths raised the issue of the audio and printed matter libraries. These were discussed. c) Richard Miles submitted some recently procured designs for a new Wagner Society logo. The Committee opted for one that closely followed the current design, with a clearer and more modern font. The logo will incorporate the website address. This will be available shortly for members to view on the website.

Dates of remaining Committee meetings in 2014 Meetings are scheduled for: 15 th July, 16 th September and 23 rd October. Members are asked to submit any agenda items they may wish to contribute to me in writing: [email protected] or by post: 7 Avenue Mansions, Finchley Road, London NW3 7AU to reach me not less than one week in advance of the meeting. We welcome your input and suggestions and look forward to hearing from you.

–5– REPORT ON THE DELEGATES MEETING AT THE RWVI CONGRESS Graz, Austria: 30 th May 2014 Andrea Buchanan The annual general meeting of the Richard Wagner Verband International took place, as always, within the framework of the annual Congress. This meeting was particularly significant, as the five-yearly elections for the President and Board of the RWVI were scheduled. In addition to the regular agenda items, comprising the introduction of new Wagner Society Chairs / Presidents, the annual report of the outgoing RWVI President, internet statistics, Treasurer’s report and accounts, Auditors’ report and annual report of the Stipendienstiftung (Bayreuth Bursary programme), there were a couple of other noteworthy items in addition to the elections. Firstly, the outgoing Board was happy to report that the International Wagner Singing Competition, held every three years, had now found a home for October 2015 in Karlsruhe, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the city and the state of Baden-Württemberg. Furthermore, an offer was on the table for the competition to be held in Karlsruhe on an ongoing basis, but the AGM voted to accept gratefully – for the time being – the 2015 offer. The meeting then moved on to the elections, which were a long and relatively complicated affair. In addition to the President, the meeting was asked to vote for two German Vice-Presidents, two non-German Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, four German ordinary members of the Board and four non-German ones. The Presidential election proved to be somewhat contentious. There were two candidates, the President of the Hungarian Richard Wagner Society, András Bajai and the President of the Leipzig Wagner Society, Thomas Krakow. Some heated discussion took place after the candidates presented themselves to the meeting and the atmosphere became noticeably tense for a while. However, in the end, the votes spoke conclusively for the German candidate, Thomas Krakow. The rest of the election process proceeded slowly and relatively smoothly thereafter. Some candidates were elected unopposed, while others were in competition. One candidate for the German ordinary Board members withdrew, resulting in the Board being one member short until the AGM next year. Each candidate gave a short speech, and voting was carried out anonymously on slips of paper. The new Board can be seen on the RWVI website: www.richard-wagner-verband.de under Contact. It may be worth mentioning here that I stood as a non-German ordinary member and was duly elected (there was more competition in my group than in any other). There has not been a native English speaker, nor a British member of the Board, for a good many years, and I intend to work hard to represent Wagner Societies throughout the English-speaking world. I will be reporting regularly on the activities of the RWVI. Members who are interested and who would like to learn more about this are encouraged to contact me. As always, the Congress itself was full of wonderful events – cultural, gastronomic and social – and was held in a glorious location. I leave the only Wagner Society member to attend (Tom Empson) to tell you more in his article in this edition of Wagner News . I can never understand why our membership is so reluctant to come to Congresses. They are wonderful Wagner events. Do think about coming to Dessau next year. You will not be disappointed! See: Page 38 –6– KINDER, SCHAFFT NEUES! International Richard Wagner Congress 2014, Graz, Austria Report and photography by Tom Empson Members who regularly read Wagner News from cover to cover will be aware of an entity called the Richard-Wagner-Verband International. RWVI is a club of clubs, ie it draws together national, regional and – in the case of Germany in particular – municipal Wagner societies. There are no individual members but our society belongs, as indeed it should, since we are – it’s official, (check the new Constitution!) The Wagner Society. Our members are therefore entitled to attend the RWVI’s annual three-day congress, which this year was held in the Styrian capital city of Graz, so I did. I already knew that Graz would be a pleasant place to spend a weekend in late spring, and the other factor which enticed me to attend was that the congress coincided with the finale of a competition called the Ring Award 14, of which more later. The congress began on Thursday night with an opening gala held in Graz’s Congress Centre. This may sound like a sterile modern business complex but is in fact an elegant city-centre building containing a splendid banqueting hall called the Stefaniensaal, named after Princess Stefanie of Belgium, wife of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary. The hall was opened in their presence in 1885, little more than three years before Rudolf died in tragic and mysterious circumstances at Mayerling. The congress was hosted by the local Wagner society, known as Wagner Forum Graz, and they did us proud throughout. The opening gala turned out to be a gourmet dinner accompanied by an excellent and eclectic music programme put together by Franz Jochum of the KUG (University of Music and the Performing Arts, Graz). For me the highlight was the piano duo of Zilan Liang and Zhao Lei playing Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants with wonderful élan, but also excellent were a semi-staged scene from and a Bang-on-a-Can -style piece by Per Andreasson for percussion quartet. In fact, the musical standard was uniformly high, and the Styrian wine flowed freely all night. On Friday the Delegates Meeting (which started at 9am and is described by the Secretary on page 6) lasted only slightly longer than a complete performance of Meistersinger , so we had nearly three hours to have lunch and get ready for that evening’s performance of Lohengrin at the Grazer Oper. This is the house where our own James Rutherford, formerly of The Mastersingers, has been quietly cutting his teeth on major roles such as Hans Sachs and Germont père before taking them triumphantly to larger houses such as Bayreuth, Hamburg and Vienna. Graz’s glittering neo- baroque-style opera house was inaugurated in 1899 with a performance of Schiller’s play William Tell , followed a few days later by Lohengrin , so that opera was a happy choice for the occasion of the congress. –7– Graz evidently has an excellent ensemble, with choir and orchestra capable of a rich and full 19 th Century sound which occasionally overpowered the (mostly young) solo voices. Lohengrin himself was sung, somewhat in the lighter style of Klaus Florian Vogt, by Johannes Chum, who also was the excellent tenor soloist in Bruckner’s Te Deum at a superb concert in the Cathedral the following evening. Elsa didn’t make such a strong impression. OK, the girl is shy and withdrawn, but I don’t think this Elsa ever looked at anyone: her eyes seemed permanently downcast. Michaela Martens as Ortrud sang and acted strongly, and she sure knows how to convey “if looks could kill…” As for the mise-en-scène , Acts I and II were fairly straight, but in Act III we got a few surprises, including a cosy domestic scene of Mr and Mrs Lohengrin sitting at the kitchen table with a 1950s valve wireless. But those delegates who (unlike this writer) are allergic to Regietheater had a lot worse than that in store. The costumes by Christian Lacroix were, not unexpectedly, elegant. As I said, the Congress coincided with the finale of the Ring Award, a triennial competition held in Graz for opera directors and designers. This year, 91 teams, from 29 countries, entered. The three finalists had won through two earlier rounds, and each was given a week to work with a team of young singers to realise their vision for Act II of Weber’s Der Freischütz . In previous competitions the chosen scenes included ones from , Parsifal and Les contes d’Hoffmann , and this year’s choice was no less challenging, bringing together as it does a scene of indoor domesticity for the two sisters Agathe and Ännchen and an early example of grand guignol in opera, namely the famous Wolf’s Glen scene. The jury included some distinguished names such as Peter Konwitschny and Serge Dorny, and on Saturday morning in the Schauspielhaus (a miniature opera house now used mainly for straight theatre), they and we settled down to the first of the three stagings. Team A was from Scandinavia, and they neatly transformed the first scene set in a sunny orchard into a sinister wolf’s glen by clever lighting and by setting the trees at an acute angle as if they were now clinging to a rocky cliff. That worked well, but later on the appearance in the glen of a dozen supernumerary and stoned yoofs bopping away mindlessly left me baffled. Team B was Verena Stoiber and Sophia Schneider, both from Germany. Their Konzept was headed by a quotation from Nietzsche: “there is an old delusion ( Wahn ) that is called good and evil”, and was set in a church. Again, there was a lot going on, –8– including some brief but telling video inserts and some outrageous stage images. In the foyer afterwards I heard complaints of gratuitous blasphemy, but for me this was the most interesting and provocative staging of the three, and I found myself thinking of Wagner’s dictum “ Kinder, schafft Neues! ” This team also had the (slightly unfair) advantage of – for me – much the best singer in all three productions: Dae Jin Kim, who sang Kaspar with a rich and mature that reminded me of Siegmund Nimsgern’s. A name to watch out for, I’d say. On Sunday morning Team C (again all-female: one German and the other Austrian) gave us an intriguing and spooky, but ultimately cluttered and confusing, interpretation set in a Biedermeier-style library. The moment when the piano accompanist turned into a wolf was something of a coup de théâtre , and this team made good use of the full height of the stage, but ultimately I was left thinking that less could have been more. The audience retired to the foyer to cast their votes for the Audience Prize and await the jury’s verdict, or rather verdicts, as there were over ten prizes in all. Conversation was animated and it was clear that the audience wasn’t keen on the most extreme example of Regietheater that was Team B’s offering. This was confirmed when the Audience Prizes were announced: Team C won, and Team B came last. The jury of notable Regisseurs and Intendant(in)s disagreed, and awarded all but two of the remaining prizes to Team Stoiber-Schneider, as it was fast becoming known. As well as the Ring Award itself, these young women now have the dream ticket of invitations to mount productions in Graz, Berlin, Karlsruhe and Nuremberg. Team B’s work will be seen in Cottbus and at the historic Theater an der Wien in Vienna, where was first performed. All in all, an enjoyable, engrossing and sometimes infuriating contest. So, what else was there to like in Graz? Well, the camaraderie that comes when one doesn’t have to apologise for liking Wagner, because everyone else does too. The pleasures of an elegant small city with a big cultural life, where all the venues are easily reached on foot or via the excellent tram system. And the excitement of talent-spotting the Wagnerian voices, directors and designers of the future. Next May in Dessau, the RWVI Congress coincides with a complete performance of the Ring in the Anhaltisches Theater over just five days. Unmissable!

