Month: August 2009

Glynn Ross founded Seattle Opera in 1963, and twelve years later realized his ambitious plan to mount the entire cycle of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” in a week, in fact two cycles, one German and one English, back to back.

This idea was unheard of in the U.S. No one had done it like this here, indeed it wasn’t commonly performed this way anywhere apart from Bayreuth. For a then somewhat backwater town on the U.S. West Coast it was an extraordinarily presumptuous undertaking.

Ross went to Europe to find his singers, among whom was English bass-baritone Malcolm Rivers, chosen for Alberich.

Continue reading Malcolm Rivers’ thirty-five years of Alberich

In the current naturalistic production of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle going on in Seattle, it was necessary to have the three Rhinemaidens swimming underwater as per Wagner’s instructions.

So this production starts with a scene in which the Rhinemaidens are apparently swimming in a watery environment up to thirty feet above the stage. Brilliant work by stage director, set and costume and lighting designers, not to mention the six stage hands and busy stage manager who for 20 minutes have to keep all three women in mid-air moving constantly without running into one another and spinning uncontrollably.

What do the Rhinemaidens feel about it?

Continue reading Flying high in the Ring

It’s been more than a week since Janice Baird immolated the world in the Seattle Opera’s first Ring cycle of 2009. Since her debut as Brunhilde earlier in the cycle, More than a few people familiar with the role, doubted the wisdom of casting Janice Baird as Brunhilde which demands so much from her voice and interpretative abilities.

Yet, when Twilight of the Gods wrapped up there was no doubt Baird was the right choice. Baird replaced Jane Eaglen, who was Brunhilde in 2005 and in the first run of the “green” Ring in 2001. Eaglen’s voice is rock solid. She was one of the finest Brunhilde’s of the last half of the 20th Century. But, Speight Jenkins was looking to take the role and the production in a new direction. Was it ultimately Eaglen’s size? The quality of her voice? Who knows. At this point the reasons for Jenkins’s decision are irrelevant.

Continue reading My Ring journey: Twilight and beyond

Janice Baird’s Brünnhilde made Seattle Opera’s “Götterdämmerung” a triumph at the performance I heard on Saturday, August 22nd. Baird captivated the audience with her soaring voice and committed acting. She showered sparks all over the stage when Brünnhilde vainly tried to prove that she was Siegfried’s wife. During those moments Baird’s soprano had an edge that cut through the orchestra and connected almost viscerally with the audience. Continue reading Second Ring Cycle: Götterdämmerung triumphs with Baird’s Brünnhilde leading the way

Although last week, Stig Andersen suffered from a viral infection while performing “Siegfried,” I had the fortune to hear him in tip top shape during the Seattle Opera performance on Thursday, August 20th. Andersen, in the title role, put on a real show for heldentenor fans by offering plenty of volume while maintaining a lyrical tone at the same time. Adding to his vocal fireworks, Andersen expressed the exuberant vigor of a young man who was naïve yet curious about the world. Andersen also did wonders with singing while making a sword the old-fashioned way, slaying a dragon, and going through fire to find Brünnhilde. So, Andersen carried most of the weight that made Seattle Opera’s production of “Siegfried” a hit. Continue reading Second Ring Cycle: Andersen turns in world-class Siegfried

The performance of “Die Walküre” on Tuesday night (August 18) got off to a great start from the outset with the orchestra leading the way. The instrumentalists really came alive under the baton of Robert Spano and even got a little wild at times. Their playing may have inspired the singers as well, so that the audience got to experience a stirring performance. Continue reading Second Ring Cycle: Die Walküre smolders and catches fire

With this “Ring” production here for the third time, you’d think all the kinks with costumes had been ironed out by now with just a few garments to be altered or remade, but there was plenty to do. Costume shop manager Susan Davis says views change. For instance, the costumes in 2001 were very full with yards and yards of fabric. “What seemed gorgeous and perfect in 2001 now seems too much,” she says, so the shop took several panels of fabric out of the gods’ and other coats and at the same time quite a bit of the hair out of the wigs.

Performers are all different, not just in body size, but shape and skin color and the way they move, as well as the kind of movement they have to do on stage. It all gets taken into account.

Continue reading The magic of Seattle Opera’s costume shop

When the curtain goes up at the beginning of Seattle Opera’s production of “Das Rheingold” after the long orchestral introduction, the audience is plunged into the watery world of the mermaids who swim about in the Rhine River.  I experienced this magical moment for the first time during Seattle’s “Ring” in 2005, and – based on the performance I saw on Monday, August 17th –  it has not lost any of its luster. The three Rhine maidens, strapped in special harnesses that allowed them to swim in the watery light, dived, did front flips and back flips, and sang at the same time.  It was mesmerizing. Continue reading Second Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold glistens in Seattle