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Events
Wagner Society Events: Current and Retrospective
Forthcoming Events:
BAYREUTH
LECTURES—2001
IN ENGLISH
Jeffrey Swann
LECTURER
|
August 21
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Das Rheingold |
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August 22
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Die Walküre |
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August 24
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Siegfried |
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August 25
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Lohengrin |
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August 26
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Götterdämmerung |
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August 27
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Die Meistersinger |
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August 28
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Parsifal |
Time: 10:30–Noon
Place: Festspielrestaurant, Festspielhügel, Bayreuth
Cost: DM 20. per lecture
Lectures include musical examples. A question-and-answer
period concludes each session. Advance reading of the libretto is encouraged.
Jeffrey Swann, Ph.D., a world-renowned pianist,
musicologist, and lecturer, will deliver this year’s Bayreuth English-language
Lecture Series. He has performed throughout the United States, Europe,
Latin America, and Asia. He received his doctorate at The Julliard School
with a dissertation on "Structural Elements of the Ring," and he has given
lectures and lecture-concerts on Wagnerian themes in Milano, Torino, Cincinnati,
and Canada, and other venues, including radio. Last summer (during Ring
Cycle II), he presented a Liszt-Wagner program on Wagner’s own piano at
Wahnfried. Dr. Swann lives in New York, and he regularly presents lecture-performances
for the New York and other Wagner Societies and often participates in Wagner
discussions and symposia.
The Society is grateful to the Festspielrestaurant
and to the Gesellschaft der Freunde von Bayreuth for their cooperation
with this lecture series, now in its seventeenth year.
******************************
The Wagner Society of New York
in conjunction with New York City Opera
presents
Overview of NYC Opera’s Der fliegende Holländer
featuring
the principals and creative team
of
this exciting new production
Thursday,
September 13, 2001, 7:30 pm
CAMI
Hall (2nd floor)
165
West 57th Street, New York
Host:Cori
Ellison, NYC Opera Dramaturg, with a great line-up of participants.
Excerpts
from the opera performed by Susan B. Anthony (Senta), Mark Delavan
(Dutchman), and Carl Tanner (Erik), accompanied by Susan Woodruff
Versage, assistant conductor.
Commentary
and panel discussion with George Manahan (NYCO Music Director and
conductor), the above artists, and several of the creative team, including
Robert
Wierzel (lighting designer), led by Cori Ellison.
are necessary
as space is limited. Discounted fee for current WSNY members. Click here
to download a reservation form. Confirmation will NOT be sent; reservation
list will be checked at the door. If you cannot be accommodated, you will
be notified and will receive a refund.
Please note that our
group ticket offer for the September 21 performance is sold out.
If you have ordered tickets for this date from the Society, they will be
mailed shortly.
OTHER EVENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED. CHECK THIS SPACE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
Retrospective
of the 2000-2001 Season
September: The
New Bayreuth Ring: Slides of the new production and a panel discussion.
Participants included Verena Kossodo, Richard Lynn, Smithgall, and Peter
Phillips (moderator).
October: Jonathan
Lewsey, British writer and lecturer. (Author of Who’sWho and What’s
What in Wagner; forthcoming: Who’s Who and What’s What in Verdi
and Wagner Perspectives.) "Wagner's Quest for the Grail."
December: Seminar on Der Fliegende
Holländer. 21st in the Society’s annual series. Speakers:
Professors Simon Williams, Robert Bailey, Mark Anderson; Erick Neher, Joe
Pearce. Roundtable Discussion: Roland Wagenführer (Erik in the
2000 Metropolitan Opera Production of Der Fliegende Holländer).
January: Holiday Musicale, featuring
Amanda Mace, soprano, in her New York recital debut; Thomas Bagwell, pianist.
February: Xavier Nicolás, President,
Asociación Wagner de Barcelona. Discussion of the history of Wagner
in Spain and survey of the career and opera sets (for the Gran Teatro del
Liceo) of Mestres Cabanes, with slides.
March: Speight Jenkins: The
2001 Seattle Ring. Talk with slides and tapes.
April: Reception
and interview in honor of Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano VIOLETA URMANA.
Host: Robert J. Sweeney. Translator: Verena Kossodo.