–9– Sir John Tomlinson Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Presentation ONE OF THE TRUE GREATS IN OUR MIDST Stuart Pendred It is said in certain circles that ignorance is bliss. I had not even made my professional operatic debut when I first sang for Sir John Tomlinson. In fact, I had only been looking at and learning the one piece of Wagner that I had ever encountered for a matter of months before I found myself on a weekend away with the Mastersingers and, in a private session, presenting my piece of Wotan to not just the greatest Wotan of his generation, but one of the greatest Wagnerians ever! Of course I knew who Sir John Tomlinson was, but having studied as an actor and only coming to a career in opera via an unusual and circuitous route: one that was also much later than the “normal” route taken by so many singers; I didn’t really “know” who Sir John Tomlinson was. In many ways my ignorance and a small smattering of self-belief at the time was perhaps my saving grace from being burned alive! Sir John was brutally forthright and healthily unforgiving in his opinion. I remember him, having asked me my age, stating in that wonderful northern accent of his that only seems to give his words even more gravitas: “You’ve left it a bit late, haven’t you!” To which my reply was something along the lines of: “I know I can’t have your 40 year career, Sir John. I don’t want it. But I can, and want to, have my career...” His eyes glinted and that lovely warm smile crossed his face. We worked for a bit longer on the piece: Ein andres ist’s . He didn’t allow me to get away with anything. We stopped more times than I think I actually sang. Every minutia of the music, the language, the character and the bringing of them together was looked at. I had been truly thrown into the fire. I had been shown by a master the level at which I needed to be both working and thinking if I wanted to have a “real” career. I had learned more in an hour than I had learned in three years at drama school training as an actor! It was an early, brutal and honest lesson. But I loved it! It was challenging and unsettling, but also incredibly inspiring and satisfying and only served to harden my resolve that, in an operatic career, I had finally found the place for my voice and for me as an actor. You see, as a singer and a student, I regard Sir John’s forthright manner and honesty his greatest gift when he teaches. There is no side to him. Yes, his honesty can be brutal at times, but I would rather have his honest opinion than someone else’s flattery given in order to avoid causing offence. I can learn from the truth, I can improve, move forwards if I choose to hear and heed the advice being given. But it is only because I believe that his honesty comes from a healthy place. He genuinely cares about the singers he works with. He cares about their voices. He cares about the craft of which he is a master and he cares about the world of music to which he has given so much and which has indeed given him much in return. It is an honesty that is cloaked in his warmth. He genuinely cares about you as an artist and as a person. It was a real joy at our next meeting a few months later in 2011 when he happened to be an invited guest at the Grange Park Opera production of that was my operatic debut as Marullo, when he welcomed me back-stage with the words: “Well done! You’re doing very well!” That smile and glinting eye was there again. Since then I have had the privilege of both watching and working with Sir John Tomlinson on a number of occasions, all of which have not only been a pleasure because it is quite simply a pleasure to be around him, but also because I have continued to learn – 10 – and grow as a singer: something Sir John has not only had the grace to recognise, but he has also asked the questions and pushed me to further develop my craft. If I were to be asked about my favourite meeting with Sir John it would have to be a combination of two. The first was another weekend of concerts and masterclasses in Eastbourne in 2013 when I was about to recreate my performance as Hagen for the Longborough Festival Opera Ring Cycle. Sir John had just finished his run at Covent Garden in the same role. No pressure then! As we worked on Hagen’s revelation aria, Hier sitz ich zur Wacht Sir John was exactly as he had been in our first meeting: unforgiving in his expectation of vocal and linguistic understanding and delivery, but equally encouraging and affirming in his encouragement. We did have a lovely moment however where he pulled me up on a musical note, thinking that I wasn’t holding a certain note long enough. I insisted I was musically correct. We referred to the Master’s score and...I was correct! I think however that there is only one of us who has earned the right to be given musical “grace” by the composer. The smile and the glint in the eye appeared again. The second meeting was a chance one. I was on a social visit at the rehearsal space at the BBC with the wonderful Rachel Nicholls who was working with Sir John when he came in to the cafe. We said a brief “hello” at the end of which he said: “I heard great things about you from Longborough. Congratulations.” Confirmation again. Whatever sphere of life you find yourself in, to have the opportunity to work with, watch, learn and be coached by people who are quite simply the best in their field is the greatest privilege you can have. That is what I have experienced with Sir John. I am more than aware that I am not Sir John. I can’t be. Indeed, I don’t want to be. He is the incredible force that he is. I can only be me, Stuart Pendred. I want to be me. But I’m a better Stuart Pendred because of Sir John Tomlinson. What an honour it has been for me as a “mature-student of voice” not just to meet Sir John but to also watch, learn and be coached by him. A true artist. Indeed, a master craftsman of his art. His recent award is simply further recognition that we have had one of the true greats in our midst and, most wonderfully, he has wanted nothing more than to share it with us. Sir John Tomlinson, I thank you for all you have given the world of opera. But more than that, as a singer at the beginning of his career – especially as a “baby-Wagnerian” – I thank you! I look forward to the next time that I work with you and see that smile cross your face and that glint in your eye...

Stuart Pendred with Sir John Tomlinson The Mastersingers Goodall Academy weekend, The Rodd, (Presteigne): August 2010 – 11 – Sir John Tomlinson Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Presentation A FORCE OF NATURE Katie Barnes What can be said about Sir John that hasn’t been said already? That majestic voice which thunders forth like a mighty river; that gigantic personality and magnetic presence which can make any venue seem small and which turns wherever he stands into the centre of the stage; that innate sense of drama which explores every subtle nuance of each character he plays. He is not merely a singer but a force of nature. To see him at work is to know that one is watching greatness. My opera-going doesn’t quite go back to the beginning of his career: I first came to know his work in the late 1970s and early 1980s while he was a contract artist at ENO and regular guest with the Royal Opera, playing a huge number of main and secondary roles in a mind-boggling variety of genres. Those formative years, beginning with the Monk in and Donizetti’s Talbot opposite Dame Janet Baker, subsequently singing everything from Angelotti, Private Willis, Mozart’s Figaro and Doctor Grenvil to Bartok’s Bluebeard, the Archbishop in King Roger and Villac Umu in Hamilton’s The Royal Hunt of the Sun , gave him a solid grounding for his career: not a meteoric rise to fame, but one with every advance well grounded in experience. In November 1980 I noted in my diary, “The best thing in the show was the Colline, John Tomlinson, a man with perfect diction and a voice like black coffee”. The coffee has since matured to a quart of Napoleonic brandy, but the diction remains as perfect as ever and he is still the best thing in the show! In future years he may be recalled principally as one of the foremost Wagnerians of this, or any, generation, but Wagner has been only one strand of his career. His constant quest to extend his musical and dramatic range has spanned from Monteverdi and Handel to Shostakovich, Berg and Pizzetti; from the intense tragedy of his incomparable and Golaud to all-too-rare excursions into comedy with his sentient but shameless Leporello and frisky Baron Ochs; from a dazzling Mephistopheles to an austere Dosifey; from Verdi’s Attila, Fiesco, Sparafucile and King Philip to Britten’s Hobson, Balstrode and tormented Claggart. Composers, most notably Birtwistle, have created around epic central roles for him. Nobody who has seen his towering Green Knight or horrifying yet pathetic Minotaur will ever forget them. He has even turned his hand to directing, with Oberto at Opera North in 1993. A true Renaissance Man. As we know, he has sung nearly every Wagnerian role in his vocal range (including every bass role in the Ring ), many of them at Bayreuth during his legendary 18 seasons there (Is there any hope of a Daland sometime, to complete the set?). His Holländer is passionately human; his Gurnemanz a wise, fiery old warrior; his wondrous Sachs unexpectedly angry but gloriously warm and compassionate (his comic partnership with Sir Thomas Allen’s Beckmesser was pure perfection), his King Marke heartbreaking; his menacing Hunding a harbinger of primal powers more ancient than the gods; his grim yet jocose Hagen indescribably magnificent, chilling yet somehow pitiful. Above all, of course, he is indelibly associated with Wotan, the role which he claimed for his own in Harry Kupfer’s brilliant production at Bayreuth in 1988 and which London last saw in three unforgettable, deeply moving cycles in 2007, when the character assumed the stature of a Lear or Prospero. Not since Hotter has a singer so completely possessed this grandest

– 12 – and greatest of all roles, nor inhabited it so entirely. He is surely the only performer who can walk onto a stage and instantly convince an audience that he rules the world. So much for the facts. What of the man? John Tom (as he is universally known) has already been showered with virtually every honour that it is possible for a singer to receive. The RPS Gold Medal, which has been awarded only 97 times in 144 years, places him among the crême de la crême de la crême of the world’s musicians. Yet he remains one of the most modest and unassuming people I know. I well recall that in 2005, when his knighthood was announced to the audience in the Birmingham Symphony Hall, who gave him a standing ovation, his shy speech of thanks was entirely about the importance of the honour to British music, with never a word about his own achievements. As the citation of the Royal Philharmonic Council so truly says, “For him celebrity status is irrelevant – the crucial thing is singing; and it is the desire to sing and communicate, and the obsession to get it right every time, that drive him.” That does not apply only to his own performances: those of us who have been fortunate enough to watch his masterclasses can bear witness to his hunger to pass on his knowledge and experience to enrich our young singers, in whom his legacy will live on to inspire new generations. Even now, at an age when most singers might be expected to begin scaling back their endeavours, new roles and challenges await him. Let me end with an anecdote. One sunny July day in Bayreuth in 2006 he and I were strolling along the Bahnhofstrasse, discussing the previous night’s performance of Der fliegende Holländer , in which he had played the title role, when we were interrupted by an ecstatic cry of “ Er ist WOTAN! ” as a German couple, overwhelmed at seeing their hero in person, descended upon him to shake his hand, take photographs, and demonstrate that they carried his recording of Die Walküre on their phones. Watching them, I reflected that at that time he had not played his signature role at Bayreuth for eight years, Alan Titus had played it for five years in the interim, and Falk Struckmann was due to launch a new production at the Festspielhaus that very night. Yet for his two admirers, as for so many of us, Sir John’s identification with the Lord of the Gods was, and remains, complete. Surely few singers are so greatly loved as him, and none more deservedly so. Congratulations on your medal, soave Sir John . You’ve earned it.

JUSTLY DESERVED RECOGNITION Mark Eynon Sir John’s world class stature as a singer and actor is beyond question and known to all opera lovers and Wagnerians in particular. His stage presence is magnetic, his voice uniquely resonant and powerful and his diction a masterclass in clarity and projection. He is without doubt one of the greatest singers this country has ever produced. But what I would also like to testify to is his kindness, his modesty and his personal generosity, all qualities which he demonstrated last year as a loyal patron and supporter of Wagner 200 . John gave much of his valuable time to young singers in a masterclass at the and for our reading of The Ring cycle at the British Library where, as narrator and host, his unparalleled knowledge of the work was an inspiration to the young actors and for which he waived any fee. His recognition by Royal Philharmonic Society is justly deserved.

– 13 – Sir John Tomlinson Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Presentation A MEMORY I SHALL CARRY FOREVER Rhonda Browne A recent career highlight for me was taking part in a masterclass as part of the Royal Opera House’s Insight programme with the unsurpassable Sir John. I had the opportunity to work with him on a Mastersingers weekend in Eastbourne May 2013, where his gentle and generous imparting of his knowledge and experience were pure pleasure to receive. To be given a second chance to benefit from this was an occasion I leapt at. A chance to go further into the repertoire of Erda and to sing with the man who possesses a voice reminiscent of a beautiful, powerful and tuneful foghorn is a memory I shall carry forever.

Photo: Richard Carter Rhonda performing with John Tomlinson and Kevin Lim. Mastersingers Gods and Heroes weekend, Eastbourne, May 2013. See: “My Journey this year” on Page 19

SUPERB ACTING SKILLS. PROFOUND MUSICIANSHIP. HUMANITY Humphrey Burton I like everything John Tom does. My favourite of his many roles is Golaud in Pelleas et Melisande . I directed the telecast from Glyndebourne of Graham Vick’s haunting production. John Tom gave us a haunted soul, a soul in torments of love and jealousy, cruel yet so vulnerable! John has the gift of making you feel sympathy for even the blackest of characters. It comes from his superb acting skills as well his profound musicianship. And his humanity.

