Three Rings: Berlin

Between October 2022 and December 2023 we have seen three Der Ring des Nibelungen cycles. All in cities starting with the letter B. This is the first of my blogs regarding each one. We started in Berlin in October 2022. I’ve blogged about every other bit of our visit there, including describing a tour of the opera house here (search Berlin on this site for blogs about what else we did on what was a wonderful holiday). I didn’t write critiques of the different operas for a variety of reasons, predominantly ill-health plus my aversion to the production. So here goes, over a year later.

Years ago, I think at the first Melbourne Ring, although I’ve not mentioned it in a blog, Peter Bassett (a wonderful interpreter of the Ring, if you’re interested his website is here – I strongly recommend his booklets) gave a lecture about Rings he has seen overseas and showed some truly astonishing extracts; one I remember clearly was a Norwegian production which has the Rhinemaidens actually swimming in a fjord! The lesson I took away was to investigate all aspects of a production anywhere in Europe to ensure we didn’t land on a weird one! Unfortunately I didn’t act upon that very useful insight!

We went to Berlin because this was a production commissioned by Daniel Barenboim, music director at the Berlin State Opera (Staatsoper) from 1992 and Staatskalpellmeister of its orchestra, the Staatskepelle Berlin, who was, when we booked expected to conduct. In fact he stepped back from performing before we got there due to ill-health. At his request, Christian Thielemann took over the conducting. Which I was pleased about as I have read his biography which I‘ve written about here. So I was excited to see him perform. Which as it turned out was the best thing about this Ring! He’s considered very conservative and purportedly didn’t get on with Barenboim but his conducting of this Ring was widely seen as a bid to take over as Staatskalpellmeister. Which was successful. He was subsequently appointed to that position when Barenboim announced his resignation from 31 January 2023. Here he is ensuring the orchestra gets due recognition – enthusiastically given after each opera.

Here are Joe and I inside during the Das Rheingold performance. I loved being in one of Frederick the Great’s buildings!

And this is the view of inside the theatre from our seats – I love this part of a performance, the crowd coming in and buzzing with excitement. The dress code was all encompassing – some fabulous outfits mingled alongside people in leisure wear!

Below is our view towards the stage showing the orchestra pit and royal box. During the first opera a rumour swept around that Barenboim was sitting in that balcony – later discounted. We could however see Thielemann conducting which was wonderful, he was very laid back, sitting down and rarely moving his arms above his shoulders. And we had a good view of the stage. I love being close.

The production director was Russian wunderkind, Dmitri Tcherniakov. I hated most things about it! This is what welcomed us into the theatre every evening.

For the uninitiated (like me) this is the plan of a research institute. We didn’t attend the daily English language lectures on each opera which may have helped. We didn’t know they were on. I thought some of the ideas were okay – Wotan trying to control events as though experimenting on everyone was fine. But in this version the actions on stage bore no resemblance to the words of the libretto. We start in a laboratory where Alberich’s brain is being monitored! The Rhinemaidens are there with clip boards. Apart from anything else the costumes were so drab!

I took these pictures from a booklet we were given – the programme booklet was all in German and so no help at all in interpreting what was intended. Here are Wotan and Loge in the Nibelung realm. Note the rabbits above the cubicles – research institute, get it?! German PETA (People For The Ethical Protection of Animals) got involved and as a result the number of rabbits was reduced in subsequent performances! That’s Alberich on the right. The cubicles have computers which is where the Nibelung are forced to work for Alberich – an updating of digging for gold.

This is where the gods hung out – a lecture theatre. Such boring costumes!

Wotan’s corporate office was not a new idea and was okay for much of the action. But very cramped as you see below where Fafner (in green) and Fasolt (in brown) are fighting.

And this travesty was the rainbow bridge! I wasn’t as enthralled as the cast seem to be!

Here they all are at curtain call. The best performance, agreed by me and the whole audience was Michael Volle as Wotan. Wonderful voice and acting. And overall the tremendous music, which was at a level I’ve not heard before.

