January 2011 WAGNER NEWS 200: JANUARY 2011 Editor: Roger Lee CONTENTS From the Chairman . .4 Society Diary . 5 Aldeburgh 2011: Programme details . 6 “Wagner at the Rodd”: The Goodall Academy for Young Artists . .14 Forward View: Wagner events in Britain . .32 Opera Gala in Berlin . .34 Northern Wagner Orchestra’s Tristan und Isolde weekend . .36 Obituary: Peter Hofmann . 37 Letter . 38 Reviews: Die Walküre at Longborough . .8 James Rutherford’s Bayreuth debut as Hans Sachs . .12 Wagner at the Proms . .20 Der Ring des Nibelungen at Bayreuth . .24 The Rehearsal Orchestra’s Act II of Die Walküre at Henry Wood Hall . 28 CONTRIBUTORS Neil Howlett For 17 years a Leading Baritone at ENO, his international career covered a repertoire of more than 80 roles. After 17 years of teaching at the Guildhall School of Music he became Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. [email protected] Katie Barnes Having published 46 reviews for Wagner News since 1997, Katie Barnes is “a civil servant by necessity and a passionate opera lover by choice.” [email protected] Paul Dawson-Bowling The annual Paul Dawson-Bowling Lecture is a landmark event in the Society’s calendar from one of our principal reviewers. Details of his presentation: “Donald McIntyre – Colossus from New Zealand”. are in the Society Diary. [email protected] Jeremy Rowe Previous interviews for the Society from our newly-elected Chairman include those with Antonio Pappano, Susan Bullock, Jane Eaglen, Andrew Shore and Graham Clark. [email protected] Roger Lee His proudly-held career as a member of the Northern Wagner Orchestra chorus is owed to the fact that they do not hold auditions. [email protected] Cover: Mastersingers Company tenor Andrew Rees as Siegmund at Longborough, 2010 Photo: Longborough Festival Opera www.lfo.org.uk –2– EDITORIAL The New Year brings a Wagner News which is firmly focussed on the future. Several major items in this issue report the progress made by young performers of whom the Society can be justifiably proud. We share the very rewarding responsibility of providing sponsorship for The Mastersingers Company which was formed in 1998 by Malcolm Rivers to help young Wagner singers to develop their careers. When Malcolm Rivers was elected Chairman of the Wagner Society we were delighted that he would be bringing his wealth of knowledge and expertise from the world of opera, and it was quickly clear that the Society would benefit enormously from his stewardship of the job. Little did he or anyone else anticipate that not only his musical skills but also all his resources of diplomacy and integrity would be mightily stretched on his watch. Malcolm has been an outstanding Chairman. He steered the Society through a prolonged and challenging crisis with great determination whilst organising a wonderful programme to encourage the development of young artists. He has now resigned in order to concentrate on using his unique skills to even greater effect for the benefit of young musicians and members of the Society alike, and so we can look forward to many more exciting and rewarding events under his direction. The coaching and advice which The Mastersingers’ distinguished and experienced Wagner mentors like Sir John Tomlinson, Dame and Antonio Pappano gave to James Rutherford in recent years to prepare the principal Die Meistersinger role of Hans Sachs has now spectacularly borne fruit with his critically acclaimed performances of this role at Bayreuth in 2010, and he has also been booked for the 2011 Festival. Back in London James Rutherford began his preparation to perform Wotan with The Rehearsal Orchestra when he was invited by Malcolm Rivers to take his first steps in tackling this mountain of a role in Act II of Die Walküre at the Henry Wood Hall alongside Mastersingers Company artists Magdalen Ashman, Andrew Rees (cover picture) and Alwyn Mellor. Our reports of Mastersingers Company alumni performances from Bayreuth, Longborough, Leeds, London and Presteigne demonstrate that we currently enjoy an abundance of talented young singers who are developing their potential as Wagnerian musicians. It is our privilege to help them master their craft as the voices of the future. www.mastersingers.org.uk –3– FROM THE CHAIRMAN I am very excited to be voted into this prestigious position. I have been involved in music all my life, starting as a boy chorister. As a teacher I have been involved in music education for forty years, including founding and directing the “National Festival of Voices” which has given thousands of children their first experience of singing in a concert. I trained as an interviewer with BBC Radio, but remained in the teaching profession, and I have been a headteacher for twenty-three years, at first in the state sector, and now as the head of an arts-based independent school. I have also had considerable experience as an amateur conductor, and