Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding achievement completely revitalising the Ring., 1 Oct 2008
Wagner - The Ring [2006]
Producer Kasper Bech Holten had two key objectives for his Ring cycle, first to present the drama from the feminine perspective of Brunnhilde, not in an aggressive feminist way, and the result is extraordinary.
Once the female characters are given their correct weight in the drama (I cannot personally recall a Ring so far that has) it develops a new depth and dimension as the women become fully rounded characters and not the usual two dimensional offerings. The great winners are Fricka (a magnificent performance by Randi Stene an incredibly elegant singer) and Gutrune played as something of a sex kitten by Yive Kilberg.
Secondly Holten sets each opera in a different decade of the twentieth century, apart from allowing diversity of costumes and sets there seems little gained except in Gotterdammerung set in 1998 where there are a few significant plot changes (these occur within the existing music) and Hagen is marvellously reinvented as an ominous leader of a Balkans style militia complete with inventive silent plot additions and changes to the final outcome.
The Brunnhilde of the rapidly rising soprano Irene Theorin is a vocal triumph, but her very florid features inhibit her facial expressions which is unfortunately exposed in this superbly acted Ring.
Stig Andersen plays both Siegmund and Siegfried. In Walkurie Andersen is partnered by the excellent Sieglinde of Gitta-Maria Sjoberg, the chemistry and singing is excellent, although the overall effect is a little subdued for the intensity of their physical attraction. Andersen is even more effective as Siegfried, concentrating on the rebellious youth aspect of the character, and singing superbly, only tiring slightly during the final scene of this marathon part (what tenor doesn't?).
The talent of the overwhelmingly Scandinavian cast is amazing, set off by the superb environment of the new Copenhagen opera house, which has resulted in filming during live performances of near feature film quality.
The stereo sound (I Listened on AKG K240 studio professional phones) is variable, indicating Decca were gaining experience of a new environment.
The sound quality in Walkurie is superb, but the voices are backward in Gotterdammerung Act 1, fortunately corrected for the remainder of the drama.
All three 21st century DVD rings (Zagrosek, Haenchen and Schonwandt) take us away from the stygian gloom, black leather and spear gesturing dominance of the last decades into refreshingly bright settings and action.
However this Ring surpasses the other two by an order of magnitude (said with regret when thinking of the groundbreaking Haenchen staging) and has instantly become my number one choice.
Added to all the above a bargain price there is only one last word, buy it!
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
... and the occasional "spasm of cramp"., 14 Jul 2009
As a Dane myself one could say that I am almost contractually obligated to love this Ring, but though I can't for a moment deny that this production has been a cultural exertion of a magnitude so far unheard of in this small country - and one crowned with considerable success, I still have serious reservations about a great many things when it comes to its conceptual scope.
Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" is without a doubt the most spectacular and demanding, longest and most complex work ever written for the stage, and when it was first performed in Bayreuth in 1876, the composer was indeed the first to remark that he doubted anybody would ever be able to stage it, in a fashion that would render it justice the way it was originally concieved. Well, since that time a good many have tried, and of course some more successfully than others. The first production I saw was the so called "Centenary Ring" staged in Bayreuth in 1976 by the French film director Patrice Chéreau, and as such that version, with its tense drama and naturalistic depiction of violence, will always be something of a reference to me. Unfamiliar as I was with the traditional ways of staging this work, I found the use of costumes and scenery from the age of industrialisation during the last half of the 19th century quite fitting, and the rantings and howls of "sacrilege" trumpeted by the traditional Wagner fans left me utterly cold. As such I should feel great sympathy for Casper Bo Holten, the producer of this Copenhagen version, who in his conversation with our Queen (second disc of "Die Walküre") claims intending his staging for those whose minds are not tied by the traditional views of the operas. I frankly wonder if such an audience can be found at all these days, but mostly the remark to me certainly raises the greater question: won't these people be terminally confused when almost nothing in the sets or the action corresponds with the spoken words anymore?
