It is extremely difficult to provide a review of one of the Ring Operas. So much going on, so many different elements. They cannot really be viewed in isolation, and, Gotterdammerung, the culmination of the greatest epic work in Western culture, cannot be assessed without some reference to Das Rheingold, Die Walküre and Siegfried.
The culmination of the Proms' Ring Cycle occurred in glorious splendour on Sunday. Undoubtedly a memorable occasion and a stirring performance, greater than the sum of its parts, and the parts were nothing to be sniffed at.
There are pros and cons of the Albert Hall. The sometimes almost unbearable heat;, and, especially for a Wagnerian epic, physical comforts become of some importance. The Albert Hall being circular, with audience arranged almost totally round the circle - barring the organ - means that there are plenty of partial view seats. I was in one, in a second tier box, where I had a glorious view of the timpani and percussion, and, with my superdouper binoculars could almost read the conductors' score, but my view of the lower strings and any singers who stood in front of them was somewhat limited.
Any concert performance of an opera is going to lack a basic element - the acting, together with costumes, set, lighting and so on. Not that there isn't merit in concert opera. I am a firm advocate of opera as a visual form, arguing that people who are wedded to opera on radio/CD/LP/shellac/cylinders are missing the point that audio-only presentations were a technology-driven accident (or lack-of-technology driven) that impacted on opera, not an opera-driven imperative. So most people who decry the burgeoning of opera on DVD as opposed to the 'superior' audio-only (preferably on scratchy jumpy vinyl 33s or even better on 78s which need changing every three minutes) are merely revealing the unthinking ignorance of their own conditioning or habit rather than actually returning to first principles and asking a question*. That having been said, in the best concert performances of opera, with the best performers, the absence of costumes, sets, lighting etc enables a situation where they are forced to convey the drama and emotion through superb singing and expressive acting**. In respect of this Prom, the acting was absent. I was not sure really why a 'stage director' got credited. The singers barely had room to perch at the edge of the stage and stand-and-deliver.
Another disadvantage of concert opera is the absence of an orchestra pit. This actually has its advantages in that I can watch the timpani and percussion. Also that I can watch the clarinets and oboes and the wonderful clarinet-type-thing-with-a-horned-end-that-isn't-a-saxophone, and, using my binoculars, even watch the fingering. It does tend to give an added dimension to understanding the conversation between different instruments of the orchestra. On the flip side, it was not always possible to hear everything being sung. Possibly not just because it was a concert performance, not just because it was in a super-barn*** but because the acoustics vary so significantly and there is no rule book on the Albert Hall acoustics. On the other hand, there were glorious moments when a splendid reverberation of sound bounced around an impressive venue.
The conductor was Donald Runnicles, the orchestra the BBC Symphony. I presume that the BBCSO are not in the habit of performing any of the tetralogy and at times it showed. There again, in 4¾ hours of playing, it is hardly surprising that there was evidence of raggedness, roughness and duffness at times.
For me, the highlight of Gotterdammerung is the orchestra. Partly, the enjoyment of hearing all those familiar leitmotifs. I am the antithesis of a leitmotif expert, but as each of those familiar phrases emerges, it is impossible not to be reminded of what they have signified in the previous episodes. And, overwhelmingly, Gotterdammerung is about those two amazing pieces of orchestral interludes, Siegfried's Rhine Journey and Siegfried's Funeral March. Unbelievable pieces of music, worthy of inclusion in any concert programme in their own right, and made more amazing by context.
I do not think I have ever appreciated so much three particular pieces which I thought were very familiar to me - the duet between Brunnhilde and Siegfried in the Prelude which sounded so joyous and so full of carefree innocent young love. And then, the startling contrast in Act 3 of first Siegfried's Brünnhilde! Heilige Braut! Wach' auf! Öffne dein Auge! which is definitely on my list of favourite tenor arias, and this afternoon my eyes filled with tears at the enormity of the emotion, betrayal and consequences. Followed by Brunnhilde's Liebestod Immolation Scene. Absolutely extraordinary. The Ring turns full circle. We started with the fictional Rhinemaidens in the primaeval slime of the mythical River Rhine, and were shown the grandiosity of the Gods, the beautiful human tale of the gorgeous Walsüng Twins, the heart-breaking fissure between Wotan and Brunnhilde, the maturation of the Boring One and his awakening; after the machinations, politics, greed, capitalism, pride and other numerous human faults, we are left with noble dignity of Brunnhilde's love for Siegfried. Obviously, it is a vile misogynist plot, indicative of Wagner's self-centred arrogance, to expect Brunnhilde to leap into the funeral flames unable to endure life without Siegfried. In reality she would have the strength of character to grieve and mourn and start a new life. But as a moving end to an emotionally demanding saga, it is perfect.
Singing-wise, I would not ascribe greatness, but I would definitely give it a high overall mark, with no link so weak as to be negative. I was disappointed by the male chorus, perhaps having been totally spoilt by the glorious sound of the tremendous ROH male chorus. The male voice choir in this opera is almost as impressive as in Tannhäuser. I figure that if the male chorus blows my socks off on CD, I can't wait until I get an opportunity to hear Tannhäuser live (one of my lesser known Wagner operas, but one with amazing tunes. Oh heck, all the ones I know have amazing tunes - I don't know Die Feen, Das Liebesverbot, and Rienzi, and rate Meistersinger and Flying Dutchman below the somewhat below the other eight). I thought the Rhinemaidens sounded gorgeous in themselves, but lacked a certain sound that I sometimes find,a sound that seems to be way ahead of its time, is echoed in the Parsifal Flower Maidens but sounds more like an inter-bellum jazz nightclub sound).
The leading singers were all very worthy. Christine Brewer was amazing last year in Fidelio, previously I had found her less satisfying in Beethoven's 9th and the War Requiem. I found that her voice cut through rather than rode over the orchestra. She came into her own in Act 3 in particular. I have never rated her stage persona, but she did seem to inhabit this role and convey the shock and heartbreak. Stig Anderson was excellent as Siegfried. Never outstanding but constantly above average. Not particularly a beautiful voice but definitely one I would like to hear again in this role and would be interested to hear in the young Siegfried. (Beforehand, a friend had said "I hear the tenor's very good" and I had said "Is there a tenor in it?" I'm sure she must have thought I was trying unsuccessfully to crack a lame joke but the truth was my brain wasn't entirely working and I could only think of the orchestral passages).
As it reached its denouement the hall was lit with a fiery glow and I was half-expecting the pond in the arena to burst its banks and overflow; it didn't.
By quarter past ten it was over and I felt a sense of loss and bereavement, mitigated only by the knowledge that I have tickets booked for the Royal Opera House Ring Cycle 3 in October/November, about which I can only say "Bring it on...!"
* I regard the most important lesson I learnt in preparation for a Politics degree and a life in public administration and policy was one taught by my splendid A-Level Maths teacher - you don't need to know the proof for the exam, but we are going to work through this from First Principles so that you have a fundamental understanding
** see Die Walkure Prom 2005
*** remember, Real Opera Singers don't use microphones (except when the venue - or the 'crossover' programme - calls for it)