– 14 – Sir John Tomlinson Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Presentation COMMITTED NOT JUST HIS LIFE BUT HIS SOUL TO GREAT ART Magdalen Ashman Our beloved John Tom – where should I begin? The man is a god and a hero but more importantly, he’s from Lancashire! All the best people are from Lancashire: Kathleen Ferrier, Susan Bullock and of course Morecambe and Wise. (My Nana who is 94 lives just down the road from Susan Bullock’s family and thinks that she knew Susan’s grandad!) John is warm, wholehearted and unpretentious. What he cares about is art and serving it with his voice. Everything else is secondary. He is also generous. I was so lucky to be on the receiving end of that generosity when he agreed to do a masterclass for the Mastersingers Goodall Academy at Presteigne, on the Fricka / Wotan scene in Rheingold . It was one of the best moments of my life and I owe Malcolm Rivers a huge thank you for making it happen. I sang Fricka opposite John Tom. It doesn’t get better than that! To say I was slightly nervous or scared before that masterclass would be an understatement. From the moment Malcolm told me, I worked non-stop on every aspect of the scene. By the time I arrived at Presteigne I was ready for action. John was kind, good humoured and totally committed to my being my absolute best. I was blown away. He gave me his total focus and energy. It was like being on stage with a giant 1,000 watt charged battery! His sheer presence is incredible. After a while he decided we should just sing the scene together and have fun. The audience were enraptured. I had to pretend to myself it wasn’t happening just to get through it. A little voice in my head was shouting: “Oh my God, you are actually performing Fricka opposite John Tom!!!” I will never forget it. Sir John has committed not just his life but his soul to great art. That has been a truly wonderful thing for all of us. If anyone deserves that gold medal it’s our John Tom.

Magdalen Ashman with Sir John Tomlinson The Mastersingers Goodall Academy weekend, The Rodd, (Presteigne): August 2010

– 15 – Sir John Tomlinson Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Presentation GREAT ARTIST. GREAT GENEROSITY. A GREAT MAN. Paul Dawson-Bowling John Tomlinson is a Wagnerian artist in the grand manner. Possessed of a voice of heroic range and beauty, it is its sheer scale and not its loudness that allows him to shape a phrase to a melting softness when reassuring Parsifal, and yet know that it will touch his audience in the far distances. To be sure, he can also command a sensational power. As the Valkyrie Wotan in Act II, his “ Endlose Grimm! Ewige Gram! ” would shake the rafters. He was likewise tireless as Hans Sachs, unflagging at Covent Garden in the long stretches of Die Meistersinger Act III where Wagner mercilessly places the role, great stretches of it, on the upper side of middle C. Gurnemanz, Wotan and Sachs, three signature rules of this great bass-baritone, were individualised by the amount of bass in the mix. And yet his colossal talent might have blushed unseen and wasted its sweetness on the desert air if his fate had rested with English opera managements. Hunding and one of the giants were all that Covent Garden, left to itself, deemed appropriate for him, and it was as one of the giants that he was originally heard at Bayreuth. But among those who heard him was Daniel Barenboim, and descending like Jupiter from Olympus, he decreed that Tomlinson should be his Bayreuth Wotan. After that it was a different tune even at Covent Garden. However, it is a thousand pities that John Tomlinson came at a time when Wagner productions often deny the heart of the work which they purport to present, and demean the heroic figures at the centre. What Godlike qualities could his Wotan display when Harry Kupfer turned him into a feeble wino, buffeted and helpless in the storm of Act III, instead of being its mighty Bezwinger , its maker, as Wagner intended? How at Covent Garden could he move audiences with the depth of his love in Wotan’s farewell when Richard Jones ordained that at the great 6/4 chord, he should stick Brünnhilde’s breastplate up on a totem pole and survey it there, instead of embracing her? Fortunately, there was also the Covent Garden Meistersinger , which let him shine as an actor in the complexity and profundity of Hans Sachs. I shall never forget his look of outrage, consternation and disbelief as Pogner concluded his Act I monologue with his lunatic plan to make his daughter the prize for a singing contest. Even so, my wife and I only once saw John Tomlinson in a production where all his immense gifts – voice, musician, actor of unsurpassed declamatory skill, and about all a talent to move – were set in a production which allowed them their full flowering. The circumstances were unexpected. It was in 2005, and we were at the Semperoper Dresden, waiting for the Easter Parsifal in the beautiful, faithful staging of Theo Adam, so different from Lehnhoff’s fatuous ENO travesty, when a dinner-jacketed official advanced to the footlights. We heard with dipping spirits that Kurt Rydl would not be singing Gurnemanz, but they turned to enthusiastic expectancy when the official went on to say that the role would be taken, at point-blank notice, by John Tomlinson who had just flown in. Whatever the notice, John Tomlinson gave the performance of his life. The lustre of his voice, his shaping of the text and phrase, his immense stage presence, the grandeur, simplicity and the kindliness of his characterisation touched the very depths. We in the first circle looked towards the stage across the stalls, and were aware of people below weeping at the Good Friday Spell, at the beauty and holiness of it, at the way he illuminated it. It was not a response of sadness, but a sense of something ineffable. – 16 – When shall we see the like of John Tomlinson again? Well, quite soon if he himself could manage it, because he is a leading participant in the Mastersingers’ programme for young singers. As we witnessed at Eastbourne in May 2013, he is doing his utmost to pass on his prodigious gifts to oncoming Wagnerian artists, help them develop their careers (often, alas, abroad), and save them from withering on the vine as his own might have done.

A LETTER TO SIR JOHN David Edwards Dear John, The Royal Philharmonic Society has done a wonderful thing in awarding you its Gold Medal: a richly deserved acknowledgment of your incredible achievements in music and your magnificent contribution to operatic performance around the world. Many congratulations! I have been fortunate to know you and work alongside you now for many years. I can still clearly remember you in the early 1980s striding purposefully down the wings at Covent Garden ready to make your entrance as Masetto, Hobson, Angelotti, Cadmus in Semele , a Nazarene in , Pietro in Simon Boccanegra and all those other roles that preceded your mighty Wagnerian ones. We had no idea in those days that you would become the Wotan de nos jours . But I also remember you rehearsing Das Rheingold with Götz Friedrich in 1991 and how excited he was with your work: “Diese Wotan ist so jung, so energetisch!” he would say, gesturing enthusiastically with a burning cigarette between his fingers. Those days have passed (it seems hardly credible now that Götz was allowed to smoke in front of singers in rehearsal) but we can still watch your incredible physicality in the DVD of Harry Kupfer’s Bayreuth Ring . How lucky we were that you gave us your Wotan again in London in both Richard Jones’ and Keith Warner’s productions – and what a shame it is that there’s no visual record of the former. With all of these (and other) brilliant and diverse directors you’ve proved that you’re a man of fierce intelligence and theatricality, open to innovative interpretation; a performer who always seeks to engage and stimulate the audience in an exciting and original manner. You are the very model of a modern major artist. We’ve enjoyed your G&S too – proving that you’re a singer who, incredibly, is capable of everything from Handel and Monteverdi to Schoenberg and Birtwistle, and all those composers in between. It’s your total commitment as a performer, as well as your powerful singing (and the two things are really inseparable) that singles you out as a unique force on the world stage. But for me the really good thing is that you’re a brilliant colleague: still the kind, generous and good-humoured fellow you were when I first met you. As the saying goes: you can take the man out of Lancashire but you can’t take the Lancashire out of the man. Three cheers for that and here’s to many more riveting performances from you in years to come. Thank you for all that you’ve done for opera, for your public and for your many friends in the business. We love you. With very best wishes, David – 17 –

NEWS OF YOUNG ARTISTS MY JOURNEY THIS YEAR Rhonda Browne It has been a year of challenges and triumphs, mountains and milestones with a wave of wonderful experiences and colleagues. Last September I was fortunate enough to be awarded a place on the National Opera Studio’s Singers of Tomorrow scheme, which allows me coaching and career support from the wonderful staff at the Studio. This has proved an invaluable and productive support in my career development and I recently found out that this award has been extended for a further year as from September 2014. The Tillet Trust, a foundation which supports young artists who have finished their study and are embarking on their careers, awarded me a generous grant to enable me to travel to Munich in March for a round of coaching and auditions. What a successful trip this was. To start the week I had four sessions with Adrian Baianu (who has coached for the UK Mastersingers in the past). His enthusiasm and encouragement were hugely valuable. Next came Wolf Storz at the Bayerische Staatsoper, a coach I had worked with in the lead up to the Wagner Society Bayreuth Bursary. His knowledge of the repertoire, years of working with the amazing singers of the world and innate understanding of the German language and music had me riveted to his every word. His insights into the repertoire have made me look at my arias and scenes through fresh eyes. He has invited me to go at any stage and I can’t wait to go back for more. Whilst in Munich I had two auditions for agencies, both of which were successful, so I now have representation in Germany, Europe and Asia: a great step forward. At one of these auditions I met an American tenor who was friends with Sir Donald McIntyre and he suggested I get in touch as Sir Donald is now living in Munich. I spoke with him that evening and the next day I had the honour of meeting him for lunch and working on some of the Wagnerian repertoire for which he is so well known. My week could not have been a greater success, for which I am eternally grateful to the Tillet Trust for enabling it to happen. Performance-wise I have had some amazing opportunities. Auntie in Peter Grimes with the Nottingham Philharmonic, Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Sheffield Symphony, Zia Principessa in two different productions of Suor Angelica , a wonderful concert of Ring excerpts with my colleagues from Opera Forge in St John’s Smith Square and a delightful rendition of Hansel and Gretel with Opera in Space which had my witch dressed from head to toe in a rubber suit, riding a bike around in fake snow. Such fun! Photo: Robert Workman I shall be singing Baba the Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress for Bury Court Opera and my first Wesendonck Lieder with the Woking Orchestra in the coming months. Auditions, teaching and repertoire learning continue as usual to be a part of everyday life alongside preparations for my wedding in September. Thanks again to all the support I receive from my teacher Jacqueline Bremar and coaches, in particular Ludmilla Andrew, Kelvin Lim and Kathryn Harries and from the Wagner Society and Mastersingers.

– 19 – GOODALL SCHOLARS UPDATE 2014 Malcolm Rivers It was most heartening at the Wagner Society AGM to receive such rewarding support for the Goodall Scholars Scheme, in addition to the continuing work that Mastersingers are able to achieve in collaboration with the Wagner Society and other organisations. Thanks to some sterling work by Mike Morgan and Neil King the present Committee have got the Society back on course following a rather uncertain three years. I am now completely confident that the way forward is for the Scheme to become incorporated in the new bursaries and scholarships and so I have suggested that they be awarded directly by the Wagner Society Committee upon application. This is already in place. Mastersingers have been administering the scheme on behalf of the Society without charges to the Society from Mastersingers or myself (personally). However, accountancy costs nowadays where a charity is concerned are mounting due to more and more complex criteria that could amount to further costs down the line from accountants to undertake this increasing workload and this in my opinion would be a waste of money when we can have an alternative that serves just as well. Members may like to know the number and names of some of the artists who have been helped (or will be helped) through the Goodall scheme over the last three years or so in a major or minor way. They are: Rachel Nicholls, Lee Bisset, Alwyn Mellor, James Rutherford, Stuart Pendred, Meta Powell, Erika Madi Jones, Cara McHardy, Kirstin Sharpin, Jonathan Stoughton, Andrew Rees, Roberto Garcia Lopez, Paul Carey Jones, Neal Cooper, Rhonda Browne, Catherine Carby, Kimberley Myers, Hugo Mallet, Jacqueline Varsey, Ian Wilson-Pope, Michael Druiett, Miriam Sharrad, Alison Roddy, Simon Lobelson, Michael Bracegirdle, Brian Smith Walters, and Brian Green.