It was, I think, agreed early on that the lack of dwarfs and (especially) giants who could sing the various parts left producers certain liberties of interpretation, and with the Boulez/Chéreau Ring (Bayreuth 1976-1981) the much loved but often ridiculed tradition of using viking inspired horns and hair-dos was irrevocably laid to rest. This production, however, retained the props (ring, weaponry, etc.) mentioned constantly in the text - and to great and dramatic effect. The action still took place in a mythical age long ago and thus made the use of medieval pictures and phrases somewhat plausibel, but when you set the action in the 20th century (in the Copenhagen case from the 1920s to the 1990s) you unavoidably run into all kinds of trouble coming up with explanations for all those anacronistic tools, such as helmets, spears and swords, that you can't just drop because they don't fit the new general concept. Holten is not the first to wrestle with these problems, but I am sorry to say that he has had no more luck than most other present day directors in coming up with consistent solutions. A man wielding a sword in the middle of a cluster of sociopaths armed with automatic rifles is inherently silly (and to boot wide open to the old joke about bringing a knife to a gun fight!), and I doubt there is much anybody can do about that. On top of this I always flinch when I hear the word "hammer" and see a pump-gun, or the word "armour" and see wings with black feathers on them. Also many of Holten's personal touches and original ideas - white doves being let loose before going into a coma or dying, or sleeping people (being continually refered to as "sleeping") walking about the stage wide awake - fall on baren ground in the garden of my mind. In me they provoke a kind of semi-embarrassed titter and represent what I tend to call "artistic cramp", i.e. an irrepressable urge to do something new though it is utterly unnecessary and in all likelihood less satisfactory than what is ordinarily done. I know I am fighting windmills here, but looking ahead I all but expect to see the first act of "Siegfried" set in a nunnery next, and unstopable evolution or not - that is leaving artistic license open to jusified riducule. When taking in the production for the first time I was tempted to use the old phrase often quoted in the entertainment industry: there was much good and much new in the play, only the good wasn't new and the new wasn't good - but in all fairness that is not entirely true. Some things do work - and some actually work very well; only a pity so much else goes down in flames most horribly - given the end of "Götterdämmerung", no pun intended.
Now you could say: this does not sound like a review that ends in four stars, and it doesn't, but this "Ring" has one colossal upside to it. It is on the whole - and I write this with utter conviction - dramatically as well as vocaly the best production in existence on DVD and CD alike. There literally (and VERY unusually for a big Wagner production) isn't a bad performance within eye- or ear -shot! Some like Sten Byriel (Alberich) and Christian Christiansen (Fafner) are merely doing OK, but some like Iréne Theorin (Brünhilde), Randi Stene (Fricka), Stephen Milling (Fasolt/Hunding) and Guido Paevatalu (Gunther) have not been seen or heard better for generations. And shining incandescently over them all is the magnificent true-barytone Wotan of James Johnson, defying belief in combining the gut-wrenching dramatic intensity of Sir Donald McIntyre with the vocal splendour and faultless German diction of Sir John Tomlinson. His performance in the third act of "Die Walküre" in particular is second to none, and leaves him eye to eye with giants like Hotter and Adam. Only the Hagen of Peter Klaveness presents a voice slightly too weak for the job, but he makes up for his vocal deficiencies by his first rate acting. The orchestra, very professionally led by Michael Schønwandt, lacks a bit of the edge a Levine might have produced, but it in no way detracts from the overall emotional punch, which is considerable.
Wagner used to say that he preferred actors who couldn't sing to singers who couldn't act, and I wonder if he ever met any who in his opinion mastered both. He would have truely loved this cast!
|
|
|
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eurotrash - but good Eurotrash, 31 Jan 2009
'Eurotrash' is an odd, rather dismissive term. It's bandied around by critics of non-traditional productions of classic operas, particularly if the director's interpretation differs from that of the reviewer.
I'm going to modify this slightly. After all, the latest Bayreuth production of Meistersinger fits the above definition, but it isn't Eurotrash - it's just trash.
