The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Der Ring des Nibelungen
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I've noticed a fair amount of people coming to this blog in search of San Francisco Opera's next season, which will be announced this week. Certainly we have some insight into the programming, Stewart Wallace's The Bonesetter's Daughter will have its world premiere, Qian Yi will be in the lead role with her San Francisco…
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Washington National Opera is presenting a complete Ring Cycle for the first time in November of 2009. Dubbed the "American Ring," this co-production with San Francisco Opera is directed by Francesca Zambello. November 2-16 2009: Das RheingoldNovember 3-17 2009: Die WalküreNovember 5-19 2009: SiegfriedNovember 7-21 2009: Götterdämmerung Official Site | Press Release [PDF]
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Seattle Opera is putting on the Stephen Wadsworth/Thomas Lynch production of Der Ring des Nibelungen for the third time in August 2009. August 9-25 2009: Das RheingoldAugust 10-26 2009: Die WalküreAugust 12-28 2009: SiegfriedAugust 14-30 2009: Götterdämmerung Official Site | Ring Cast Press Release [PDF]
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Seattle Opera is especially dedicated to the works of Richard Wagner. The founder of this opera company, Glynn Ross, apparently adored Wagner at a time in which his works were generally neglected by most American opera houses. Seattle Opera has built its reputation on staging Wagner in a traditional manner, a reaction to the ultra-minimalism…
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Last Friday the Bavarian State Opera concluded their first run of Der Ring des Nibelungen as a cycle. This production of Götterdämmerung premiered 28. February 2003, and it was tamer than Die Walküre or Siegfried. Still a lot of drunken staggering, and cigarette smoking. Musically more compelling than Siegfried, Wagner brings his epic work to…
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Yesterday the Bavarian State Opera continued the Ring Cycle with Siegfried. David Alden premiered his production last November, and it was along the same lines as Die Walküre, so at least there was some continuity between the two. The only threads that tie Das Rheingold to the two others so far are the proscenia that…
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David Alden's new production of Die Walküre premiered yesterday afternoon at the Bavarian State Opera. Musically, the performance was excellent, Zubin Mehta conducted well, as usual, and the singing was good. Tenor Peter Seiffert and soprano Waltraud Meier were outstanding as the Wälsungen, so the first act was stunning. Bass-baritone John Tomlinson was once again…
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My friends, I have made a disturbing discovery of late. After some years of listening to operas, I finally went to hear a Wagner opera, Das Rheingold, last Wednesday. The music was sublime. In general, I do not like music past Beethoven, and my favorite opera composer is undoubtedly Mozart. So I was surprised I…
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