I also liked Rolando Villazón as Loge, in the yellow suit, but he was booed by the audience (very robust in its opinions!) I was told by an American audience member that it was because his German pronunciation wasn’t any good, and in the review below it’s said his voice is not up to the role. His acting was great. Mika Kares, in the green jacket, was terrific as Fafner here (later also Hunding and Hagen). Anna Kissjudit was terrific as Erda, despite the drab blue suit! My trouble in assessing the production was that there were no readily available English language reviews. However, just this year Joe found one from a reviewer for a magazine called ‘Seen and Heard International’, Jim Pritchard. I agree strongly with what he has to say about all of the operas. His review of Das Rheingold is here.

So onto Die Wälkure. Here are Joe and I before, or during, the performance.

The sets were just as silly here. Hunding is a policeman responsible for pursuing Siegmundwho is a criminal of some sort (terrorist?) on the run. The storm music is accompanied by television reports of the manhunt. That all worked okay, although the visual images were a bit distracting from the music. Hunding’s hut is a modern townhouse, the steel frames preventing a clear view most of the time. Here are Sieglinde, Siegmund and Hunding sitting round the kitchen table.

Below we have the great love scene – such drab costuming. Siegmund was performed by an American, Robert Watson. I thought he was great but the audience, to his obvious distress at curtain call, did not. Sieglinde was Vida Miknevičiūtė who we have seen here in Melbourne in Salomé. She was wonderful.

Below are Wotan and Anja Kampe as Brunnhilde happily agreeing to save Siegmund. We are back in Wotan’s corporate office. The only way I can distinguish between photos of the first and second operas is the colour of Wotan’s suits!

Until Fricka puts a spike in that plan. Signing a contract to ensure the outcome. So many directors include props that provide no additional dramatic impact.

In the meantime the happy lovers have fled to the rabbits domain! Sieglinde a bit overly hysterical in my view – but she often is.

While the music was sublime the annunciation scene was hampered by the surroundings; lacking the grandeur I associate with it. Here’s Siegmund threatening to kill lover and unborn child. Too cramped there below the rabbits and beside the computer cubicles

I can’t remember anything about the battle scene but here is Wotan’s wrath at the outcome – completely unnecessary to inflict physical violence against Brunnhilde – another common failing of directors who won’t rely on the music – which is enough!

We meet the Valkyries in the lecture theatre languidly draped over their chairs – even when Sieglinde ecstatically welcomes Siegfried’s birth.

The production seems set on leaching all dramatic intensity from the story. Finally we have Brunnhilde placed on her rock – in this case a row of chairs on which she has scrawled fire motifs in texta! Terrible.

Here is the cast at curtain call. It might be too far away Robert Watson (front left) is very downcast following the booing he received from the audience. Undeservedly! I thought he was great. His response very different from Rolando Villazón’s who bowed more enthusiastically the more they booed – an up yours to the audience. I liked the audience engagement but my little group, which included some opera administrators, was horrified

Anyway here is Jim Pritchard giving a proper review of Die Walküre, here. And now we are off to Siegfried on a cold and windy night.

It got worse – as was inevitable I suppose. According to Pritchard, Andreas Schager is one of the pre-eminent Siegfrieds of the age, but perhaps hampered by the production design – and I’d say certainly by the clothes. One of the difficulties in this role is moving from bumptious child to hero. It was not attempted here. Siegfried starts off as a child and continues as an unthinking, child of nature. He spends all of the first part in a tracksuit. Playing with toys while Stephan Rügamer as Mime watches helplessly.

I can’t remember any attempt at a bear – perhaps the lego was it. The forging of Notung consisted of a heaping together of Siegfried’s toys and him setting them alight – perhaps indicating he was moving beyond childhood.

We meet Wotan as the wanderer, wandering around the townhouse frame seen in die Walküre. Which is where his riddling with Mime takes place.

Later he catches up with Alberich – who, clothed here, later spends the rest of his appearance in the Ring wandering around in his underpants – outside Fafner’s cave. Two old men remembering the past worked quite effectively – lest you think I am too negative!

I don’t remember anything about Siegfried’s fight with the dragon though looking through the booklet of pictures I think this is it. Fafner has been put in a straight jacket (of course).