For the purposes of this review, let's define 'Eurotrash' as a production where the director feels that
- His views are more important than those of the composer
- The audience are far too jaded to appreciate a traditional production
- All those gods and heroes aren't particularly relevant to our modern age - let's introduce some good honest mediocrity; everyone can relate to that.
- Opera doesn't have to be inspiring, just provocative
- Keep it shallow; these days people don't understand 'deep'
- When all else fails, make fun of your audience
However, and this is very important, if the director actually understands the source material, and has the integrity to make the best possible interpretation (within his world view), Eurotrash isn't necessarily a bad thing.
By this definition, the Copenhangen Ring is an excellent example of Eurotrash, and would be a worthy addition to the collection of any Wagnerite who hasn't yet acquired a specimen - far better than the Stuttgart travesty, and actually quite entertaining, in an irritating kind of way.
There are some quite bizarre aspects of this performance. The most obvious is Kasper Bech Holten's decision to portray der Ring as a comedy!
Loge is a sleazy, chain-smoking lawyer, always looking for a light (he's the God of Fire, and doesn't have a light(har har))
When Wotan is quizzing Mime, he keeps glancing at a kichen knife, trying to influence Mime's choice of questions. You know, the same way that Harry Kupfer did it, but less subtle.
The Norns are portrayed as Wagnerites, sitting in the audience. When they talk about the past, they wave a copy of Wagner's autobiography. When Norn III complains that her view of the future is obscured by the actions of humans, the Norns hold up a picture of the director, with a placard denigrating 'regietheater'. (Ego showing a bit, old chap)
And for the hard of understanding, when they return to Mother, they show a picture of Cosima.(Laugh? I nearly started!)
And throughout, the characters drink like fish. When Siegfried finally catches up with Wotan on the mountain, he's sitting there surrounded by empties. Is the constant drinking a Danish thing? I vaguely remember Hamlet saying something of the sort.
There is some unnecessary gore, which seems to be a Eurotrash standard. Was it really necessary to remove Alberich's arm? Surely a spot of vaseline would have done the trick.
Add to this the obligatory, uninspiring, provincial drabness and squalor (maybe Eurodrab would be a better term than Eurotrash). Why oh why do European directors think this is a good thing!!!!
In its defence, this isn't actually a bad production.
There is a consistent dramaturgical vision, unlike Stuttgart. There are some liberties, including the presence of Brunnhilde in Rheingold, the death of Alberich, the non-death of Hunding, and of course, the ending..... but these don't detract from the composer's intent, I think.
With the exception of Susanne Resmar's Erda, sung with a strange, almost yodelling tone, the standard of singing is perfectly adequate, if not exactly stellar.
The acting, and general interpretation of the roles, was good. Stig Andersen ably stood up to the challenge of playing both Siegmund and Siegfried. James Johnson managed to preserve the dignity of Wotan despite the rather unpleasant makeup and costume. Michael Kristensen's Legal Loge was hilarious.
The orchestra was adequate, if occasionally out of its depth.The singers were drowned out a couple of times; perhaps Michael Schonwandt could take a few lessons from Barenboim. Tempos were fast, but they matched the general shallowness of the approach.
And as a bonus, there's a discussion between the director and the Queen of Denmark (who is a keen Wagnerite). How cool is that!
If you have all the traditional productions, and would like to see how the other half lives, give this one a shot. It won't be particularly inspiring, but you might find it entertaining.
If you think the Chereau Ring is controversial, give this one a miss.
And look out for the sequel: Son of Siegfried
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![Wagner - The Ring [DVD] [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PX%2B22X2rL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Richard Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41gspo9xb9L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen -- Metropolitan/Levine [DVD] [2002] [NTSC]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418e8h3Io4L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Daniel Barenboim - Wagner - Tristan und Isolde [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41d-aQx5JeL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Daniel Barenboim - Wagner - Tristan und Isolde [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41d-aQx5JeL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Ian Storey
![Handel: Partenope [DVD] [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sYz%2BOxm9L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Mortensen / Scholl
![Wagner - Parsifal [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31iOS6H9YJL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Miroslav Christoff
~ Anja Harteros
~ Porpora