May: Fiftieth
Anniversary Celebration of the Met Debut of Soprano Lucine Amara. Recital
by Ms. Amara, followed by Interview and Reception. Pianist: Thomas Bagwell
Host: Lew Grenville.
June: Prof. Alessandra Comini (Southern Methodist
University): "The Visual Wagner: Environments, Icons, and Images." A slide-illustrated
lecture.
Retrospective
of the 1999-2000 Season
September: "Perspectives on the Amsterdam
Ring."
October:
Interview with Inge Borkh, soprano (Met, 1958-71) and Blanche Thebom, mezzo-soprano
(Met, 1944-67). Host: Lew Grenville.
November:Tristan und Isolde
Seminar. Speakers: Professors Arthur Groos, Carolyn Abbate, Henry Hall
Peyton, III, Patricia Sloane; Joe Pearce. Roundtable Discussion:
Richard Paul Fink and René Pape (Kurwenal and King Marke, respectively,
in the 1999 Metropolitan Opera Production of Tristan und Isolde).
November: Question and answer Session, followed by reception for
Wolfgang and Gudrun Wagner.
December: Helen Traubel: A Centenary
Celebration. Presenters: Geoffrey S. Riggs and Alfred Hubay; distinguished
guests: Jerome Hines, Alex B. Williamson. Discussion with slides and musical
examples.
January: Holiday Musicale,
featuring
Marjorie Elinor Dix, soprano, and Eugenie Grunewald, mezzo-soprano, accompanied
by Thomas Bagwell. Works by Mozart, Mahler, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and
Wagner (Elsa/Ortrud scene from Lohengrin).
January: Jeannie Williams, author of recently-published
biography of Jon Vickers: discussion of Mr. vickers, with recorded examples;
booksigining. See catalogue for order information
for Jon Vickers: A Hero's Life.
March: Prof. John L. DiGaetani on Carlo Gozzi’s La
Donna Serpente and Suzanne M. Lodato, Ph.D. on Richard Wagner’s
Die
Feen. With recorded musical illustrations.
April/May: 2000 Met Ring—Related Events
Hospitality Suites.
Four days during the 2nd and 3rd cycles, prior to performances.
April 24: Das Rheingold
Dinner.
April 26: Lecture by Jonathan
Khuner, coach
and prompter for Bayreuth and San Francisco Rings and for Met Die Walküre.
"Unsung, Unseen, and Unheard."
April 28: Rhine Journey on the
Hudson. Four-hour
dinner cruise around New York harbor.
May 1: Das Rheingold Dinner.
May 6: Lecture-recital and luncheon:
Jeffrey Swann, concert pianist and Wagner scholar. Title: "Telling It Like
It Is: Exploring Narrations in the Ring."
May: Professor Henri-Louis de La Grange,
author of prize-winning Mahler biography, on "Mahler: Disciple and Champion
of Wagner" with slide illustrations. A co-presentation with the Mahler
Society.
August: Bayreuth Festival lecture series;
Prof. Simon Williams, lecturer.
Retrospective
of the 1998-1999 Season
September: Joseph Horowitz: Report on the August 1998 Bayreuth Symposium
"Wagner and the Jews," and a repeat of his Symposium talk "Wagner and the
American Jew."
October: Christopher Rouse: Discussion with musical examples of his
composition "Der Gerettete Alberich: Fantasy for Solo Percussion and
Orchestra."
October: Eike Wilm Schulte (Herald in the Metropolitan Opera production
of Lohengrin): Interview and performance, co-sponsored with German House.
December: John Grande, Chief Music Librarian, Metropolitan Opera:
"The Met Library: Behind the Scenes."
January: NJ Symphony Orchestra: Ring Festival Concerts. Group
attendance at January 8, 15, and 24 concerts.
January: Ring Seminar. Speakers: Professors Jenny Jochens,
Robert Bailey and Jeffrey Buller; Erich Neher and Geoffrey Riggs. Performers'
Roundtable: Maestro Zdenek Macal and Clayton Brainerd.
