Opera North's Siegfried 'live'

[jonfan]

Enjoyed the orchestral contribution and the pacing by the conductor. Awful Brunnhilde spoilt the last act. Did any one else find the vocal balance a bit close and harsh? Where's Petroc when you need him?

[David-G]

I'd say no, for several reasons. For a start, Siegfried is part three of a much larger work (forgive me if you know this already). Also, I wouldn't recommend listening to any opera in a foreign language unless you have either an English translation of the text or a vocal score containing one - and in either case it's very useful to have the German there as well, in parallel. In most opera, and in especially in, Wagner, the words are absolutely as important as the music: if you don't know exactly what those people are saying to each other, you're missing the central reason why the work exists in the first place.

You don't say if it's Wagner you're new to or opera in general. In either case, you might find a DVD a better way in than just an audio recording. For the Ring, there are many, with stagings that vary from the traditional to the ultra-modern and quirky. A hunt around on YouTube will turn up a lot of extracts and even some complete performances, or you could see what your local library or one of the online renting services has to offer. Do turn on the English subtitles, though.

If you want just to listen (so as not to be distracted by some avant-garde director's interpretation) my personal recommendation would be to try the English National Opera CD set of the complete Ring. This is in English, which isn't to everyone's taste, but if it proves to be yours the directness of the experience brings the drama alive in a unique way. It's also marvellously sung and conducted.

I hope that helps, but if not do come back with any questions.

Very well said, Bert, I agree with you absolutely. And I agree with your recommendation of the marvellous ENO Ring. It was my introduction to the Ring in the 70s, and I could not have wished for a better one. I completely agree that the directness of the Ring in English, particularly in Andrew Porter's very fine translation, is a great benefit for a Ring novice.

[french frank]

By no means. As far as a radio listener is concerned, the presentation is part of the performance. And if it strikes a discordant note then it can colour the entire experience. The only good thing about a shockingly bad presenter is that it is possible to get rid of him without affecting the rest.

I'm afraid it's a result of the cuts. The presenter's day job is apparently presenting BBC Radio York's breakfast show. Saves the expense of a train fare, I suppose - as bad as that.

[ostuni]

I thought ON's Rheingold, which I saw two years ago in Birmingham, was absolutely superb. I couldn't get to last year's Walküre, and didn't listen tonight, mostly because my head was still full of last night's Walküre at Longborough - and I'm seeing Siegfried there tomorrow night.

Longborough's Brünnhilde is the utterly wonderful Rachel Nicholls, a singer I know well from Suzuki's Bach Cantata series (totally different sphere, of course). I first heard her do Wagner in Martyn Brabbins's Walküre at Endellion (she sang Sieglinde then) - her 'Wagner voice' is, understandably, a lot more vibrant than her Bach singing, but there's certainly no out-of-control wobbling that spoils so many dramatic sopranos.

[David-G]

Longborough's Brünnhilde is the utterly wonderful Rachel Nicholls, a singer I know well from Suzuki's Bach Cantata series (totally different sphere, of course). I first heard her do Wagner in Martyn Brabbins's Walküre at Endellion (she sang Sieglinde then) - her 'Wagner voice' is, understandably, a lot more vibrant than her Bach singing, but there's certainly no out-of-control wobbling that spoils so many dramatic sopranos.

Michael Tanner wrote about her in the Spectator last year thus: "But for Götterdämmerung they have struck gold. A new Brünnhilde, Rachel Nicholls, is simply sensational. Even bearing in mind the modest dimensions of the theatre, she sang with great force as often as needed, which is actually a great deal. In Act II her fury at Siegfried’s treachery was registered in electrifying outpourings, but she was still more moving in the long quiet passage at the beginning of the last scene of the act, where she broods wretchedly; indeed that whole stretch, where at last, after all the faked feelings and histrionics, the three characters on stage pour out their true feelings, probed more deeply than I can ever remember."

[ARBurton]

I thought ON's Rheingold, which I saw two years ago in Birmingham, was absolutely superb. I couldn't get to last year's Walküre, and didn't listen tonight, mostly because my head was still full of last night's Walküre at Longborough - and I'm seeing Siegfried there tomorrow night.

Longborough's Brünnhilde is the utterly wonderful Rachel Nicholls, a singer I know well from Suzuki's Bach Cantata series (totally different sphere, of course). I first heard her do Wagner in Martyn Brabbins's Walküre at Endellion (she sang Sieglinde then) - her 'Wagner voice' is, understandably, a lot more vibrant than her Bach singing, but there's certainly no out-of-control wobbling that spoils so many dramatic sopranos.

I too am suffering with not getting Longborough out of my head, but that Ohrwurm is also mingling with WNO`s Lohengrin from last Saturday! Not an ideal mind-mix and not entirely displaced by the wonderful Ms Nicholls, or the wonderful Sieglinde too (name escapes me).
Hope the forecast heavy rain holds off today - rain drumming on Longborough`s tin roof may be an unwelcome offstage sound effect.

[teamsaint]

Ah, I see there is an " I am a better music lover than you are" school of thought.

I though that was confined to football forums, but apparently not.

Thanks anyway to those offering helpful advice.

[David-G]

Ah, I see there is an " I am a better music lover than you are" school of thought.

I though that was confined to football forums, but apparently not.

Thanks anyway to those offering helpful advice.

Just wondering what you mean? Have I missed something?

[teamsaint]

Just wondering what you mean? Have I missed something?

Just a response to a rather spiky post from somebody else, David.

If you have missed it, it is just as well.

Point scoring is rather pointless, I am sure you agree !

Thanks for your thoughts re my earlier question, which are appreciated.the ENO set may be just what I need

[teamsaint]

Just a response to a rather spiky post from somebody else, David.

If you have missed it, it is just as well.

Point scoring is rather pointless, I am sure you agree !

Thanks for your thoughts re my earlier question, which are appreciated.the ENO set may be just what I need

Edit: The ENO CD set isn't really priced for novices, but IS available at the Naxos library .


Super Edit. Well I have made some really rather modest inroads into Rhinegold on the ENO recording, but I have to say the singing so far is quite superb. This is looking like a cracking recommendation.

[ARBurton]

Goodall`s Ring is wonderful but a polar extreme from my own first - Boulez/Bayreuth whose tempi are as brisk as Goodall`s aren`t. But I couldn`t get on with his Mastersingers on Chandos...

[ostuni]

Lee Bisset was the Longborough Sieglinde - yes, very fine. Tonight's weather only featured a slight drizzle in the long interval, so picnics were somewhat damp, but Siegfried survived without any extra percussion.

[Bert Coules]

Teamsaint, I'm delighted that you're enjoying the ENO Ring. ARBurton, I'm sorry that you didn't care for the Goodall Mastersingers. I was never lucky enough to encounter it in the theatre but I still remember how bowled over I was the first time I heard the recording - and that was back in the seventies on a terrible quality quarter-track reel-to-reel tape copy peddled by a slightly shady chap in the street outside the Coliseum.

[ARBurton]

I have to admit that Msinger is the one Wagner I really struggle with. I love the last 45 mins or so but it always seems a terribly long haul to get there.

[Bert Coules]

Ah, so it's the work rather than the Goodall recording specifically. That's interesting: it's a neat reversal of what's usually seen as the normal situation, where a good many people who don't care for Wagner's other stage pieces enjoy Die Meistersinger - except for the very end.

And even many devotees of the other works find a special place in their hearts for this one: Bernard Levin, as staunch a Wagnerian as you could hope to find, once said that while his admiration for most of the operas knew no bounds, "I love Die Meistersinger as I would love another human being: completely and absolutely".