Royal Opera's Ring Cycles

[Bert Coules]

Incidentally, I am pretty sure that in the Goodall Ring at the ENO, the Nibelungs were not played by children.

Quite right: they were the then-ubiquitous Movement Group, fine when heavily sat on by a strong director (as in the first runs of productions) but inclined to get a tad boisterous if left to their own devices. After one particularly tiresome stage rehearsal of a revival Goodall was heard to enquire plaintively of the staff producer, "Can't we get some kids in?"

Bert

[DracoM]

You could use recordings of children screaming / mix it with seagulls at different speeds and play it over the adult stage movements? Quite an eerie effect?

[Bert Coules]

You could use recordings of children screaming / mix it with seagulls at different speeds and play it over the adult stage movements? Quite an eerie effect?

Well yes, you could and I agree it would be a striking sound. But the voices of dwarfs, like everything else about them, aren't particular high so why would you want to?

Alberich and Mime, after all, sound like... well, like a baritone and a tenor. True, it would add to the horror if there were women and children among the enslaved masses, but they shouldn't constitute the entire assembly.

Bert

[Stephen Smith]

There were at least 6 harps in the stalls circle box nearest the stage on the right. This may account for the broadcast sound/balance? (post #74).
I also thought some of the lower brass, tubas I suppose, were rather immediate in sound and wondered if they were concealed in/under the corresponding box on the left - this is pure speculation - there were just black boarded panels there (I was in the stalls circle - at the 1st cycle) .
Live in the auditorium, the nature of the Nibelungs vocal contribution didn't really make an impression, with the stage movement, the principals and orchestra - but yes they were youngsters (not all, I think, children)- according to the cast list members of the RoH Youth Opera Company and Stagecoach.
Glad to hear that Connolly and Bryn T are still in good form. It was a delight to hear Terfel and his German seemed (to a non speaker) very authoritative.

[retroman]

I screwed up on the timeshift last night - did anybody take it?

[kernelbogey]

I heard the second half of Act I in the car on the way home from work and the twins sounded thrilling, as did the orchestra! Wonderful sound, even in a moving car!

[Bert Coules]

I just caught the very end of act two. Was it my ears or did I really hear someone (a male someone) talking during the quiet moments around Hunding's death?

Bert

[DracoM]

Act 2 was fantastic - Terfel is giving a far, far more nuanced performance than his Met run. Pappano is just giving him more room, and the orchestra are right on the end of the stick as far as I can tell. Still to be convinced by Brunnhilde.

[David-G]

Fantastic - I agree! I heard the beginning of the Act in the car, and the sound was not great - but so far as I could tell, Connolly was very fine.

[Pianorak]

I just caught the very end of act two. Was it my ears or did I really hear someone (a male someone) talking during the quiet moments around Hunding's death?

Bert

No, not your ears. I heard it as well.

kernelbogey - I agree. Big pat for the sound engineers. Such immediacy, such vivid stereo image.

The Wotan/Fricka scene was most moving, I thought.

Couldn't help smiling at Bruennhilde's "Feuersnot" which sounded just like a friend's demented terrier!

[Flosshilde]

Agree with all the above, but I fear that I'm going to have to give Act 3 a miss - my cold is getting the better of me & I don't think I have the energy required.

[Pianorak]

Agree with all the above, but I fear that I'm going to have to give Act 3 a miss - my cold is getting the better of me & I don't think I have the energy required.

No cold - but no Act 3 for me either. Too many Walkueren. Hope you'll get over your cold soon!

[Flosshilde]

Interesting - it's usually Act 2 I feel 'happy' to miss, except for the wonderful dialogue between Brunnhilde & Siegmund.

[Nick Armstrong]

Fantastic - I agree! I heard the beginning of the Act in the car, and the sound was not great - but so far as I could tell, Connolly was very fine.

Blimey, it's going on for ages isn't it?!

I tuned into a bit at my desk at work, and heard the start...

I left work not particularly early (6.45 maybe) and listened to some more cycling home.

I went for a shower an hour ago, switched on the radio in the bedroom - still going!

And I don't think it's finished yet!

Not complaining: the orchestral playing sounded magnificent each time I tuned in (The male singers seemed preferable to my ears than the female)

[DracoM]

Terrific Act 3- really thought Terfel's voice was going, but he found another gear. Lovely orchestral playing.

Who was the set of bovine killjoys who started clapping too early? Bet they were visiting Met-audience regulars! Grrrrrrrr!!