Boulez-Chereau Centenary Ring, 1976: Opinions?

[Conchis]

I'm currently re-watching this once radical, now venerable, production.

Boulez was about fifteen years into his Wagner conducting career when this was filmed and whilst I can't say I find his approach to the Ring as offensive as some people, he's certainly not the man to go to if you want richness of texture and the 'saturated sound', a la Furtwangler.

As to Chereau's contribution....it probably says a lot for the impact this Ring had that it now hardly seems radical and in many ways, conservative. Chereau's directorial coup had been to locate the action in the period of the Ring's composition, turning it into an allegory of the rise of capitalism; while this was striking at the time, it was hardly a new idea, as the same thing had occurred to Bernard Shaw nearly a century earlier. But the concept has clearly been thought through and all of Chereau's actor-singers seem to be on board with it.

Great performances from MacIntyre, Jones, Hofmann and Jeanine Altmeyer (as the kind of Sieglinde Brian Wilson might have sung about), all in their absolute prime - as were rising stars Matti Salminen and Graeme Clark.

Pity about Manfred Jung's Siegfried, though.

[bluestateprommer]

The only time that I saw the centenary Bayreuth Ring was when it aired on PBS in the USA in the early 1980s. To be honest, my impressions don't count for much, because that was something like 33 years ago, and moreover, I was in high school. Thus, as a teenager, looking back, I realize that I must then have had absolutely no clue about the subtexts and deeper undercurrents (both good and bad) of the work. What I can say is that, if nothing else, even as a clueless high schooler then, I found the experience to be compelling listening and watching. If I were to watch it again, I'm sure that I would react differently. But if nothing else, even though limited TV speakers at the time, the clarity of Boulez's interpretation probably had the huge benefit that he never overwhelmed the singers.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I remember it from the BBC broadcasts. It achieved notoriety from the various look-at-me-I'm-a-producer-who's-daring-and-does-something-different gimmicks - Rhine maidens by a hydro-electric dam, Siegfried in a DJ, but these were really side issues, and Boulez did a fine job. Incidentally, it's unlikely that the orchestra could ever overwhelm the singers at Bayreuth. I've never been there myself, but on recordings the orchestra can sound boxed in, particular at powerful moments, such as Siegfried's Death Music.

The only gripe I had was Gwyneth Jones's Brunnhilde. I don't like her voice at all - slow and over-prominent vibrato.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The BBC broadcasts (one act per night) and their repeats a year or so late were what made Wagner "click" with me - Boulez' powerful and swift-moving direction of Wagner's score and Chereau's setting of the story at the time it was written vanquished all my previous prejudices about long, noisy Music consisting of elderly singers wearing tights and horned helmets shouting at each other. The metaphors of the verbal text and the symphonic mastery of the notated one suddenly made perfect - and astonishingly contemporary - sense. (I'm still disappointed with the fairground dragon in Siegfried, though!)

Well - that was it: it started a companionship with Wagner that glows and grows still. It has been nearly ten years since I last watched the Videos, but McIntyre's Wotan hasn't been bettered in the productions I've seen since then. I've heard many better Brunnhildes and Siegfrieds since, though - but I'm still grateful to Dame Gwynneth and Herr Jung for their parts in introducing this Music to me.

[jonfan]

In 1976 we stood behind the Festspielhaus listening to a Tannoy through an open dressing room window. That's as near as we got to the Boulez/Chereau live. The audience duly booed the director after every performance, less so the conductor as that meant booing their own orchestra. There was a feeling that the French shouldn't be in charge of this essentially German affair. I'm sure attitudes have changed now. We had tickets for Parsifal and that was truly amazing in that acoustic. The darkness at the start with no light from the covered pit and the whole sound basking in the warm glow of the sail cloth and wood hall. [A fire engine is on permanent standby at the back of the theatre.] The transformations from one scene to another moved imperceptibly like a modern video screen. [Opera North might like to consider Parsifal as their next Wagner opera?]
We had a tour of the sunken orchestra pit the following day with the conductor at the top with the players going away and down from that position. Unusually the first violins are on the conductor's right, allowing the singers to hear them properly apparently.

[Richard Barrett]

The BBC broadcasts (one act per night) ... were what made Wagner "click" with me

Likewise. Although I then put his music aside for quite a few years before I decided it was time to plunge in properly, often when I listen to the music the inward images that come to mind are still influenced by watching that production. I've watched most of it more recently on DVD and got annoyed that the production (though not the musical performance) seems to run out of steam gradually as it goes on - Rheingold is full of unforgettable images but by the time we get to Götterdämmerung there seems to be much less visual imagination in play. Or is it just me?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

the production ... seems to run out of steam gradually as it goes on

Ho-ho.

Rheingold is full of unforgettable images but by the time we get to Götterdämmerung there seems to be much less visual imagination in play. Or is it just me?

It has been many years since I last watched it (I had the Video tapes) but thinking back, you might well have a point.

[Richard Barrett]

Ho-ho.

[Pianoman]

I still tend to watch an act per night with Wagner, though the production I prefer these days is the Harry Kupfer/ Barenboim Ring from the early 90s. Still some irritations in the production, but very satisfying musically. I do think the Chereau Ring is best in the first two (and a half, maybe) operas..