Photo: Roger Lee Dame Anne Evans shares a joke with Rachel Nicholls during their masterclass together as part of the Mastersingers “Heroism and Villainy” weekend: Presteigne, September 2012 We shall also be awarding more help to singers as they prepare for the at Longborough Festival Opera in 2015 before handing over to the new system upon which I shall still be offering advice, and Mastersingers will still be operating as previously as an independent organisation continuing the same level of support to singers

– 20 – that has been in place these last twenty years. Like the singers I am deeply indebted to the large team of coaches and teachers who have given so generously of their time and talents. To name but a few, these are: Dame Anne Evans, Sir John Tomlinson, Anthony Negus, David Syrus, Phillip Thomas, Richard Black, Jacobi, Tony Legge, Gerhard Gall, Igor Kennaway, Peter Davies and Neil Howlett. Thank you all so much for the support you have shown over the years. I have been asked several times recently by prospective sponsors how much financial support is needed per singer on an annual basis and how many singers we support in any one year. The above list gives an indication of the numbers and quality of those involved and currently we have around 16 singers in the system for the next two years. As to individual costs: two recent applications from sopranos who are on the verge of a full professional career will serve to give you some idea. One, who has already sung major roles at Longborough and is wishing to extend her career to Europe and the Americas, needs £2,724 for advanced German studies, some at the Goethe-Institut and some privately. The other is wanting to undertake an audition tour of the German Opera Houses this autumn and will need coaching in this country in role preparation, German (both sung and colloquial) and travel, accommodations and subsistence amounting to about £4,300. These donations from Mastersingers and the Wagner Society are awarded after auditions to ascertain the suitability of the applicants. In general the coaching costs for voice, role preparation and German language average at around £65 per hour per person and it is all too clear that a sensible course of preparation in these subjects over a period of even six months can be quite expensive, but very necessary. Thank you all so much for the support you have shown over the years, and Mastersingers still welcomes support from private donors as we receive no public funded income whatsoever. It is appreciated that most sponsors cannot donate to the level of the figures quoted above but the accumulation of lesser amounts of around £250 can be most helpful in achieving our aims. In addition to direct donations by cheque or cash we are able to accept standing orders to our bankers, bequests and shares, which can be most beneficial to high taxpayers.

Photo: Richard Carter Neil Cooper, Sir John Tomlinson, Rhonda Browne and Michael Druiett. The Mastersingers “Gods and Heroes” weekend: Eastbourne, May 2013 [email protected] 020 8950 4651

– 21 – ALDEBURGH WEEKEND 12 th to 15 th September 2014 The Mastersingers Company and The Music Club of London present APRÈS LE DÉLUGE The musical world changed for ever after Wagner. Following Tristan and the tidal flood which concludes Götterdämmerung very little would sound the same again. The Mastersingers and the MCL present a weekend of music exploring the repercussions and influence of Wagner’s writing on the 20 th century musical landscape, with illustrated lectures, live recitals and discussions on the music of Puccini, Strauss, Schoenberg, Janá ek, Debussy and Britten. č PROGRAMME All events will take place in the Jubilee Hall and refreshments will be available Friday 12th September 13.00 Coach departs from Marylebone Station forecourt 16.00 Approximate time of arrival at hotels 18.00 Dinner (White Lion Hotel) 20.00 A CELEBRITY RECITAL Rachel Nicholls (soprano) and Phillip Thomas (piano) Songs by Strauss, Debussy (Prose Lyriques) and Wolf (Lied der Mignon) Saturday 13th September 10.30 THE POST WAGNERIAN REVOLUTION to David Edwards examines how the next generation reacted to Wagner’s lead. 12.30 Followed by an appreciation of the great British bass-baritone John Shirley- Quirk who died earlier this year 13.00 Lunch (White Lion Hotel) 15.00 DAME ANNE EVANS in a workshop with Rachel Nicholls as she approaches to the role of Isolde for the first time for the Royal Opera House and Longborough. 16.30 With Richard Black (piano) 20.00 EIN LIEDERABEND Eddie Wade (baritone) , Laura Parfitt (soprano) , Michael Bracegirdle (tenor) accompanied by Phillip Thomas . Includes Mahler, Janá ek, Debussy and Strauss č

– 22 – Sunday 14th September 11.00 PROFESSOR TEGID WYN JONES presents The Forgotten, from Christmas to to Easter , the culture of Penillion singing achieving greatness with the 12.30 minimum of means. The presentation will include some very early recordings of Bryn Terfel .

13.00 Lunch (White Lion Hotel)

15.00 JULIAN JACOBSON , Britain's most creative and distinctive pianist in recital to with Berg, Schoenberg, Debussy and Ravel 16.30

20.00 OPERATIC RECITAL With our featured singers presenting scenes from Il Tabarro, Pelleas and Melisande and arias and duets from early twentieth century opera

Programme and artists subject to change at the discretion of The Mastersingers

Monday 15th September 11.00 Coach pick up from hotels for Snape 11.30 Visit shops and galleries 12.45 Lunch at The Plough & Sail for participants who have booked 14.30 Coach departs for London

There will be time on Monday to visit Aldeburgh Parish Church to see the magnificent Britten memorial stained glass windows by John Piper and the graves of , Peter Pears, Imogen Holst and George Crabbe. The Church will be open early Sunday morning and there will be time for an early visit on Monday morning before leaving for Snape. Also take a walk along the beach to see Maggi Hamblin’s controversial Scallop .

Please use the booking form mailed to you with this issue of Wagner News

Package bookings include especially reserved Weekend Pass seating.

Separate tickets for events are available from Malcolm Rivers. Tel: 020 8950 4651 email: [email protected] 44 Merry Hill Mount, Bushey, WD23 1DJ or from Aldeburgh Music. Tel: 01728 687110 email: [email protected]

– 23 –

PARSIFAL AND TANNHÄUSER AT NORWICH John Bultitude The forthcoming visit by Theater Freiburg is going to be a major logistical challenge. Two productions, Parsifal and Tannhäuser , will be transferred to the Theatre Royal in Norwich City Centre from Theater Freiburg’s stunning headquarters close to the Black Forest in Southern Germany. The orchestra, soloists and performers, the backstage teams, lighting and sound crew, and the various production managers add up to a company of some 193 people who will be involved in the move to Norwich. Both productions will be conducted by Fabrice Bollon. Parsifal will be sung by Roberto Gionfriddo with Sigrun Schell as Kundry under the direction of Frank Hilbrich. Marius Vlad and Christian Voigt will share the title role in Tannhäuser directed by Eva- Maria Höckmayr. With their epic plots, huge casts and large technical requirements, transforming the operas into a stage spectacle represents a tough test, and Theater Freiburg’s Anneli Binder is the person overseeing the project alongside a team from Norwich Theatre Royal. She said: “Heading to Norfolk from Germany to put on these two huge shows is quite a big thing. The first thing we had to think about was the logistics. We had to think about getting everyone over.” Finding the right date was also crucial as Theater Freiburg has its own commitments at its German home. “The trip to Norwich had to fit in with our season schedule. We could not come to Norfolk if we needed the singers, orchestra or conductors for a production here,” “We also decided that people in Norfolk should have the chance to enjoy our amazing Children’s Choir which is made up of 50 singers aged from 8 to 16 who have their own conductor and team of supervisors.” This brings about another set of challenges. Choir Leader Thomas Schmieger said: “We have never done such a long journey with the children before so we need to take into account things like how to feed and accommodate them, as well as how to fill their spare time. We also have to liaise with their parents and guardians about all the arrangements, and think about the kind of supervision the young people will need.” Meanwhile accommodation needs to be found around the Norwich area for the cast and crew. The University of East Anglia and Wymondham College will provide home bases for one of the largest companies ever to visit the Theatre Royal. The Company are looking forward to visiting Norwich both for the experience and the prestige. Anneli Binder explained: “Coming to England with these operas by Wagner is something we feel very passionate about and it is very important to us. Of course we have to make a few changes to both productions for this tour, but we have always been committed to making this happen. The connection between Germany, England and Wagner is really important to all of us. Norwich Theatre Royal has a tradition of presenting good opera and we are honoured to have this opportunity to perform in the city.” Thomas Schmieger added: “All of the Choir say they are very excited to be able to visit the home country of Harry Potter.” Sadly, a spell from Harry will not be enough to bring these two exciting productions to this country but a lot of brute force, months of planning and the talents of those on those on stage and behind the scenes will ensure that audiences will get the chance to sample some of Europe’s finest operatic talent in Norfolk. Theater Freiburg in Norwich website: http://bit.ly/1hyxj8o – 25 – A RINGSIDE SEAT The Ring , Fulham Opera, St John’s Church, 23 rd February to 2 nd March 2014 Katie Barnes Photography: Richard Carter On the face of it, the very thought of performing the Ring in a church seating around 100 seems one of the unlikeliest operatic ventures imaginable (“Hey, let’s do the show right here, in the church !”). As even Ben Woodward, the apparently inexhaustible Music Director of this amazing enterprise has observed, it could be described as “the maddest and most complicated theatrical production ever undertaken by a tiny fringe opera company”. Fulham Opera may be small, but it thinks big. The astonishing quality, flair, imagination, economy, resourcefulness, showmanship and solid dramatic and musical values of this Ring are worthy of a major league production. It is a worthy tribute to the vision of the company’s original , the late Robert Presley, whom Woodward has credited with making the first suggestion which has led to the performance of two complete cycles in 2014. I had only seen Rheingold and Götterdämmerung in the earlier series (reviewed in WN 207 and 212 respectively). Seeing the four operas together enabled me to evaluate the central concept of presenting the cycle as a journey through modern America. (As Woodward has pointed out, this is the production which took the Ring to America before Frank Castorf got there.) It was a revelation to be able to assess how the production has evolved and its ideas have been developed, beginning with a simple seats-facing-the-stage approach and moving to one which enwraps and involves the audience, sweeping us into the action (Max Pappenheim produced Siegfrie d and Fiona Jenkins the other three, with Rheingold revived by Peter Relton and Walküre by Genevieve Raghu). The admirably clear surtitles reflected the modern setting of the production and were often very witty if occasionally slangy. The musical concept also becomes more elaborate as the cycle progresses, starting with a single piano for the first two operas, with the utterly essential horn and flute added for Siegfried , increasing to the luxury of a two-handed piano arrangement, flute, four horns and a harp for Götterdämmerung . Inevitably there were drawbacks to this setup: I tended to notice the thinness of the musical textures more when extra players had been added than when the piano held sole sway, and the horns could be alarmingly erratic. But the unusual instrumental combination gave rise to some lovely effects, especially the skirling flute during the Rhine Journey and the seductive blending of flute and harp underpinning the Rhinedaughters’ music at the beginning of Götterdämmerung Act III.