have been lucky enough to conduct concerts in the Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. I was musical director for the inauguration of the Channel Tunnel, and the 100th birthday of the Blackpool Tower! I currently present the annual opera gala for the Little Venice Music Festival. I am civilly partnered to Ian Jones, and together we run the company Jones-Rowe Opera Tours, specialising in small-scale tours to Wagnerian operas. Ian is, of course, Webmaster for the Wagner Society. I joined the committee of the Wagner Society about twelve years ago as Secretary, and then moved into the role of Programme Director. As Chair I hope to continue the policy of a wide range of events, from scholarly lectures to lighter anecdotal evenings, and will be especially keen to see increased recruitment of younger members. The best way to contact me is by email: [email protected] and I will always be delighted to receive messages and suggestions from members. JEREMY ROWE –4– SOCIETY DIARY Saturday 15th January 2011 IAN BERESFORD GLEAVES: STUDY DAY ON PARSIFAL Portland Place School Main Building (ie not the Sixth Form Centre) 56-58 Portland Place, London W1B 1NJ. Nearest tube: Oxford Circus or Regent’s Park. Limited and expensive on-street parking. Tickets: £35 Wednesday 26th January 2011 PAUL DAWSON-BOWLING’S ANNUAL LECTURE “Donald McIntyre – Colossus from New Zealand”. Donald McIntyre is best known for his central role as Wotan in the Bayreuth Ring of 1976 which celebrated the centenary of Wagner’s original staging. He is one of his century’s most profound and magnetic artists and master of many roles. Paul Dawson-Bowling will illustrate the presentation with CD and DVD recordings of gems both famous and rare. Portland Place School Sixth Form Centre, 143 Great Portland Street, London W1W 6QN. Nearest tube: Oxford Circus or Regent’s Park. Free parking after 6pm. Wine at 7 pm, Presentation at 7.30. Tickets: £12 Tuesday 15th February JAMES RUTHERFORD: “BACKSTAGE AT BAYREUTH” Fresh from his triumph as Bayreuth’s Hans Sachs, James will be interviewed by Jeremy Rowe. Portland Place School Sixth Form Centre, 143 Great Portland Street, London W1W 6QN. Nearest tube: Oxford Circus or Regent’s Park. Free parking after 6pm. Wine at 7 pm, Presentation at 7.30. Tickets: £12 HOW TO OBTAIN TICKETS Tickets for the Wagner Society’s London events are available in advance from: The Ticket Events Secretary Wagner Society 3 Howard Gate Letchworth Garden City SG6 2BQ Please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope and make cheques payable to The Wagner Society. –5–– 5– The Mastersingers Company present ARTISTS AND FAMILIES IN EXILE ALDEBURGH: 13th to 15th May 2011 FRIDAY. 13th MAY 8pm Jubilee Hall THE WANDERER A recital by James Rutherford fresh from his highly acclaimed Bayreuth debut as Hans Sachs. This will be followed by an insight into his career with David Syrus , Head of Music at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (piano) and David Edwards . £15 SATURDAY 14th MAY 10am Jubilee Hall WAGNER IN EXILE A lecture-recital with our Goodall Academy scholars presented by David Edwards with Kelvin Lim (piano). 12.00 Jubilee Hall DAME ANNE EVANS MASTERCLASS Magdalen Ashman (mezzo) and Andrew Rees (tenor) with David Syrus (piano). These two events: £15 inclusive. 4pm Jubilee Hall INTRODUCTION TO DIE WALKÜRE AT THE MET David Edwards talks about the Levine/Lepage Ring 5pm Aldeburgh Cinema DIE WALKÜRE FROM THE MET A live relay from the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Featuring Bryn Terfel as Wotan. These two events: £22 inclusive. –6–– 6– SUNDAY 15th MAY 10am Jubilee Hall BRITTEN AND THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE Excerpts from Britten’s Kinderkreuzzug . Originally illustrated by Sir Sidney Nolan and first performed for the 50th anniversary of The Save the Children Fund at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1969. 11.30 Jubilee Hall PIANO RECITAL OF LISZT AND OTHER TRANSCRIPTIONS Performed by Kelvin Lim . To include pieces based on the Wagner repertoire plus Schubert’s “Wanderer Fantasy” Jubilee Hall. These two events: £15 inclusive 3pm Aldeburgh Cinema NEW FILM: “THE WAGNER FAMILY” Tony Palmer introduces his film on the current Wagner Clan. Followed by a discussion on the issues it raises led by Jeremy Rowe (Chairman of the Wagner Society) £15 8pm Jubilee Hall CONCERT: “LIFE AS AN EXILE” Music, poetry and prose hosted by Humphrey Burton . Songs written in exile (Wagner, Britten, Weill) and by Schubert, Wolf and Sondheim on the theme of The Wanderer. Readings from Brecht, Auden and Thomas Mann. Featuring James Rutherford and our other Goodall Academy scholars with David Syrus and Kelvin Lim (piano). £20 There will be a permanent exhibition of the works of Sir Sidney Nolan throughout the weekend at both The Red House (The Britten-Pears Trust) and The Cinema Art Gallery.