Behind the scenes at Covent Garden

[Bert Coules]

To paraphrase Rowan Atkinson's schoolmaster, if Wagner had meant it to be funny, he would have put a joke in it.

Oh, there's humour in Siegfried but you wouldn't have known it from that particular production - though to be fair, my strange and very restricted view of the stage might well have obscured some things.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I agree it’s a fascinating piece of backstage footage but I still think it’s such a shame that so much effort went into such a duff staging. Thankfully we have the wonderful musicianship of Pappano , cast and orchestra in compensation.

I have to say, I came late to Wagner – certainly The Ring cycle, live, committed to being in the theatre for such long performances.

Of course, Die M, Tristan, Flying Dutchman are more accessible. I’ve come to the conclusion I’m a lightweight compared to many here, but to me Parsifal and The Ring were amongst the final operatic experiences to be approached – and I hope successfully, as obviously they are regarded as great works in the cannon.

My opera going was sporadic up to about 2004, ENO, Covent Garden (occasionally). But then I decided to become a Friend of the ROH and be more determined about booking (which is certainly needed, as I’m not a rich man). So the Warner is the first Ring production I have seen, and I have had to accept its inadequacies and weird aspects (e.g.the Rubiks Cube like, mirrored Tarnhelm). I don’t know the significance of that or the crashed aeroplane and I wasn’t interested enough to buy the programme to see if there was an explanation there – if its not evident to me on the night, then the performers were just clambering over a piece of stage “furniture” (see – lighweight again, I don’t overthink these things).

I have enjoyed the performances of the Pappano/Warner Ring. The Image of John Tomlinson pushing the revolving wall – exhausted, almost demented, the fire at the end Die Walkure, the ascent at the end of Rheingold, Domingo as Siegmund (for me, will forever go down as a great performer and voice). Also, the final scenes of Gotterdamerung, with the huge segment of a ring on the stage with young people standing triumphantly , the generation taking forward the world after the collapse of the old order of the Norse Gods – indelible visual images to accompany the extraordinary sensation of live singers and players…..
So, I’m hoping I’ll be at the next production of The Ring – its scheduled after Pappano’s term as Music Director has ended, but he is down to conduct – and a new production (at the insight day, the production team said they were surprised to find the Warner production, in storage in Wales, in such usueable condition for the last revival).
As to singers – well Treleaven (Siegfried) and Bullock were disappoinments to be pushed to the back of the memory. Lisa Gasteen and even more so Nina Stemme were much more up to the task. Stefan Vinke as Siegfried fitted the bill, John Tomlinson of course not least for stepping up to play Wotan, Terfel latterly. Weaknesses just have to be tolerated in my view, its just an astonishing achievement that so much goes right on nearly every night!

One small anedote from an insight session. John Tomlinson said he found his voice was affected when gases were pumped on stage so enhusiastically, and had requested they minimise the smoke effect during a particular entry and passage, and the director had agreed. But, it wasn’t happening. In one of the final rehearsals on the main stage, once again the gas was excessive, and under their visual cover, he just absented himself from the stage (“I know this place so well, I knew where to go not to be easily found”). 30 minutes later, they found him, he’d made his point, the gases were much reduced and the rehearsal resumed…….