– 26 – I have no words adequately to express my admiration for Ben Woodward, the inspirational, steel-fingered, iron-willed Music Director whose determination, artistic integrity and sheer guts initiated the project and has seen it through all stages to its triumphant conclusion, culminating in the incredible feat of directing and playing the whole tetralogy on a piano within eight days, something which should surely earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records! Rheingold is the simplest and most conventional production. The audience sits facing the massive, table-like marble altar, and the whole opera is performed in the chancel, elevated three steps above the nave, with the altar at the centre of the action, minimal props and furniture and some entrances and exits, and some sections (including Alberich’s first entrance, Fasolt’s opening solo and Erda’s warning) sung in the aisle. Set in Texas, with the Rhinedaughters as beach girls, the Gods complete with Stetsons, golf clubs, cigars and whisky, a great black umbrella standing in for Wotan’s spear, and the Nibelungs as a black- clad, enslaved underclass, the production is both consistent and persuasive. In this context, Wotan’s duplicity comes straight from the boardrooms of the big oil companies, with clear overtones of Dallas . Walküre is also centred on the chancel but is scenically more advanced, and as a production is much more ambitious and multi-layered. It is more audacious than Rheingold in its use of the performing areas, especially in Act III. I like the idea of setting Act I in a Californian caravan park, with Hunding as brutish, wife-beating, junk-food-scoffing trailer trash (during the prelude we see him assaulting Sieglinde because he dislikes the hamburger she has prepared for him, and he returns with a bucket of fried chicken!), Sieglinde as his traumatised victim, and Siegmund as a fugitive soldier in fatigues, complete with dog tags. (But why is this the only opera of the four whose surtitles specify, not only the locations for each act but also the year (2000) in which the production is set?). The idea of setting Act II in Valhalla Studios, Hollywood, is positively inspired. Wotan, who, according to the witty translation, has fled, not to the mountains but to “the hills”, presides over a desk (the altar again) laden with awards including an Oscar and watches over the world via a laptop. Gerhilde is his prim little secretary and Brünnhilde and the other Valkyries are starlets, collecting their latest pages of script as they pass through his office. Siegmund, whose image features on a huge poster on the wall, is the unwitting star of Wotan’s latest epic. Fricka is a spoiled, over-the-hill film star complete with diamonds, furs, sunglasses, chauffeur and adorable lapdog. This setting gives a whole new dimension to her actions, not only as a betrayed and vengeful wife, but as an ageing star using every means in her power to destroy the emerging talents who would replace her. Brilliant though this concept is, it unfortunately cannot be sustained throughout the opera, as the subsequent scenes barely allude to it.

– 27 – The flight of Siegmund and Sieglinde takes us away from Hollywood to a wonderfully atmospheric rubbish-strewn alley in downtown Los Angeles where the black- clad Brünnhilde is discovered in a pool of light, her hands in her pockets, leaning against a church pillar for the Todesverkündigung like a figure of Death from a Noir film. Act III begins in “the Valkyries’ house”, which could be a hostel for the featured players in a film or simply accommodation shared by nine very diverse sisters. I like the differentiation in their personalities: glamorous Gerhilde making up for a night on the town, Waltraute working out to a video, homebody Schwertleite putting a vase of flowers on the table, Helmwige, Rossweisse and Grimgerde bicycling up the aisle (a Ring with cycles, how wonderful) – the surtitles tactfully refer to their steeds as ‘riders’ or ‘racers’. They try to make Sieglinde at home, seating her in front of the TV and offering her pizza while Schwertleite wraps her in a blanket, and the practical hikers, Rossweisse and Grimgerde, generously kit her out for her escape with overcoat, woolly hat, rucksack, sandwich box, flask, and map to guide her to Neidhöhle. But there is a complete change of tone for the second scene, for which the lights are darkened and we seem to be taken to a place away from the everyday world, where Brünnhilde, clad in the long red velvet gown and coat she will wear again at the end of Götterdämmerung , lapped in the folds of a scarlet mantle embroidered with flames which will later enfold Siegfried’s body, is laid to sleep on the altar, attended by the white-robed Valkyries carrying flickering candles.

