I was at the first night and have jotted down a few stream of consciousness thoughts that, if I do not get time to expand might end up being my permanent review but I hope not! - starts slightly weirdly becaus eI was repsonding to an existing thread on a newsgroup which had been started in response to txts and calls in the intervals - opera reviews as they happen - that's the internet age!
And hello to Caro who came up to say hello on the terrace in the interval. Hope we meet again!
There were two chairs thrown in Act I and one in Act II, but no more after that. But there was a goat disembowelled, so that's the bit to look away at. Yeuch...I haven't been so disgusted by a goat since Edward Albee's Who is Sylvia?
The gimmick was the 'slab' - which was used to great effect for Siegfried's Rhine Journey. This used video projections - that on the wall was not as good as ENO's but there were also projections onto the slab that looked pretty convincing as water, and also showed the Rhinemaidens swimming on it. It was later used as a platform for the wedding scene and subsequent shenanigans, and was echoed in the 'swimming pool' in the final scene.
It's been a long day and I have work tomorrow, but a few observations: I really liked the production. Although there were a few bits that didn't entirely chime, overall it was coherent and logical and, I think, allowed the singers to express themselves to the best of their ability. There were some scenes of sher magic: the wedding scene stands out, and it was a stroke a genius to have gold larger than life statues to the gods in Gibichung hall - Donner, Froh, Friea and Fricka. Naked. I really liked the use of colour which was predominantly black, white and red, except for the Rhinemaidens in their bluey green outfits which, (for those who need to know) they eventually shed.
The closing scene was masterful, staged around what I decided to think of as a swimming pool even though I knew it was the River Whine. Gunther was tossed in there and left there, which disappointed me because I had hoped it was real water but it was a trick of the light - very well executed. And the funeral pyre was spectacular - four fires going for the burning of the gods, and a large one at the back where Brunnhilde leaped onto it. You could feel the heat in the Amphi, and the cold when it went out.
Musically the orchestra seemed a bit first nightish. Nothing specific but especially in the Prologue/Act 1 they seemed a bit tentative. But by the time that Siegfried's funeral music arrived I was wallowing. I think my seat (on the front right of amphi) was excellent for singing and good for orchestra, whereas a similar position at ENO advantages orchestra...I don't really know what I'm getting at here, just trying to work it out in my mind). No significant flubs that were obvious to me, and I heard stuff I had not consciously heard before. What did strike me forcefully, although not entirely as a new thought, was that at the start of Act III when the Rhinemaidens return, their music sounds very modern, and not at all 19th century. I can't quite pin it down - is it key or the particular chords that are prominent, but I think if I heard it out-of-context with no prior knowledge I might age it to the 1920s.
Norns and Whinemaidens, Alberich and Gutrune sang and performed just fine.
Lisa Gasteen was wholly convincing as Brunhilde and although I detected a slight wobble once or twice this shouldn't diminish the overall triumph of the role. She got the most cheers, although the footstamping for John Tomlinson brought him even. We felt that he did not inhabit the part of Hagen in quite the mesmerising way that Gidon Saks had done at ENO and we were surprised at how bass his voice sounded. But no grounds for complaint.
Sadly, John Treleaven as Siegfried was much as I had expected. It's an intelligent and instinctive interpretation and clearly portraying the different tones and moods and colours and so on. There are some nice sounds coming at the lower end of the range, but from the middle up it's an ugly sound, usually approximate to pitch and occasionally badly off, and a wobble so wide that really the word wobble doesn't do it any justice. Richard Berkely-Steele was more satisfying down the road.
Peter Coleman-Wright was a more than adequate Gunther, often sounding really quite gorgeous but I never felt that there was anything to the character and no attempt, it seemed to reach beyond the footlights.
Disproportionate (to the size of the role) cheers went to Mihoko Fujimura as Waltraute and deservedly so. I would say that she is the best female singer I have heard in 2006, a lovely rich sound and a column from top to bottom (ie not a pyramid, if you get me). I emerged in the first interval raving about her, and knew the name rang a bell, and checking the programme I realised that she is the Brangane on the Pappano T&I which I have played a lot, but I did not make the connection voice-wise. Looked good and moved well, and was moving in her delivery. Indeed the only think that spoiled her part was the woman behind me sighing "Oh! This is GOOD!"
I'm sorry that I went on the First Night - unintentionally - because there were a few raggedy bits that could do with a polish. For example, some of the chorus blocking for the wedding scene could do with tightening up, but they sounded fabulous.
Overall, a very satisfying night which has done a lot to erase my memories of a dismal Siegfried and provoke memories of an exceptionally enjoyable Walkure. As I found with the ENO Ring which finished about a year ago, the final part really does help to put the entire production in context. I will check Wednesday's papers. I have no doubt that the critics will hate it.
Antonio Pappano conducted.
Put me down for the Cycle in Autumn 2007, please.