February: Joseph Smith, Lecturer, Pianist,
Musicologist. "Wagnerian? Weberian! Sources of Wagner’s Style
in Weber’s Euryanthe." Assisted by Judith Donham, soprano; Madeleine
Kristoffersson, soprano; and Duncan Hartman, baritone.
March: Prof. Boris Gasparov (Department
of Slavic Languages, Columbia University). "Musorgsky’s
Khovanshchina:
A Musical Drama, Russian Style." Musical examples.
March: Theater party: Band in Berlin, the story of the comedian harmonists,
performed by the Hudson Shad.
April: 7:30 pm.
Prof. Lydia Goehr (Department of Philosophy, Columbia University).
"Wagner and the Quest for the Autonomous Musical Voice."
May: 7:30
pm. Wagner Birthday Musicale: Adrienne Dugger, soprano,
Emile Fath, baritone.
Return to WSNY Home Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About us
Wagner Society of New York
 |
The Richard Wagner Society of New York, Inc., is a not-for-profit
organization chartered in New York State for the purpose of furthering
the appreciation and performance of the works of the great composer. Our
members come from throughout the United States, Canada, and many other
countries. The Society maintains a broad range of international contacts
and is a member of the International Richard Wagner Association. |
Monthly Society programs include lectures, films, receptions, interviews,
book signings, symposia, and more all designed to keep attendees au courant.
Consider these firsts, all resulting from Society initiative and expertise:
-
18- hour Ring Marathon videotape presentation of the Chéreau/Boulez
Bayreuth Ring
-
U.S. premiere of Wagner's early opera Das Liebesverbot
-
U.S. premiere of the nine-hour film WAGNER
-
U.S. public premieres of several videotaped Wagner operas before commercial
release
The Society also sponsors three highly regarded series:
presents young and exciting Wagnerian singers in recital. Additionally,
the Society awards grants to selected promising singers each season, in
order to assist them in the early stages of their careers and thereby promote
the quality of future Wagner performances.
celebrates the memory of past artists in the Wagner repertory with the
goal of keeping the tradition fresh a confirmation for those who remember
and a revelation for those who don't.
examines a Wagner opera in depth by concentrating on current scholarship,
performance practices, and interviews with singers and conductors, thus
enhancing our members' knowledge of Wagner's works.
If you love music, opera, and Wagner, you owe it to yourself to become
a member of the largest and most active Wagner society in the country.
As a volunteer organization that welcomes members' participation, the Society
offers you the opportunity to play an active role in making things happen,
while at the same time meeting a diverse group of fellow Wagnerians.
The Richard Wagner Society of New York P.O. Box
230949, Ansonia Station New York, NY 10023-0949 Phone: (212) 749-4561;
Fax: (212) 749-1542 E-mail: WagnerRing@aol.com
E-mail Links: Wagner
Society or WSNY Webmeister
Join the Society
Return to WSNY Home Page
~~~~~~~~~~~
Merchandising catalog
Catalogue: Last Updated February 2000
WSNY Merchandise Catalogue
|
|
The Wagner Society of New York offers an extensive and
frequently updated catalogue of materials of special interest to its members
and friends. Most books are discounted for Society members, and some are
unobtainable elsewhere. If a paperback edition of a title is available,
that is the one listed here. These are the other items listed are also
useful gifts for any "perfect Wagnerite." Please print the order form provided
through the link at the end of this page. (Updated February 2000.)
Books
Abbate, Carolyn. Unsung Voices: Opera and Musical Narrative
in the Nineteenth Century. List: $16.95. Members: $14.00.
Ardoin, John. The Furtwängler Record. List:
$32.95. Members: $26.00.
Bartlett, Rosamund. Wagner and Russia. List: $69.95.
Members: $55.00.
Beecham, Sir Thomas. A Mingled Chime [Autobiography].
$10.00.
Berger, William. Wagner without Fear. List; $15.00.
Members: $13.00.
Cambridge Opera Handbook Series:
Warrack, John, ed. Die Meistersinger.
List: $18.95. Members: $16.00.
Beckett, Lucy. Parsifal. List: $19.95.
Members: $16.00.
Cooke, Deryck. I Saw the World End. List: $21.95.
Members: $18.00.
Cord, William O. An Introduction to Wagner’s Der Ring
des Nibelungen: a Handbook. 2nd ed. List: $19.95.