It is not easy to impose a modern setting upon Siegfried , set as it is in remote forests and mountains, and the description on Fulham Opera’s website simply describes it as being set in “an isolated US [Amish?] community” with Mime, Siegfried and Fafner “on the edge of this isolated community, even further removed from it”. After two evenings facing the altar, it is quite a shock to the audience to enter the church and find that the performing area has rotated through 90 degrees and that the chancel, focus of attention in the first two operas, is now virtually abandoned. The action takes place on a raised walkway along the aisle with the audience seated on either side and the surtitles projected onto white cloth screens rigged between the church pillars, above the heads of the audience. This limited performing area, cluttered with workbench, sideboard and anvil, – 28 – with a glowing fire-pit, defines the claustrophobia of Mime’s smithy in Act I (in which we even have a bear, a luxury absent in many more elaborate productions) but, cleared of furniture and props, can become the open spaces of the forest and of the pass and fire- bound rock of Act III. The treatment of Fafner’s lair is ingenious: in Act II one end of the platform is flanked by two square steel towers, behind which the singer intones through a tube which amplifies his voice just as Wagner intended, while operating massive, extending claws which reach out to grab Siegfried. For once the young hero has a genuine fight on his hands, as there is a real, exciting possibility that he could be shredded to ribbons before he can slay Fafner. When he succeeds, the bass emerges from between the towers, dressed as he was in Rheingold , with the sword apparently protruding from his breast. His body, and later Mime’s, are thrown into the cave out of the audience’s sight. In Act III the units used to create the walkway are arranged in steps to create an opening through which Erda can appear while Brünnhilde is found asleep at the opposite end, beneath the altar. Clever though this is, it creates serious problems with the lighting, which is arranged in a floor level bank in front of the altar. In Act III important action, including Brünnhilde’s awakening and much of the love duet, is placed behind the lights, forcing the audience to stare directly into them for several minutes at a time. I ended the night with streaming eyes and a thumping headache. Possibly because it has a different director, the Siegfried production has a couple of continuity errors which Wotan, as a film producer, would never countenance. In Walküre Nothung is a short hunting knife which does not break but falls from Siegmund’s hand at the crucial moment, but in Siegfried Mime produces a leather tube containing two halves of a long blade, which Siegfried forges into a substantial broadsword. Much importance is attached to a can of film which Alberich produces in Act II and the Wanderer carries around thereafter. Without reading the Siegfried page on the Fulham Opera website, I would not have known that this is “the last remaining copy of [Wotan’s] abandoned film on Siegmund”. It would have been less confusing if this visual leitmotif had been initiated in Walküre . Götterdämmerung moves the action to Washington DC, with the uniformed Gibichungs heading a military enclave and the Norns, in a care home for the aged, constantly knitting and winding the multicoloured wool which represents their rope. This is the most ambitious production of all, uniting as it does the scenic concepts of the first three operas. The audience faces the chancel again and the action takes place in front of a white curtain concealing the altar except when it is used at key moments, with a T- shaped raised platform extending into a raised walkway through the audience, narrower and lower than it was in Siegfried , on which much of the action takes place, among and around the spectators, stretching right to the rear of the church. This approach enables the production to make maximum use of the limited performing space and to use the chorus in a very flexible way, most thrillingly when Hagen summons the vassals and they appear in two groups, one onstage, the other behind the audience, calling to and answering each other, surrounding the audience with their sound. It is impossible to describe how thrilling – 29 – it felt to be engulfed in the music like this. The walkway is also used very imaginatively in Act III Scene 1, where the vassals escorting Gunther arrive in a phalanx, twirling four umbrellas like car wheels, and then settle down along the walkway for their lunch break. Siegfried is slowly borne out on a stretcher with the vassals in procession on either side of the walkway, each one touching the stretcher, needing to be a part of the moment, followed by Gunther bearing Nothung. The uses of the altar are all the more effective for being limited: its final appearance, with the dead Siegfried lying in state with vassals on guard at each corner, a stunning coup-de-théâtre . The only change to the production this time is the addition of filmed sequences projected onto the white curtain, very effective when water and fire images are used at the beginning and end of Act III. The most ambitious film, during Waltraute’s narrative, shows the despairing Wotan unspooling his film of Siegmund. It was impressive and may well have been helpful to newcomers to the opera, but I found it a distraction. Zoë South’s remarkable Brünnhilde dominated the entire enterprise. Good though the whole cast were, she was on a different level to everyone else. Fulham Opera are fortunate that a singer of such calibre and of such massive potential has been prepared to commit herself so wholeheartedly to the project. Her voice filled the church, gleaming and soaring, and as the cycle progressed, her development of the character from heedless tomboy to compassionate angel of death, defiant daughter, loving woman, vengeful virago and redemptive goddess was matched by a glorious palette of vocal colours. The Immolation, crowning her performance, was simply stunning. Wotan was played in Rheingold by Gerard Delrez, vocally utterly magnificent, effortlessly commanding the stage as the character moved from duplicitous confidence to the gradual, crushing awakening of his conscience with the realisation of the chaos that his actions would unleash. (In the second cycle, Delrez doubled as a grim, watchful Hagen whose voice sent chills down my spine in the Watch and fairly bounced against the church’s hammer-beam roof as he summoned the vassals). But it was Ian Wilson- Pope’s (left) supremely honest, desperately moving portrayal in Walküre and Siegfried which reached right to the heart of Wotan’s dilemmas, his grief and rage and his eventual acceptance of his fate. The doomed god’s relationships with his estranged wife, his former lover, his old rivals Alberich and Mime, his uncomprehending grandson, and above all with his erring daughter, were heartrendingly realised. The sense of loss in his final encounters with Brünnhilde and Erda was overwhelming and brought tears to my eyes. Emotionally as well as physically, he towered over everyone. Philip Modinos, the young Siegfried, is a treasure. For once we had a tenor who sounds and looks the part: a tall, powerfully-built young man with a Byronic profile and black curls so crisp that I could almost hear them. He sounded sublime, with a superb, ringing, supple voice with a thrilling baritonal sound and wonderful ease in the top. He was believable both in Siegfried’s teenage stroppiness and his emotional journey towards the beginnings of adulthood. Like Zoë South, he must surely be heading for larger stages. – 30 – The Götterdämmerung Siegfried was played by Jonathan Finney. His agile, characterful instrument is leaner and edgier than Modinos’, but he has plenty of vocal experience and intelligence to compensate, and successfully persuaded us that even if his is not a naturally helden voice, it is capable of performing the role. His acting, too, was utterly convincing, making a strong, sympathetic case for the duped hero, and his warmth of personality counted for much. He also sang a deliciously likeable Loge, in which his voice sounded more at home. The role had been completely rethought since the 2012 performances, when the fire-god was an edgy, jiggy type whom one feared might have a drug habit. Finney, red-suited with a black t-shirt emblazoned with Loge’s name, red makeup outlining his expressive face and wide, mobile mouth and making him resemble a clown, was wonderfully louche and laid-back, and genuinely funny. He made me think of Philip Langridge, and I can offer little higher praise. Alberich was played by three very different singers, all of whom brought out different aspects of the character. In Rheingold , Oliver Gibbs, whom one would normally consider too tall and handsome to play a loathsome dwarf, exuded rough sex appeal and menace in equal measure and sang superbly. This was a very physical portrayal of a dark, masterful Nibelung, enraged by the Rhinedaughters’ hurts to his pride, exultant in his brief triumph in Nibelheim. Unlike some recent interpreters he did not play the character for sympathy, but his grim pride made his humiliation especially sharp, and his scream as the Ring was torn away was filled with unimaginable pain. In the first cycle he had also played Hagen, which, as I pointed out to him, may be a unique double of a singer performing the father and son in the same cycle. In Siegfried , the marvellous Martin Lamb, who impressed me so much with the Rehearsal Orchestra last year, brought out Alberich’s deep insecurity, every uneasy glance and gesture seeming to fence him in a prison of his own neurosis. His singing was a marvel. In Götterdämmerung , Mark Holland presented a powerful but impotent bully. Mime also had a divided personality. In Rheingold , Ian Massa-Harris gave a sympathetic study of a sensitive craftsman driven to howling neurosis by his brother’s cruelty. I quite inordinately liked Peter Kent’s Siegfried Mime. This was a dignified little fellow, honest in his way, who had once done a fugitive woman a good turn and, in Dickens’ words, performed a sound practical penance for it every day of his life. He had genuinely done his best for Siegfried, but by the start of Act I the constant friction with his unmanageable foster son had pushed him near to breaking point and made him obsessively mistrustful. All the same, I felt that he would not have done Siegfried any harm until driven to it following his defeat by the Wanderer. There was great interaction between the “little and large” tenors, both singing so beautifully that they made the most of the longest tenor duets in opera. I especially liked the quietness and gentleness of the narrative of Sieglinde’s death and the real regret at Sie starb , and the straightforward honesty with which he betrayed himself to Siegfried in his final scene was a perfect joy and very, very funny. Elizabeth Russo’s Fricka was even more acidic than the character usually is, but behind the nagging wife and the gleefully manipulative film star was a troubled woman driven to drink and despair by Wotan’s infidelity. Elizabeth Stock was a charming Freia, Daniel Meades a pleasant, lightweight Froh, and Stephen John Svanholm an impressive, – 31 – nervy Donner. I liked the suggestion in the staging of Heda! Heda, hedo! that, like the American folk hero Pecos Bill, he was lassoing a raincloud to create his storm and rainbow. In the first cycle Svanholm also sang Gunther, which was sung in the second cycle by Emilien Hamel, who created a suitably weak, dissolute character but was vocally and dramatically overshadowed by his colleagues. Even in this venue, his voice sounded on the small side. The magnificent Jemma Brown, whose voice (to quote W.S. Gilbert) rolled out as Burgundy rolls down, deserves a special citation from Fulham Opera for being the only singer to appear in all performances of both cycles. Her Erda was grave, dignified, maternal, compassionate, affectionate, understanding Wotan’s waywardness even as she condemned it. She is only the second singer I have seen perform both Waltrautes in the same cycle (the other was Jane Irwin with Scottish Opera in 2003). Given the rare opportunity to develop the character between the two operas, her Walküre persona was a larky, portly fitness freak, who in Götterdämmerung became urgent, angry, dignified and deeply serious. Waltraute, like Brünnhilde, had grown up. She was also a lowering Second Norn, a looming harbinger of doom on a Zimmer frame resembling a massive spider, while her sisters, Lindsay Bramley as a confused, fearful First Norn and Janet Fischer as the bleak, implacable Third Norn, were confined to wheelchairs. Oliver Hunt’s Fasolt was a darker and more threatening character than we usually see, a lean, mean, glowering giant who only disclosed his gentler side when his amazingly deep voice softened as he praised Freia and at the moment when he closed his eyes in deep pain at the thought of giving her up in exchange for the gold. The savagery with which he fought for the Ring was horrifying. In Walküre he was one of the nastiest Hundings I have seen, a vicious, sadistic brute with a voice from the cellar, whom we loved to hate. Antoine Salmon’s Fafner successfully twisted his youthful, innocent countenance into expressions of ruthless evil, and his voice is a carpet of living velvet. Laura Hudson, in glorious voice, made Sieglinde a downtrodden human punchbag, neurotic in her repeated cleaning of every surface, a quivering jelly of fear, degraded by her trailer-trash husband, never far from dissolving into tears. She was terribly moving in the character’s vulnerability, her personality unfurling like a flower to the sun in her few moments of joy. Her Gutrune was a nervous, insecure woman transformed by her confidence in Hagen’s potion into a bitchy predator. Nicholas Buxton, the second cycle’s Siegmund (Andrew Friedhoff sang the role in the first cycle) was terrific. His voice sounded a little tight at the back of the throat, possibly due to nerves or lack of experience with the acoustic, but both the invocation to Wälse and Winterstürme were thrilling, and he floated Zauberfest beautifully. A splendid actor, he emphasised the tragedy and sombreness of the character compared with the carefree Siegfried. Emma Peaurt, Emily Blanch and Lindsay Bramley deserve especial credit, not only for their mellifluous singing as the Rhinedaughters, but for their hypnotic, flowing, graceful movements as they swirled around Alberich and later Siegfried. Peaurt was also a soaring Woodbird, and she and Blanch were the Götterdämmerung female chorus, all two of them. Blanch, Brown and Bramley were joined by Justine Viani, Cara McHardy (outstanding, as ever), Jennie Witton, Joanna Gamble and Olivia Barry as an intrepid team of Valkyries. – 32 – One of the chief delights of the cycle was the exceptional contribution to Götterdämmerung by members of the London Gay Men’s Chorus. Their singing was quite magnificent, especially in their responses to Hagen’s summons and their acclamation of Gunther and his bride, and the immediacy of their response to the drama was something very special. The gentleness and intensity with which the Norns’ carers tended them and helped to wind their wool, the excitement with which the vassals greeted Siegfried on his arrival, their reactions to the accusations and counter-accusations, their celebration of the dual wedding, their grief at Siegfried’s death and the solemnity with which they bore him out, their guarding of him as he lay in state, and their attendance upon Brünnhilde as she entered, a creature of flame, all made an incalculable contribution to the production. There is always a sense of community in a Ring cycle, with performers and audience alike drawn together over the four nights the operas are performed. One is likely to find oneself sitting with the same members of the audience: friendships and acquaintances are formed, Wagnerian views and experiences exchanged. On this occasion some very interesting discussion groups formed in the queue each night, and that communal sense was stronger than I have ever known it before, both because the intimate nature of the production meant that there was a feeling of sharing the experience with the performers, quite different from what one feels when the show takes place on the other side of the footlights, and because of the way the performers selflessly helped out to make the undertaking a success in every possible way. Surely this is the only Ring in the world where on various nights one could find Wotan and Third Norn on the ticket desk, Brünnhilde selling programmes and tearing tickets, Sieglinde, Alberich, Donner and Wotan serving refreshments and other members of the cast, whether involved in the night’s entertainment or not, milling around helping out in various capacities – not to mention the fact that as we emerged from the church afterwards, so many of them there in the vestibule, happily discussing the performance. The atmosphere was just incredible, I have never known anything like it. I wondered how many members of the audience, including two completely enthralled children, were seeing their first cycle. What an amazing way to be introduced to the Ring . As I remarked to Ian Wilson-Pope, one of my criteria of a good Ring is that in the second interval of Götterdämmerung I have the feeling of a child at 10pm on Christmas Day, that it’s nearly over and I don’t want it to end. This time I had that feeling in spades. I can only hope that some benevolent benefactor may someday appear to underwrite a revival. If I won EuroMillions, I’d do it like a shot! – 33 – BERLIN RING Siegfried and Götterdämmerung : 27 th +29 th Sept 2013. Ring Cycle: 8 th to 12 th Jan 2014 Robert Mitchell This Deutsche Oper Ring is the closest to the real thing that we are likely to see this side of the Atlantic. If you have not yet seen it, be warned: no sky is visible, Wotan wears the usual cliché military greatcoat, some of the dress is modern which jars horribly with the stage accoutrements, the Valkyries are necrophiliac Hell's Angels (but act and sing magnificently), and there’s all that ghastly, unnecessary smoke for the Magic Fire. But the plus points of this 30 year old production more than compensate. One is that you can see the whole drama over the five day period intended by the Master. The standard and pertinence of the acting is excellent throughout. Credit to Lance Ryan as Siegfried, who uses his exceptional intelligence to bring the character alive throughout. When he sings In springenden Funken sprühet sie auf he quickly springs back to avoid the same, then wipes his brow because he is hot . At the Wanderer’s sperre mein Speer dir den Weg! Ryan has unsheathed Nothung which he then moves from hand to hand to test its mettle. His breath control remains phenomenal: oh, wie mich brünstig da umschlang / der schönen Brünnhilde Arm! in one breath. Hans-Peter König’s Hagen conveyed much greater malevolence than the neutered version for Dorst at Bayreuth, the voice even more impressive and black. Interesting how he leans over the seated Gutrune at dass vor dir ein Weib er ersah and hypnotises her. He implants the idea of the effect of the magic draught (the most essential element of his diabolical plan) at an unconscious level. Gunther has temporarily exited, so this throws the Gibichungs’ culpability into a somewhat different light than is usual. Linda Watson’s Walküre Brünnhilde was excellently characterised, but the vocal honours went to Evelyn Herlitzius, the voice under superb control and every facet of the character: ecstasy, fury, resignation and acceptance projected with consummate intensity. It's as if the basic demands of the role have to be firmly embedded over the years, then come the extra qualities which wrench the spirit. If Susan Bullock (January) has not quite reached that stage, nevertheless she projected the role with great confidence, exemplary diction and glorious tone. There is a wonderful moment while Siegfried is trying to pacify Gunther after the spear oath, Gutrune moves to stage left and puts a comforting shawl round the shoulders of the distraught, benumbed and confused Brünnhilde. She keeps this on until jauchzend der Reiche verschenkt! in the following scene, at which point she tears it off and flings it to the ground with a vehemence that I hope you will never experience. Samuel Youn’s first Wanderer (September) was very promising and continued to provide heroic baritonal Strahl with a brilliant upper register. Pity that his spear broke prematurely and his hat wouldn’t stay put. Mark Delevan sang a solid, reliable, at times great Rheingold Wotan and Wanderer (January). The phenomenal 70 year old Terje Stensvold repeated his grandly authoritative Walküre Wotan There were no weak links in the rest of the cast, which included the ageless, brilliantly toned Peter Seiffert as Siegmund, Heidi Melton’s vocally resplendent Sieglinde and 3rd Norn, Reinhard Hagen (Hunding) and Burkhard Ulrich (Loge and Siegfried Mime). The backbone of any Wagner performance is of course the orchestra, and we were well served by this magnificent instrument, particularly the bass clarinet, cor anglais and trumpets, safely steered along in deft fashion by Messrs Rattle (September) and Runnicles (January).

