Anna Samuil and René Pape
Check out the package of TV-channels you received together with your Internet connection. Mezzo might be somewhere on the list. The above and the pics you can find below are all taken during the final dress rehearsal and are © Koen Broos.
Conductor Daniel Barenboim
Staging Guy Cassiers
Wotan René Pape
Donner Jan Buchwald
Froh Marco Jentzsch
Loge Stephan Rügamer
Alberich Johannes Martin Kränzle
Mime Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperracke
Fasolt Kwangchul Youn
Fafner Timo Riihonen
Fricka Doris Soffel
Freia Anna Samuil
Erda Anna Larsson
Woglinde Aga Mikolaj
Wellgunde Maria Gortsevskaya
Flosshilde Marina Prudenskaya
Staging Guy Cassiers
Wotan René Pape
Donner Jan Buchwald
Froh Marco Jentzsch
Loge Stephan Rügamer
Alberich Johannes Martin Kränzle
Mime Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperracke
Fasolt Kwangchul Youn
Fafner Timo Riihonen
Fricka Doris Soffel
Freia Anna Samuil
Erda Anna Larsson
Woglinde Aga Mikolaj
Wellgunde Maria Gortsevskaya
Flosshilde Marina Prudenskaya
I've never felt more like taking a shotgun to anyone as I did about the irritating and distracting ballet dancers. Without them, it would have been an extremely satisfying production, mainly musically. But the dancers spoiled it for me. At one stage Fricka pushes one of the dancers away. Pity she didn't kick her. The whole point of the musical interludes was to allow the audience to listen to the descriptive music. It certainly didn't need a group of ballet dancers waving their arms about. In a way, it was as if, as in Ariadne auf Naxos, two different productions had been booked at the same theatre at the same time. Wagner resisted ballet, but was forced to put ballet into the Paris production of Tannhauser. I hope that this is not the start of a Ring with the same director who continues the same concept throughout. Booo.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your note. I'm on business trip and am heading back to Paris.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see that Rheingold [which should be DVR-ed].
From the pics I could see I liked the idea of using the shadows to depict the giants. I'm afraid I'll be with you on this one. I never got to really like ballet for more than 10 minutes (in classic ballet I always see the ridiculous side of it so...). I hope I'll see it in the days to come.
I thought the contribution of the ballet was marvellous. Accepted its role did stretch the imagination and used artistic license to the extreme but they played an enhancing supportive role ,embodying important dynamics of the drama,expressing at times slavery, submission and terror of mankind in relation to power. It is confusing when they are the magic helmet and then they play the role of protagonists for Alberich. Perhaps they carry the deeper meaning how the oppressed fall in love with their oppressor. All in all a wonderful production
ReplyDeleteHi Tarek! Thanks for your note.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't believe me if I tell you that I'm still to see that Rheingold. I'm playing with the idea of going to Berlin to see the show live, which is why I'm postponing to see the recording from La Scala. Barenboim has that special chemistry with his Staatskapelle and their Wagner performances are always the best (to me).
Anyways, I'll try and see the recording before the end of August. Cheers
Hi Opera Cake! Thank you for responding. I do hope you have a lovely trip to Berlin. I suggest no one looks at the "dancers" as performing a forbidden ballet in a Wagner opera but embodied entities and dynamics in the drama.
ReplyDeleteOf course, of course, that's the whole point :)
ReplyDeleteThanks and cheers
I saw the HD version of this perfromance last night in Chicago and I must tell you I loved it. At first, I was not sure about the ballet dancers, but has the performnace went on I truly began to appreciate them. I found the sets to be fascinating and appropriate for this opera. I especially liked the shadow projections of the giants.
ReplyDeleteThe musical performance was outstanding. In all one of the better Rheingolds I have seen of late.