[Roslynmuse]

Like others on here (same sort of age, I guess) this production, via the ten weekly BBC instalments, were my introduction to Wagner. I was a sixth former, and had hardly heard or seen any opera. It wasn't quite a 'Eureka' moment, but the magic fire started burning with those broadcasts. Seeing WNO perform Walkure (Goodall!) and Siegfried (Armstrong) in Liverpool was the next stage, then an Opera North Meistersinger in Manchester, Rheingold in Cardiff, and the Syberberg film of Parsifal shown one wet Sunday night to an audience of a dozen at (the now-demolished) Theatr Gwynedd in Bangor. When the Ring was repeated (1990?) I videoed it, and later bought the DVDs. However, the production's spell was broken by then - it looked 'of its time' and I haven't gone back to it since. I still find much to admire in Boulez's conducting (as an antidote to Goodall), but listen to Solti more than either. I don't think I've seen Wagner staged for about 20 years (an execrable Tannhauser from Opera North) but have been to a good number of semi-staged performances - Opera North at the Lowry and in Leeds (there was a Tristan too about 15 years ago); Mark Elder and the Hallé in Manchester (Walkure, Gotterdammerung, Act I of Tristan, Act III of Meistersinger) and an unforgettable Parsifal from them at the Proms in 2014.

Maybe I should dig out the Chereau Ring again - after all, I received a vocal score of Rheingold (one of the new Schott edition) as a Father's Day present today!

[Flosshilde]

I think that one of the problems watching it now is the poor picture quality compared with some more recent DVDs. It was obviously originally issued on VHS tape, & it's now rather like watching it through a mist. Not unlike listening to CD transfers of recordings originally issued on 78s.

[gradus]

jonfan's comments re Parsifal are exactly as I remember it in 1978, conducted by Horst Stein and with the extraordinary scene changes accomplished by brilliant stage management. Never seen anything to beat it since.

[gurnemanz]

This thread has reminded me that, despite their seminal importance, I don't actually know these performances. A major omission which I think I should rectify. We saw the whole Joachim Herz cycle in Leipzig between 1973 and 1976, which in many ways pre-empted Chereau's interpretation. I've dug out the programmes (copious) and note that we were at the première of Götterdämmering on 27 June 1976 - my birthday!

[Conchis]

Like others on here (same sort of age, I guess) this production, via the ten weekly BBC instalments, were my introduction to Wagner. I was a sixth former, and had hardly heard or seen any opera. It wasn't quite a 'Eureka' moment, but the magic fire started burning with those broadcasts. Seeing WNO perform Walkure (Goodall!) and Siegfried (Armstrong) in Liverpool was the next stage, then an Opera North Meistersinger in Manchester, Rheingold in Cardiff, and the Syberberg film of Parsifal shown one wet Sunday night to an audience of a dozen at (the now-demolished) Theatr Gwynedd in Bangor. When the Ring was repeated (1990?) I videoed it, and later bought the DVDs. However, the production's spell was broken by then - it looked 'of its time' and I haven't gone back to it since. I still find much to admire in Boulez's conducting (as an antidote to Goodall), but listen to Solti more than either. I don't think I've seen Wagner staged for about 20 years (an execrable Tannhauser from Opera North) but have been to a good number of semi-staged performances - Opera North at the Lowry and in Leeds (there was a Tristan too about 15 years ago); Mark Elder and the Hallé in Manchester (Walkure, Gotterdammerung, Act I of Tristan, Act III of Meistersinger) and an unforgettable Parsifal from them at the Proms in 2014.

Maybe I should dig out the Chereau Ring again - after all, I received a vocal score of Rheingold (one of the new Schott edition) as a Father's Day present today!

The Ring broadcast in late 1990 was NOT a repeat of the Chereau production, but was instead a Barvarian State Opera production by Gotz Friedrich (I think?) conducted by Sawallisch. It was not a very good production, afaicr, though with some good singing (Hildegard Behrens, Robert Hale, etc). The end of Gotterdammerung just featured the various cast members 'dropping dead' on the stage while the music played over it all.

And I'd agree with Richard about the Chereau Ring running out of invention toward the end - Siegfired is almost a conventional production, ditto Gotterdammerung; but I think all producers tend to have 'shown their hand' by this point, so surprises are few.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Ring broadcast in late 1990 was NOT a repeat of the Chereau production, but was instead a Barvarian State Opera production by Gotz Friedrich (I think?) conducted by Sawallisch.

Nikolaus Lehnhoff

It was not a very good production, afaicr, though with some good singing (Hildegard Behrens, Robert Hale, etc). The end of Gotterdammerung just featured the various cast members 'dropping dead' on the stage while the music played over it all.

I didn't see much of it - it was broadcast on Channel4 and acts were interrupted for adverts! (The two giants' entry preceded by our being told that we couldn't fit quicker than a Kwikfit fitter: there must be many a regietheater producer kicking themselves for not thinking of doing this!)

I do have the EMI CDs of the production - and, whilst Hale is very, very good, Kollo and Behrens are both long past their prime: the end of Siegfried is a shoutfest, with the two performers incapable of projecting Musically over the Live orchestra - in spite of Sawallisch's best efforts on their behalf. Loud, enthusiastic cheers from the audience after the final chord, however, so it must have seemed good to experience in the theatre.