– 34 – DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER IN FLORIDA Sarasota Opera house, 12 th March 2014 Ralph Lavender Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast is a far cry from the cold and salty surges of the North Sea with its frequent storms, such as the one experienced by Wagner in 1839. This production of Der fliegende Holländer , first brought forward in 2000, is very impressive. Conducted by David Neely, the overture was an early indication of the quality and clarity of the orchestra. Each mood was palpable within the music’s tidal ebb and flow, from the saline spray, the boiling sea and the fierce wind to the sailors’ cries, to the menace of the Dutchman and the calm of the Spinning Song where the homespun is threatened. Given the tightness of the stage, Daland’s ship was effectively presented and the appearance of the Dutchman’s ship was an eerie, red, intimidating ghost, though its disappearance at the end of the third Act was less so, a missed opportunity. The sets for both Acts I and II drew appreciative applause from the audience. Kevin Short as the Dutchman has a burnished bass baritone and a brooding stage presence. The psychological bonds between him and the excellent Senta of Dara Hobbs showed the care with which the performance had been prepared. The audience was asked to be considerate to the Dutchman because the singer was not feeling well, but there was no apparent diminution to the heft of his voice. Senta’s role is not easy to portray in singing and acting, but Dara Hobbs often sang with beautiful tone, expressing well Senta’s yearning as she becomes more and more fixated on the Dutchman. She commanded the stage with her presence in all her scenes. The Spinning Song in the second Act was a powerful moment. Erik’s role was sung by Michael Robert Hendrick whose acting supplied many deft touches to the characterisation in his singing, and Daland, sung by Harold Wilson, was a true delight. One of the glories of the Sarasota Opera Company is the power of its full-blooded choral singing, and the care taken by every member of the cast in clear diction and proper attention to the consonants. This is an opera with rich opportunities, but more could perhaps have been made of that spectral silence when the Dutchman’s crew fail to answer the invitation to a party. Interestingly, there is a very similar effect in Peter Grimes . In Der fliegende Holländer there are clear indications of the path Wagner was to follow in reforming the grammar of opera. Although there are the customary arias and recitatives, an enriching use of motifs is beginning to appear which he carried forward in his later works. What we see here is a fruitful teasing out of how Wagner managed to use with growing effect the shadows of past, present and future to express multiple meanings in a seamless web of sound. It may be worthy of note that when the Dutchman sings of his plight: “Die Frist ist um....Niemals der Tod....Ew’ge Vernichtung, nimm mich auf!” the music foreshadows Alberich’s curse on the ring in Das Rheingold . The Dutchman’s yearning for redemption alongside Senta’s need to feel compassion for others is a matter that always occupied Wagner’s mind throughout his composing life and which attained its highest expression in Parsifal. Both at the end of the overture to Der fliegende Holländer and of the opera, the musical climax is defined by a rising and then falling chromatic figure with which it concludes. This redemption signature is to become the understory of Wagner’s more mature operas.

– 35 – LOHENGRIN IN MADRID 27 th April 2014 Paul Dawson-Bowling This was one of those many Wagner occasions which was far from perfect. It was even in some ways off-putting, and still it made a happy experience. It is always good to start with the positives, and the Spanish chorus brought immense vigour and sometimes thunderous conviction to the choruses that are one of the glories of Lohengrin . And, as in Berlin with Barenboim, this performance had the benefit of those on-stage trumpets, all twelve in full blaze, in contrast to Covent Garden which makes do with only four. Otherwise the Madrid orchestra was not large, with four of Wagner’s preferred eight double basses, but what depth and sonority they achieved, helped by the spectacular acoustics of the Theatro Real. Another positive feature was the giant conch shell shape of the permanent scenery, which helped to throw forward the voices into the auditorium. This was the scenery’s best aspect because visually it was cavernous, dark and dungeon-like, like a vast subterranean mine with the chorus dressed like political prisoners in North Korea. Lohengrin’s first appearance took place in a six foot high cube which rose up out of the floor at the music for his arrival. Made of muslin sheeting stretched over a frame, with a light inside, the cube was more reminiscent of a field latrine being set up than the fantasy knight's arrival up the Scheldt. Lohengrin himself came on a little later, sidling out of a rocky cleft in a crumpled aertex shirt, one those shapeless, one-size-fits-all garments in which outpatients are arranged for examination. These things were the reason for wishing that the Theatro Real had not imported a German producer, Lukas Hemleb, with all the principles and practices of current, turgid, German, dramaturgical orthodoxy. He was one of these inverted alchemists who could take the silver and gold of Wagner's masterpiece and turn it into base metal. No matter; as observed in a self-deprecating comparison between himself and Wagner, the genius of Wagner rests on foundations so sure and so strong, that no producer can really torpedo it. On the other hand, no amount of heroic singing from Christopher Ventris could rescue him from his demeaning garb and enable him to conjure up Wagner’s knight in shining armour, the archetype shimmering away behind many romantic novels and films, not least Mills & Boon. More convincing in their looks were Thomas Johannes Mayer, who also rose to the challenges of Telramund’s fiendish tessitura, and Frantz Hawlata as King Henry, a ruler of quiet, understated authority. Also excellent was Anders Larsson, a herald with all the right declamatory force. It was sad that Deborah Polaski, a superb Brünnhilde 20 or even 12 years ago, struggled now with the role of Ortrud, but the Elsa of Catherine Naglestad looked very fetching and sounded lovely. There was orange cream at the centre of her voice, softly shaded with a gentle vibrato which should be curbed from widening. Her final phrases at the end of Act II positively floated in the air, and yet her romantic scene with Lohengrin in Act III built up plenty of tragic voltage. Hartmut Haenchen did a fair job of work in his conducting of the charmed score, but there was some four-square phrasing and a tendency to set the orchestra playing too loud too soon, some of the things which meant that he missed the rapturous suspense which created at his concert performance in Birmingham. When it comes to staged versions however, I contentedly remember Bayreuth 1958 and Wieland Wagner, and Karajan at Salzburg in 1984. They offered both eye and ear a magical flight to a fantastical world of remote, grave beauty which is the essence of this wonderful work. – 36 – NINA STEMME RECITAL Wigmore Hall, 31 st March 2014 Keith Richards Wagner Society members will be well aware this is a voice which is comfortable in the largest opera houses and even in the Albert Hall. How would it sound in the famously intimate acoustic of the Wigmore Hall? The packed audience did not have to wait long for a resounding answer; only in my case for the short duration of the opening song in Schumann’s sequence of Six Poems and Requiem setting poems by Nikolaus Lenau. I felt a slight disappointment at the edge which crept into the voice in the lower register during Lied eines Schmiedes (it's about a blacksmith after all!) but the phrase: Reich’ ich den becher Wasser Aus dunklem, tiefen Brunnen’ in Meine Rose , the second song, gave promise of the riches to come. We heard many performances of the Wesendonck Lieder during the recent celebratory year including, on disc, an outstanding one by Jonas Kaufmann. Nina Stemme and her outstanding accompanist wrested the work back into the soprano repertoire in an account which seemed to me to be definitive. Perhaps we expected no less from a singer who is the Isolde of our time, but her beautifully judged and generous singing held this knowledgeable audience with what I felt to be mounting excitement. At the end I regretted that the recital was to finish with Kurt Weill, but how wrong I was. A totally different singer appeared after the shortest of breaks and tore into Nanna’s Lied with a demonstration that she had indeed ... viel erfahren Böses gab es viel’ (learned that there was much evil…). After a haunting My Ship with Ira Gershwin's text wonderfully enunciated we were given a full version of Das Lied vom Surabaya Johnny . The hall rose to her and her pianist who looked so at ease and yet reproduced the Tristan music so movingly in the Wesendonck songs. A memorable lunchtime recital which left many besieging the management for a whole evening as soon as possible while Nina Stemme is in her prime. NEW OPERA PLAYERS’ DIE WALKÜRE ELEMENTS IN ISLINGTON Robin Green Performed simply with piano in a small upstairs theatre, the New Opera Players’ intimate production of Act I and the final scene of Die Walküre directed by David Edwards will run at 7.30 on September 24 th , 26 th , and 30 th , on October 1 st and at 5pm on September 28 th . Musical Director: Andrew Charity Siegmund: Robin Green Sieglinde: Laura Abella Hunding/Wotan: Stephen Holloway Brünnhilde: Miriam Murphy Tickets: £15.00/£12.00 (concessions) Box Office 020 7704 6665 The production will alternate with the Opera Players’ innovative all-male carMen . Combined ticket for both shows: £25.00/£20.00 (concessions) Roseberry Branch Theatre, 2 Shepperton Road, Islington, London N1 3DT www.operaplayers.co.uk – 37 – NEW RWVI PRAESIDIUM MEMBERS

Photo: Rainer Fineske Some of the new members of the Praesidium of the RWVI at the Graz Opera. Left to right: Georg Riesener (Treasurer), In front: Jacques Bouffier (Vice President), behind: Rainer Fineske, Nicolaus Richter (Vice President), Selma Gudmundsdottir, Thomas Krakow (President), Andrea Buchanan, Joseph Lienhart (Honorary President).