Members: $16.00.
Dahlhaus, Carl. Richard Wagner’s Music Dramas.
List: $20.95. Members: $17.00.
Davis, Peter G. The American Opera Singer. List:
$19.95. Members: $15.00.
Deathridge, John, & Dahlhaus, Carl. The New Grove
Wagner. List: $14.95. Members: $12.00.
DiGaetani, John. Penetrating Wagner’s Ring. List:
$17.95. Members: $16.00.
Donington, Robert. Wagner's Ring and Its Symbols. List:
$19.95. Members: $17.00.
Fricke, Richard. Wagner in Rehearsal, 1875-1876
[from his diaries]. Trans. G. Fricke. List: $42.00. Members: $30.00.
Holman, J. K. Wagner’s Ring: A Listener’s Companion
& Concordance. List: $34.95. Members: $30.00.
Horowitz, Joseph. Wagner Nights: An American History.
List: $17.95. Members: $15.00.
King, Greg. The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig
II of Bavaria. List: $24.95. Members: $20.00.
Köhler, Joachim. Nietzsche and Wagner; A Lesson
in Subjugation. Trans. R. Taylor. List: $25.00. Members: $20.00.
Lacoue-Labarthe, Philippe. Musica ficta: Figures of
Wagner. Trans. F. McCarren. List: $13.95. Members: $12.00.
new Lee, M.
Owen. Wagner: The Terrible Man and His Truthful Art. List:
$12.95. Members: $10.00.
Lee, M. Owen. Wagner’s Ring: Turning the Sky Round.
List: $10.00. Members: $8.00.
Levin, David J. Richard Wagner, Fritz Lang, and the
Nibelungen: The Dramaturgy of Disavowal. List: $29.95. Member: $25.00.
Lewsey, Jonathan. Who’s Who and What’s What in Wagner.
List: $29.95. Members: $25.00.
new Ludwig,
Christa. In My Own Voice: Memoirs. Trans. R. Domeraski. List: $30.00.
Members: $25.00.
Magee, Bryan. Aspects of Wagner. List: $12.95.
Members: $11.00.
Magee, Bryan. The Philosophy of Schopenhauer. With
appendix: "Wagner and Schopenhauer." List: $22.00. Members: $18.00.
Millington, Barry. Wagner. List: $16.95. Members:
$14.00.
Newman, Ernest. The Wagner Operas. Paperback reprint.
List: $19.95. Members: $16.00.
Poetic Edda. Trans. L. M. Hollander. List: $12.95.
Members: $12.00.
Rackham, Arthur. Color Illustrations for Wagner's Ring.
List:
$11.95. Members: $10.00.
Said, Edward. Musical Elaborations. List: $14.95.
Members: $12.00.
Shaw, George Bernard. The Perfect Wagnerite. List:
$6.95. Members: $6.00.
Skelton, Geoffrey. Wagner in Thought and Practice.
List: $14.95. Members: $12.00.
Solti, Sir Georg. Memoirs. List: $25.95. Members:
$21.00.
Spotts, Frederic. Bayreuth: A History of the Wagner
Festival. List: $18.95. Members: $17.00.
Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda. Trans. J. Young.
List: $12.95. Members: $12.00.
Tanner, Michael. Wagner. List: $19.95. Members:
$16.00.
Trémine, René. Wilhelm Furtwängler:
Concert Listing, 1906–1954. Special offer: $20.00.
Trémine, René. Wilhelm Furtwängler:
A Discography. Special offer: $20.00
Wagner, Cosima. Cosima Wagner’s Diaries, An Abridgement
[1869-1882].
Ed. G. Skelton. List: $20.00. Members: $17.00.
Wagner, R. Prose Works. Reprint ed., 8 vol. Each
vol. — List : $15.00. Members: $12.00.
Actors and Singers. Art and Politics. The
Art-Work of the Future and Other Works. Jesus of Nazareth
and Other Writings. Judaism in Music and Other Essays. Opera and Drama.
Pilgrimage to Beethoven and Other Essays. Religion and Art.
Wagner, R. My Life. Reprint ed. of Mein Leben,
trans. A. Gray. List: $18.95. Members: $15.00.
