GOETTERDAEMMERUNG, ROH Covent Garden, 24 October 2007
CAST
First Norn.....................Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Second Norn....................Yvonne Howard
Third Norn.....................Marina Poplavskaya
Siegfried......................John Treleaven
Brunnhilde.....................Lisa Gasteen
Gunther........................Peter Coleman-Wright
Hagen..........................James Moellenhoff
Gutrune........................Emily Magee
Waltraute......................Mihoko Fujimura
Alberich.......................Peter Sidhom
Woglinde.......................Sarah Fox
Wellgunde......................Heather Shipp
Flosshilde........................Sarah Castle
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Chorus Master.................Renato Balsadonna
Concert Master................Vasko Vassilev
Conductor......................Antonio Pappano
Director..........................Keith Warner
Set Designs.....................Stefanos Lazaridis
Musically and dramatically, this has been a wonderful RING. I've already praised Pappano's conducting to the skies, and if anything this was evenm better than the preceding evenings. He gives detailed attention to everymnnuance of orchestral shading - I especially noticed details like the brass shining out when Siegfried and Brunnhilde swear their oaths in Act II. Siegfried's Funeral March was truly heroic, and poignant, and compensated for the fact he doesn't GET a Funeral March on the stage, he gets up and wanders slowly off - I imagine it's meant to represent a ghost disappearing into the mists, but it would have been a bit disappointing had the music not compensated for the deficiencies of the staging.
John Treleavan was in much better voice that he was in SIEGFRIED, and managed quite a creditable performance. Lisa Gasteen had recovered from her indisposition, and was in radiant voice - this is probably an even more testing role than the WALKUERE Brunnhilde, as she develops so many facets of her character - she starts as a young girl in love, then she is a betrayed (and brutalised) wife, then an avenging fury and finally, when all this is over, she has attained wisdom and resignation. Gasteen rose magnificently to the challenge, with steely, ringing tones for the confrontation in Act II, and mellow in the Immolation scene - I remember when I saw her last year, her sensitive enunciation of 'Ruhe, ruhe, du Gott' brought tears to my eyes, and it did again yesterday evening. Really a great and believable Brnnhilde.
Another splendid performance was given by the Waltraute, Mihoko Fujimura. Not only a lovely mezzo voice, but a really intelligent, sensitive portrayal of the role.
The Hagen was James Moellenhoff. (Apparently it was to have been Kurt Rydl - it would probably have been too much to expect Tomlinson to sing Wotan AND Hagen). I liked the quality of stillness he had, which contrasted well with Gunther (Peter Coleman-Wright) and Gutrune (Emily Magee), who were portrayed as very restless, nervy and fidgety. This suits the character of Gunther very well, of course, emphasising his insecurity.
Hagen then remains on the stage during Waltraute's narration (though the audience forgets about him, as Mikoko Fujimura's performance is so gripping), and the scene that follows - he does nothing until the very end, when Siegfried announces that he intends to place his sword between himself and Brnnhilde - then Hagen rises and lifts his chair in a gesture of triumph. He had the right quality of grimness, suddenly relaxing into sardonic humour, in the Summoning of the Vassals.
I will say a few words about the staging - one thing I particularly disliked was the fact that when Siegfried comes back disguised as Gunther - well, he is there wearing the Rubik Cube, sorry Tarnhelm, but - SO IS GUNTHER. This is ridiculous, and makes nonsense of the whole scene, the point of which is that IT ISN'T GUNTHER. The other problem is that Brunnhilde has a horse's skull - remember the Valkyries all had horses' skulls? - which she gives to Siegfried (Fuer den Ring nimm nun auch mein Ross), which he then hands to Hagen when he arrives in the Gibichung's Hall.......I still do not see what the point of this is. (Never mind, watch Pappano conducting instead!!)
However, there were aspects of the staging I liked - in the Immolation Scene, the statues of the Gods (which were also present on the stage during the wedding scene in Act II) are brought in to form part of the funeral pyre and are consumed in the general conflagration. The backdrop is a cloth covered with mathematical symbols and a swirling galaxy, which is very effective.