TRAVESTIES OR IMAGINATIVE STAGING? Karel Werner Is the statement in the Editor’s Note (Wagner News 213) “Probably the majority of us agree with the necessity for directorial innovation” really true, as they are mostly travesties (Scruton) and cause anger and bitter argument (Quinn)? I believe that the majority detests Regie opera. (Why would people from all over the world travel to Seattle?) What is wrong with following the composer’s directions? It does not rule out creativity. Respecting the composer still leaves room for different stagings. Obviously, it does need imagination. Take the opening scene in Monte Carlo Das Rheingold described by Katie Barnes as “ravishingly done”: true underwater scene (no dam with a power station or a sitting room with a sofa). Wagner would be delighted, even if he might not like some other scenes of the opera. Perhaps the best pre- Regie staging of The Ring in London was by in 1977 (which allowed one even to forget that it was sung in translation). What a contrast with the truly Regie and boring production by ENO in 2004! What is needed are directors who are able to appreciate the power of symbols and mythology and the timeless validity of ancient legends which no relating of the stories to our time and the “real” world can better. – 38 – REDEMPTION OF THE REDEMPTRIX Directing Der fliegende Holländer Dame Gwyneth Jones When I was invited to direct Der fliegende Holländer at the Weimar State Opera a door opened to expose a totally new world for me on the other side of the curtain. Although I had sung Senta 83 times in more than a dozen different productions including Bayreuth, London, Munich, Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, , Leipzig, Paris, Barcelona and Zürich, I opened my score again and discovered new revelations. I have always thought that scores are like the best thrillers because the more you look into them, the more you discover. The first decision I had to make was to choose my designer and I immediately thought of a very talented young French designer, Laurent Berger, who was a friend of my daughter Susannah. I had seen one of his productions in Paris and liked his style very much. Laurent was thrilled to accept my invitation and we immediately started to work. We were told that the budget was extremely low; but after seeing their excellent carpentry, painting, dressmaking, millinery, wig-making and makeup departments and also their incredibly large storehouse for old costumes, all waiting to be re-used with small alterations, we decided that we would manage because we only had to pay for the new materials. I was in seventh heaven and bursting with ideas because I have always designed all my own clothes, including my gowns for concerts. We spent hours in the Duchess Anna Amalia Library and libraries in other cities, searching through books and paintings for inspiration for the set and costumes. I wanted to create a production which would be faithful to the original score but filtered through eyes of today. I therefore chose costumes with simple lines reflecting the Norwegian fashion when Wagner sailed from Riga to London in 1839. The heavy storms which Wagner experienced during this two week sea journey forced them to anchor in two Norwegian harbours. One was Sandwike, where the Dutchman and Daland meet. This obviously inspired Wagner in his writing of Der fliegende Holländer , especially the tempestuous, raging sea, the howling winds and the calls of the seamen which we hear in the orchestration and in the men’s chorus. In Riga Wagner had read Heinrich Heine’s novel From the memoirs of Mr von Schnabelowski in which the story of the “Flying Dutchman” is incorporated. Like Wagner I felt that it was imperative that the ocean should play a major role and be ever present in the first and third Acts, and it was for this reason that we opened the stage as much as possible to reveal a fantastic horizon of waves above which the Dutchman’s ship appeared like a magical flaming heart, not floating on the waves but suspended in the air as if striving to reach heaven and redemption. In his first monologue the Dutchman sings Voll Überdruss wirft mich das Meer ans Land (full of nausea, the sea threw me onto the land) and from this I drew the conclusion that he does not leave his boat like a normal human being, but is spat out by the ocean. I therefore decided that he would make his entrance from the waves, emerging out of the mists. I had to find a way for him to carry the jewels which he would present to Daland when asking for the hand of his daughter Senta. Iwan Aiwasowski’s painting Pushkin’s Farewell to the Sea where one sees him carrying a large bundle on his back was the perfect solution! Very beautiful and very practical! – 39 – Daland’s ship was enormous, with masts and ropes for the sailors to climb and it crossed the stage during the overture behind a billowing blue gauze. The meeting between the Dutchman and Daland immediately establishes the characters of these two men. The Dutchman is weary and desperate, whereas Daland immediately reveals his greed and lust for wealth, eager to grab the jewels in exchange for his daughter Senta. Erik did not exist in Heine’s version of the story. Wagner added him to provide the drama and conflict between the Dutchman and Senta. She rejects Erik’s love in order to redeem the Dutchman. In actual fact Erik is the only character who possesses true love. Both the Dutchmen and Senta long only for redemption: to save and be saved. They both have this as the main purpose for which they strive. Senta is constantly praying that she will be the one to save the Dutchman from his doom. She doesn’t fit into the world in which she lives and is ecstatically happy when he actually enters her life. Her Ballad was the first thing that Wagner composed in this work. It was the core from which the rest of the opera developed. He originally composed it a tone higher, in A Minor. I have sung it in this key, but found the tessitura rather uncomfortable and it lost the warmth which it had in the lower key. In Act II Erik tells Senta how, in his sleep on the cliff, he dreamt that he saw the Dutchman’s and Daland’s ships arriving in the bay. Freud said that the contents of dreams usually stem from something which one has experienced, but when Erik was on the cliff he must have actually seen the two ships arriving in the cove below and rushed down to investigate. Therefore what occurred had not yet happened. He recognized the Dutchman, saw the exchange of jewels and foresaw the future, which made him race back over the cliffs in a total frenzy to confront Senta before the other men arrived. They would have to sail around the coast which would take longer. So I had Eric on stage in Act I hiding behind the ship to overhear and see the exchange of the jewels. For the second Act set Laurent Berger produced a very light, smooth-cut wooden room inspired by a sauna and extended out over the proscenium arch, giving the stage a larger, lighter and modern look. He invented tables, chairs and spinning wheels which could disappear like magic through the walls, leaving the stage totally empty on the arrival of the Dutchman. There was a picture on the wall with a double of the Dutchman who made very slight movements during the Ballad and then disappeared the moment the shadow of the Dutchman fell across it upon his entrance. Laurent made a model for me to work with, complete with tiny figures and boats which reminded me of my childhood when I played for hours on end with the dolls’ house my father had made for me. With this I could plan all the moves of the characters and see the effect of how they would look on stage. We discovered an incredibly beautiful 1858 painting also by Iwan Aiwasowski: “Sinking of a ship” where one sees the souls of the drowned ascending into heaven towards the Saviour with open arms. From the curse only a woman can free me: a woman who is faithful until death. Yes, you have sworn to me to be faithful, but not yet before God: This saves you! But know; unhappy one, which fate every one befalls if she breaks her promise. Eternal damnation is her fate! Countless victims fell into this curse through me! You however should be saved! Farewell! Gone, my salvation, in eternity! This gave me the idea that not only the ill-fated Dutchman and his crew but also all the women before Senta who had failed to keep their promises of everlasting love, were cursed and captured by the ocean. – 40 – It became clear to me that all the doomed women were also on the ship and this gave me the vision of all the souls emerging with upstretched arms in the mist out of the ocean. I went to speak with the person in charge of the finances to ask if I could have 25 more lady extras. He said “Oh, you can have as many as you like; but you do not have any money to clothe them.” He was very surprised when I told him that I didn’t need costumes because they would all be naked as they were souls and one would only see their arms coming out of the mist. You can imagine that word went around like a bush fire (which probably helped ticket sales) but the result was very poetic and beautiful. At the end of the opera Senta and the Dutchman disappeared into the misty waves and the Dutchman’s ship disappeared up into the heavens, leaving the silhouettes of the chorus against the horizon like a beautiful Caspar David Friedrich painting. The first day of rehearsals began with my conception talk where I explained everything with pictures of the sets and costumes. Then I started to work with the singers. I discovered that they often had other rehearsals or performances and so were not always available for my rehearsals. I found myself helping the singers with their diction, vocal technical problems, dancing with the young seamen and the chorus, conducting when necessary, attending all the costume fittings to make sure that the fit was perfect – this was usually at 7am, before my rehearsals started, as were also the lighting rehearsals. The days flew by and were long and exhausting but exhilarating! The premier was a great success and the public loved it. The entire experience gave me great satisfaction and I was grateful to have been able to learn so many new aspects of the profession which had been mine for so many years. I truly discovered that life on the other side of the curtain is an exciting world and I hope that I shall be able to work there often in the future!

– 41 – LEARN A LITTLE, LOVE A LOT? A Jungian Exploration of Parsifal 10 th May 2014 Hilary Reid Evans Let me lay my cards on the table. I’m neither a Jungian nor a musicologist. So, any errors in the following description of this particular voyage of discovery are entirely my own. This study day was organised as part of a spring series of lectures by the Jungian Society in Oxford. The day was divided into two parts, a morning session with a musician and Jungian analyst, Tia Kuchmy, and an afternoon session with the renowned conductor, Anthony Negus. I’m summarising hugely here, but what I gathered from Tia Kuchmy’s lecture regarding the Jungian interpretation of Parsifal is that primordial experience is the source of the creative process. However it is so dark and amorphous that it requires related mythological imagery to give it form. Hence Wagner’s use of the Nordic myth, including the Parsifal saga, to disguise this visionary experience. Agape – objective love – lies at the opera’s heart. The grail and the spear represent the female and the male, the union of the opposites. Parsifal’s journey is one from a state of unconsciousness and unknowingness in which he does not yet have empathy to one in which he is able to leap from amor (sexual love) to agape. This empathetic transformational moment of insight comes with Kundry’s attempted seduction and Parsifal’s cry of “Amfortas, the wound”. The union of the spear with the grail represents a release from sexuality; love expanded beyond desire. Parsifal is a pure fool made wise through compassion. But where does this take us? That Parsifal is an opera about love, redemption, faith and hope is beyond doubt – we have Wagner’s own words on this (his explanation to King Ludwig II of the Parsifal Prelude). Having dealt with the concepts, how do we then link this to the music, to understand the meaning behind the sound? Using two separate recordings – the 1962 Knappertsbusch Bayreuth and the 1984 Goodall – as well as his own piano accompaniment, Anthony Negus combined analysis with personal insights and anecdotes about the opera. The stately pace of the Goodall recording permitted a clear aural illustration of the themes, whilst the definitive live Knappertsbusch recording provided an insight into the deliberate tempos and the sensuous sonority of the piece. Volumes have been written on Wagner’s leitmotifs but what I found most useful was the dissection of the motifs, hearing them played alone or in combination, understanding the subtlety of their use, for example those associated with the Last Supper, suffering and the lost holy spear. To be honest, I had previously missed the ‘angel’ theme, had not appreciated the Tristan chord that launches Kundry’s kiss, had not appreciated Wagner’s reservation of the flute for special moments nor his use of D major as a transformational key. Negus’ personal anecdotes? Let me share just two – picture the young Negus finding a free spot in the Bayreuth pit to watch and listen, then the older Negus in Cardiff with Goodall’s hand on his shoulder, urging him to achieve the correct dramatic pause once Kundry has spoken of laughing at Christ. For this and much more, thank you Anthony. Now listening with new, or certainly more informed ears, I can’t wait for the next Parsifal production to come my way.

– 42 – the Wagner society

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– 43 – FORTHCOMING WAGNER SOCIETY EVENTS Peter Leppard Events Manager

7.30pm Thursday 17 th July Professor John Deathridge ART OR DOCTRINE? MEISTERSINGER AND ITS LITERARY AND VISUAL SOURCES Tickets £15/£7.50 students German Historical Institute, 17 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2NJ Holborn

7.30pm Monday 6 th October DAME EVA TURNER MEMORIAL LECTURE Elaine Padmore MY YEARS AS DIRECTOR OF OPERA AT THE ROYAL OPERA AND AT THE ROYAL DANISH OPERA Elaine will talk about her career highlights, including commissioning new work and plenty of Wagner. (The only Wagner opera she has never programmed is Die Feen !) Tickets £15/£7.50 students St Botolph’s Church Hall, Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TL Liverpool Street

Sunday 19 th October: 2pm rehearsal, 6pm run-through The Rehearsal Orchestra With David Syrus (conductor) Rachel Nicholls, Neal Cooper and Alison Kettlewell SCENES FROM TRISTAN UND ISOLDE This is one of the Wagner Society’s most popular annual events. Tickets £20/£10 students Henry Wood Hall, Trinity Church Square, London SE1 4HE Borough

2pm Sunday 30 th November THE WAGNER SOCIETY 2014 SINGING COMPETITION The judging panel will include Susan Bullock, Lionel Friend and David Gowland We are also delighted that Eva Wagner-Pasquier has agreed to attend. Further details will appear in the October Wagner News . Tickets: £25/£10 students Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT Baker St/Regents Park

Tickets for the above events are available from Peter Leppard, Sickleholme Cottage, Saltergate Lane, Bamford, S33 0BE. Please send cheques payable to The Wagner Society, enclosing an SAE. Tickets, if still available, also sold at the door. More details of forthcoming events are available at www.wagnersociety.org.

Advance notice: The third annual joint dinner-recital of the Alkan Society, Berlioz Society, Liszt Society and Wagner Society will take place on Tuesday 27 th January 2015 at The Forge, Camden Town, organised and ticketed this time by the Berlioz Society.

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