Wagner, R. Wagner on Conducting. Trans. E. Dannreuther.
List: $5.95. Members: $5.00.
Wagner, Wolfgang. Acts: Autobiography of Wolfgang Wagner.
List: $40.00. Members: $32.00.
Wapnewski, Peter, & Müller, Ulrich, eds. Wagner
Handbook. Trans. J. Deathridge. List: $45.00. Members: $36.00.
Weiner, Marc A. Richard Wagner and the Anti-Semitic
Imagination. List: $20.00. Members: $18.00.
new Williams,
Jeannie. Jon Vickers: A Hero’s Life. List: $29.95. Members: $24.00.
Williams, Simon. Richard Wagner and Festival Theatre.
List: $16.95. Members: $14.00.
Opera Translations
Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung—A Companion.
Trans. S. Spencer, with commentaries by Millington, Magee, Hollinrake,
& Darcy. Temporarily out of print; to be published in paperback, Fall
2000.
The Ring of the Nibelung. Trans. A. Porter. Ger.-Eng. List: $11.95.
Members: $10.00.
Ring Comics. DC Comics’ adaptation of the Ring into a "graphic
novel," by R. Thomas and G. Kane. 1-volume edition. List: $24.95.
Members: $21.00.
Das Liebesverbot. Trans. R. Arsenty. Ger.-Eng. libretto of 1st
American performance. $3.00.
English National Opera Guides. German/English texts, with essays and
photos. Each ENO Guide — List: $9.95. Members: $8.00. Note: Titles listed
below are the only Wagner ENO Guides currently in print. No reprint date
is available for the other operas.
Der Fliegende Holländer. Trans. A. Porter.
Each ENO Guide — List: $9.95. Members: $8.00. Note: Titles
listed below are the only
Wagner ENO Guides currently in print. No reprint date is available
for the other operas.
| Lohengrin. Trans. A. Porter. |
Der Fliegende Holländer. Trans. A. Porter. |
| Parsifal. Trans. A. Porter |
Tannhäuser. Trans. R. Blumer. |
| Tristan und Isolde. Trans. A. Porter. |
Die Walküre. Trans. A. Porter. |
Scores
DOVER REPRINT SCORES - Full orchestral scores from authoritative
editions. High-quality paperback.
Der Fliegende Holländer. List: $22.95.
Members: $21.00.
Götterdämmerung. List: $29.95. Members:
$28.00.
Lohengrin. List: $19.95. Members: $18.00.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. List: $31.95.
Members: $30.00.
Parsifal. List: $24.95. Members: $23.00.
Das Rheingold. List: $15.95. Members: $14.00.
Siegfried. List: $22.95. Members: $21.00.
Tannhäuser. List: $23.95. Members: $22.00.
Tristan und Isolde. List: $27.95. Members: $26.00.
Die Walküre. List: $26.95. Members: $25.00.
Overtures and Preludes. List: $16.95. Members:
$15.00.
"The Ride of the Valkyries" and Other Highlights from
the Ring. List: $15.95. Members: $14.00.
Wesendonk Lieder and Other Songs [complete songs].
List: $8.95. Members: $8.00.
Audio Guides
The Ring Disc: An Interactive Guide to Wagner’s
Ring Cycle. Complete Solti recording, piano-vocal score, German
and English libretto, analysis of leitmotifs, commentary, essays, production
photos, search functions. (Pentium processor PC and Windows 95 or Windows
NT.) List: $89.99. Members: $79.99.
Enjoying Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung with Speight Jenkins. Analysis,
with excerpts from 1953 Bayreuth performance, cond. C. Krauss; listener’s
guide (4 ½ hours) with Ger.-Eng. texts for musical excerpts. 4 cassettes:
List: $34.95. Members: $30.00. Or 4 CDs: List: $44.95. Members:
$40.00.
Götterdämmerung — G. Kossodo:
"The Changes from ‘Siegfrieds Tod’ to Götterdämmerung."
(Seminar, 10/88, 45 min.) with G. Kossodo: "Heroism and The Ring." (Lecture,
4/90, 30 min.) $12.00.
