Reading thru some of my hand-written diaries from a quarter-century ago, this entry about a tremendous performance of DAS RHEINGOLD brought back vivid memories.
“Wonderful to see this opera again, and the cast of (mainly) RING veterans gave a superbly confident and nuanced performance. Levine had the huge orchestra under finger-tip control…there were passages of great beauty and lyricism, along with the unleashing of massive sound at times. Although the lighting seems less evocative now, the production is still quite effective, though the first scene could use some freshening: the Rhinemaidens don’t always remember that they are underwater, and the rock pinnacle holding the gold wavered as Alberich clambered up.
To start from the beginning: lovely lyricism from the Rhnemaidens: Joyce Guyer, Kristine Jepson, and Jane Bunnell each sang well in their solo lines, and their voices blended beautifully.
Ekkehard Wlaschiha remains a powerful, vivid Alberich…his voice is now sketched indelibly on this music: magnificent in defeat, and in his vibrant, chilling curse. Hanna Schwarz brought her personal allure and great vocal authority to her interpretation of Fricka. She spun out some lovely soft phrases, creating a sensuous appeal that is not always heard in this music. James Morris shows some vocal wear and tear as Wotan, but he is still able to hurl out vocal thunderbolts (especially at the end) as well as many pages of wonderfully musing soft singing. Very much a god to be reckoned with…bravo!
Hei-Kyung Hong’s vocal radiance and sheer physical beauty made Freia a major role. She’s at her peak now, and I’m so lucky to be living here in NYC to witness it! Mark Baker brought wafting lyricism as well as power to Froh’s music, and Alan Held’s darkish baritone produced a steady stream of well-inflected singing as Donner – his “Heda! Hedo!!“was a vocal high-point.
Splendid giants: the flowing depths of tone from Eric Halvarson perfectly complimented the more gritty, malevolent sound of Sergei Koptchak…bravissimi, gentlemen!! Graham Clark has a perfect role in Mime, where he is able to bring some “real” singing to a part that doesn’t always get it. His incisive diction was crystal clear. Brigitta Svendén sounded simply gorgeous, and she makes Erda the alluring, mysterious icon she must be.
Dominating the stage and the music, Philip Langridge as Loge (photo at the top) used his multi-coloured “big lyric” voice with the finesse of a poet. Langridge created the enigmatic character in purely musical terms whilst the added physical dimension of his portrayal (the grace of a ballet dancer, the gestures of a skilled magician) simply clinched the evening for this great singing-actor. He was greeted with a massive ovation at his bows.
The entire cast was deservedly hailed by the Houseful of avid Wagnerites, and Levine and his orchestra were given a rousing ovation. A very stimulating evening!
Oberon's Glade 