We are back in the research institute and this is how he interacts with the Woodbird, Victoria Randem.

So we move to the grand finale. Siegfried finds Brunnhilde moved from her chairs and onto a medical stretcher. Awakened she clutches her soft toy horse – Grane don’t you know!

Here is Andreas at curtain call. Very pleased with himself and receiving rapturous applause.

As did Anja Kampe. A wonderful voice. Despite the obstacles presented by the production she was great.

I also joined in the appreciation of Anna Kissjudit. She was terrific as Erda despite the awful costume – just screams earth mother doesn’t it. And despite being physically manhandled by Wotan in their last encounter. Unnecessary and reduces the dramatic intensity of this desperately sad scene.

The biggest applause on the night was for Michael Volle who was magnificent in all three operas. His imperious Wotan was imperious indeed and his broken Wotan was indeed a broken god. Magnificent voice. Great acting.

It was wonderful that both singers and orchestra could rise above the silliness of the production and inject real meaning and passion into their performances. Jim Pritchard’s review of Siegfried is here . So we come to our final opera. Here are Clare and I in front of the bust of the man who produced this magnificent work – which shines through however it is bowdlerised!

I normally wear different outfits to each opera but I think the weather was against me, so I reverted to this favourite a few times, including to Götterdämmerung. We had been told by the guide on our tour of the opera house a day or two earlier that Siegfied was to die on a basketball court – the scandalous news imparted in a voice suitably horrified! So we weren’t completely surprised, but still it was a shock. At the start we have the Norns presented as elderly crones. Joe reckons they come from a Larson comic. Traditional I suppose, but when you’re out to present a radical new production? A cop-out.

Back to our ecstatic lovers in the modern town house framework – Brunnhilde is now the housewife that Wagner predicted. Siegfried is still a kid. Shown here jumping (literally) at the chance to leave his lover and embark on adventures. Carrying Grane.

Next we meet the Gibichungs. Suitably presented as the weaklings they are. With Hagen suitably theatening in appearance. The birthmark a nice touch.

Naive Siegfried is easily captured and sent off to steal Brunnhilde and the ring. We don’t bother with a tarnhelm or any such nonsense. Schager doesn’t really need it; he is suitably threatening.

While he’s away we have Hagen’s Watch. Here’s hairy Alberich in his underpants! I thought they were too close together really – this works best with a ghostly aura which was missing. Still it was okay.

Siegfried returns and he, Gunther (Lauri Vasar) and Gertrune (Mandy Fredrich) are very happy. I’m not sure of the significance of Alberich there with his knitting – a mystery, perhaps he’s getting cold.

Now we have Brunnhilde returned and vowing vengeance. Suitable costume. And suitably ferocious which is much better than cowering as I’ve seen in some productions. Hagen’s vassals making use of their iphones to record proceedings another nice touch. The man in glasses at the front reminds me of David White.

Finally, what we’ve been waiting for, the hunting scene. Instead of Wagner’s animal hunt they decide to have a basketball match. During which Siegfried is murdered. Sort of lacked dramatic intensity!

We leave Brunnhilde on her funeral pyre – the same medical trolley on which Siegfried found her. Really! I was well and truly over this production a long time beforehand but this was the icing on the cake.

But the strength of the cast made this cycle worthwhile. Uniformly superb. As did the music – phenomenal! The whole orchestra was welcomed on stage to hear the roar of approval from this very discriminating audience.

I enjoyed booing the director along with the rest of the audience, my little group disapproved! And the cast all ostentatiously clapped him, indicating their support. But did they really approve? Might be too far away for you to see here; he’s the little fellow next to Schager.

Anyway Jim Pritchard’s review of Götterdämmerung is here. I agree wholeheartedly with his critiques of all four operas. For completeness I am now (a little later) adding a link to another review which is more supportive although interestingly he doesn’t seem to have followed it up with others. He gives the music it’s due and explains Loge fading away. I hadn’t read the comments before – there’s only one in English. Worth doing! The whole thing is here. Writing this blog has made me cranky about the whole production again! But also reminded me of the glorious performances and wonderful music.