Lohengrin — G. Kossodo: "Sources of Lohengrin";
J. Pearce: "Lohengrin in Mahler’s Vienna" (rare recordings). (Seminar,
1/86, 90 min.) $12.00.
Die Meistersinger — Prof. D. Harris: "Nineteenth-Century
Nationalism and Its Bearing on Die Meistersinger." (Seminar, 1/93,
40 min.) $10.00.
Parsifal, Tape 1 — G. Kossodo: "Wagner and the Grail";
Prof. R. Bailey: "Music, Poetry, and Drama in Parsifal." (Seminar,
3/83, 90 min.) $12.00.
Das Rheingold — G. Kossodo: "Wagner’s Rheingold
and the Myths." (Seminar, 2/88, 60 min.) $10.00.
Rienzi — R. Bailey: "Wagner, Paris, and French Grand Opera."
(Seminar, 3/92, 60 min.) $10.00.
The Ring — J. Buller: "Sleep in the Ring." (Seminar, 1/99,
30 min.) $10.00.
Tannhäuser — G. Kossodo: "Comparison of Paris and
Dresden Versions of Tannhäuser." (Lecture, 2/84, 90 min.)
$12.00.
Tristan und Isolde — G. Kossodo: "Tristan and Schopenhauer."
(Seminar, 4/84, 60 min.) $10.00.
Die Walküre — G. Kossodo: "The Concept of 19th-century
Heroism." (Seminar, 10/86, 60 min.) $10.00.
"Does Wagner’s Anti-Semitism Matter?" Professors P. L. Rose, H. Vaget,
and P. Bloom, moderator. (Panel discussion, 2/93, 80 min.) $12.00.
"Wagner Sung by Tenors in Languages Other Than German." J. Pearce.
(Lecture and rare recordings, 5/84, 90 min., with notes.) $12.00.
Miscellany
201 Questions (and Answers) on Der Ring des Nibelungen, by
William O. Cord. $6.00
Annals of the Wagner Society of New York: The First Fifteen Years,
1977-92. $3.00
Opera Crossword Puzzles, by Joel Rothman. $3.00
Super Quiz of Opera, by Joel Rothman. $3.00
WSNY Writing Folder: navy cover, gold imprint & logo (5" x 8") $4.00
Wagner Button: White with black silhouette and name (1¾") $1.00
Wagner Watch: quartz, white with black silhouette, gold case, black
band, man’s or woman’s $35.00
T-SHIRTS. Full range of sizes are now on order; please check here again
if what you need is not listed.
Forest green, white Wagner portrait, long sleeve (M/L/XL) $15.00
White, royal blue Wagner portrait, long sleeve (M) $15.00
Black, gold logo, long sleeve (L) $15.00
Black, white Wagner portrait, short sleeve (L/XL) $12.00
Red, navy Wagner portrait, short sleeve (L/XL) $12.00
Royal blue, white Wagner portrait, short sleeve (L) $12.00
All prices subject to change without notice.
CLICK HERE FOR AN ORDER FORM
You may E-mail the Society for questions regarding an item or an order:
WagnerRing@aol.com
Return to WSNY Home Page
~~~~~~~~~~
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Wagner notes
Newsletter
| WAGNER NOTES |
| [The following article is reprinted from the Summer
2001 issue of Wagner Notes, the bimonthly publication of the Wagner Society
of New York. © 2001. All rights reserved.] |
| Report:
Walküre
at St. Petersburg’s “White Nights” |
The “Stars of the White Night Festival” in
St. Petersburg,
Russia—originally conceived in 1993—is well worth
attending. Not only is the setting one of the most beautiful cities in
the world, but, under Valery Gergiev’s leadership, the orchestra of the
Mariinsky Theater (still billed “Kirov” on tours) has grown into a superb,
finely-honed ensemble. “White Nights” refers to the fact that the sun never
sets during the month of June, and the city teems with activities beyond
the Mariinsky. From June 1 until July 1 the city is aglow with opera, ballet
and symphonic music ranging from 18th-century
rarities to world premieres such as Tan Dun’s “Water Passion after St.
Matthew.” Well-known philanthropist Alberto Vilar is now substantially
aiding the festival, which bodes well for its future.
This year included the second installment in a
new Ring Cycle, directed and designed by Gottfried Pilz, who did last year’s
Rheingold.
The Ring first came to Petersburg in 1889 with a German touring company,
and the operas were done fairly frequently until 1914. This present incarnation
is billed as the first complete performance of the Cycle in the Mariinsky
sung by a mostly Russian cast in German.
The
one non-Russian, Plácido Domingo (Siegmund), was trumpeted in posters
throughout the city, and on the Saturday evening before Walküre’spremiere,
he and Olga Borodina graced the city with an outdoor concert in Palace
Square outside the Hermitage. Although well attended, the concert was something
of a fiasco as Russians talked to each other and into their now ubiquitous
cell phones, downed beers, and strained to hear due to the poor acoustics
and miking. It was clearly attended by more of the curious than by the
respectful audiences one found in the theaters.
The
premiere of the production in the sumptuous and intimate Mariinsky occurred
on June 19, 2001. Not having heard
much about Rheingold, I had no idea what to expect. First off, the
front roll-drop shot up to reveal an acted-out storm music sequence, with
Sieglinde (looking every bit like a waitress) being pursued around a large
square table by what would later be revealed to be Hunding’s kinsmen. This
table—open in the center and surrounded by chairs—turned out to be a key
visual motif in every act, perhaps echoing some of the projections on the
scrims, and it reminded me of Malevich’s famous constructionist squares.
For the moment, what ensued on stage seemed to be a game of musical chairs
or a case of menacing jack-in-the-box gangsters popping out at Sieglinde.
A large eye (Wotan?) was projected at the opening of the act on a rear
scrim; there was no visible tree, and therefore never a sword visible in
the tree. Siegmund (Domingo) entered to a jarring round of applause; he
was clutching a wolf skin and wearing a storm coat from the 20th
century. Domingo has truly mastered the world-weariness of this role; his
acting and singing were effective from the very opening, and he paced himself
very well. Sieglinde, sung by Mlada Khudolei, struck me as a bit shrill
at first and lacking some subtlety, but she improved as the night wore
on. None of the singers possessed that Russian timbre so often identifiable,
and it was easy to forget this performance was in Russia except for the
supertitle screen in Cyrillic, my proximity to the resplendent “Tsar’s
box,” and the theater’s other ornate reminders of past imperial glory.
Hunding
(Gennady Bezzubenkov) arrived with a large group of kinsmen all of whom
were in fedoras and trenchcoats à la 1930s gangsters. They did not
stay on stage during the tense dinner discussion. Domingo shook the rafters
with his particularly spine-tingling “Wälse, Wälse!,”
exceeded only by his cry for the Volsungs to flourish at the end of the
act. Winterstürme was not such a magical moment visually, as the rather
nondescript background turned to a sickly green and a pale moon wandered
by. When the time came for the sword to be withdrawn, I think I was not
alone in wondering if Siegmund would: (a) locate the “tree” in the table’s
center and (b) get the sword out in time. Apparently there was a stump
or section of something covered with bark barely visible at table’s center
from which a flaming red sword was extracted in the nick of time.
Act
II opened with more stunning proof of the Mariinsky orchestra’s musicianship.
Recent recordings in a variety of venues have already demonstrated the
versatility and finesse of this orchestra; heard live, everything was confirmed.
Gergiev has created a first-class orchestra (also the highest paid in Russia,
and presumably at a rate that will keep musicians from bolting for other
shores) which plays with unbridled ferocity and luxurious pianissimos,responding
to every batonless gesture of their conductor. Gergiev is by all
accounts a tireless workaholic, rehearsing virtually the entire
day and leading most of the festival performances. His photo (with trademark
permanent four-day beard) flaps on banners and conducts from the sides
of buses and trams throughout the city; he is someone even non-musical
St. Petersburgers seem to know and revere.
When
Wotan came on stage, still adjusting his red eye patch, he carried an almost
fluorescent red spear that matched his son’s sword. While a bit on the
barrel-chested side and somewhat short, Vladimir Vaneev made up for lack
of an imposing physical presence with endearing acting and a voice that
brought just the right amount of majesty and pathos; the monologue was
spell-binding, the anguish was palpable. Earlier in the act a projection
had appeared showing a white circle bisected by a red slash; when Wotan
growled Das Ende the red line was broken, which struck me as a stage
picture with the subtlety of a train wreck.
Although
Olga Sergeeva as Brünnhilde yelped her “Hojotojo’s,” she was generally
very pleasing within her middle range and most of the higher parts, exceeding
vocally many of those I have heard in the West. Less appealing visually
were the angel (or swan?) wings she carried on stage to flap about. Later,
however, this motif was put to better use with projections of angel-like
figures on front and rear scrims during the annunciation of death scene.
This was one of the most moving parts of the production, both visually
and vocally. Brünnhilde herself was not immediately discernible, although
the fascinating two-foot-tall silver mask/helmet she was wearing tantalizingly
emerged from the misty stage picture. It was not obvious at first what
this mysterious silver headdress was attached to, and I found the image
mesmerizing.
The
battle that closes
the act was actually quite confusing. Hunding, for whatever reason, was
actually “waffenlos.” Brünnhilde and Wotan were nowhere to
be seen, with no divine intervention on any level. It appeared to me that
Siegmund stabbed himself with
his self-shattering spear; others reported that Hunding rammed the splintered
Nothung into his adversary. The gods came on the scene only after the killing
had occurred, and rather than contemptuously hand-swatting Hunding to oblivion,
Wotan murdered him with his spear.
Interestingly,
Act III spawned 16 Valkyries, with two singers assigned to each part. It
was snowing heavily during this act, accumulating on our favorite
table, and the playful Valkyries were having snowball fights at
times. They were all in white gowns, but also sporting blue
blazers which reminded me of school dress at Miss Porter’s. Sergeeva rolled
off her “herrstes Wunder!” rapturously. The decision to send her
to the east involved the Valkyries consulting a yellowed map. Wotan’s imminent
arrival was heralded by the double scrim projections of Wotan in the fedora
and trenchcoat he had been wearing since the end of Act II, presumably
his War Father garb.
Again,
it was on the now infamous table, draped this time in a white tablecloth,
that Wotan held, cradled, and fondly bid Lebwohl to Brünnhilde,
following that tremendous swell from the orchestra, which was particularly
shattering under Gergiev. The effect of magic fire was created by a red-orange
curtain drawn across the back of the stage, hand-fluttered by intentionally
visible cohorts of Loge, who also appeared, pulling the curtain across.
Not having seen Rheingold, it was still obvious to me that this
sunglass-wearing Elvis Costello look-alike was the wily god of fire.
Smoke began to pour out from the footlight area, adding to what was actually
a very appealing final tableau. All of the singers received hearty
applause and cheers, with most of the substantial roar reserved for Gergiev.
Pilz did not appear, as far as I could tell, but two females who may have
been part of the production team received a little applause. Russians seem
too polite to boo, if indeed anyone was so inclined.
As a Humanities teacher who regularly teaches the
Ring, I found it somewhat instructive to be accompanied by one of
my students who had never before seen a Ring opera on stage but who had
read the libretto and literal plot summaries, such as the one in the translated
Mariinsky program. “I thought Siegmund pulls the sword from a big ash tree
growing in the house. Isn’t Brünnhilde supposed to try and protect
Siegmund and then the sword shatters on Wotan’s spear? Why are the Valkyries
having a snowball fight? I don’t remember that in the libretto....” Is
this a simple case of the young boy seeing the emperor is naked? I decided
then and there that I needed to spend more class time on recent Ring performance
practices. As a veteran of many Rings, I felt this production was interesting,
occasionally thought provoking, and perhaps the product of some budget
considerations. Fairly good acting and purposeful character interactions,
as well as some exciting singing, went a long way to compensate for some
questionable staging. And then there was that fabulous orchestra.
The
Russians I met were very pleased to have a Ring cycle unfolding for them;
I heard no griping about the modern approach and, to my immense relief,
found no bias toward a composer from a nation that brought so much woe
to Russia, and to this
city in particular. St. Petersburg is truly a beautiful city, filled with
historical and artistic wonders, and I heartily recommend the White Nights
Festival and its promise of a new Ring Cycle.
Thomas
J. Adolphson
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