Siegfried R3

[Richard Tarleton]

From the amphitheatre (Row L) Vinke is indeed disappointing. He seemed to lose power in Act 2 but kept a bit in the tank for Act 3. Susan Bullock is just not powerful enough, hence the strain and wobble. It's a shame that with years in the planning the ROH can't come up with a world class pairing for Siegfried and Brunnhilde. Last time we were let down by John Treleaven. We had Lisa Gasteen, but she was off sick much of the time, we only got her for GD in the cycle I attended.

Siegfried has some of the loveliest orchestral music of the cycle and the orchestra is doing magnificently. We can just see the fronts of Bert's harps from where we're sitting, and the harpists' left hands

The crashed plane in Act One must be the full sized version of the small gold toy one that Mime was playing with in Rheingold - obviously he'd been working on a full-sized version over the years, but the prototype clearly crashed back down again on top of his workshop, and he just left the pilot to rot , hence the skeleton on the ground next to the plane.

I thought the revival was marred by too much business and messy staging, and indeed Act 2 with its bird mobile, grassy bed and surreal dream animals clashed stylistically IMV with the stark simplicity of Act 3. And those nonsensical gymnastics for the Woodbird, and the young Siegfried morphing into the bear, and then climbing out of its bear suit....

But the other parts well sung, Bryn T has bowed out in style. On to Gotterdammerung - at least we get a bit more of John Tomlinson.

The silent concentration in the hall is palpable - bar the odd cough, it is a great atmosphere. And I like the way you get to know your neighbours in the amphitheatre

[verismissimo]

Prepping for Siegfried on Wednesday, I've been listening to Lauritz Melchior, Florence Easton, Friedrich Schorr, Wolfgang Windgassen, Astrid Varnay, Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson...

Hard for them to match...

[DracoM]

No, impossible.

Who would we suggest as the best around these days? Kaufmann for Siegfried for me certainly. Which Brunnhilde is singing at the top of her game right npw?

[Stephen Smith]

There is a recommendation in the comments of the blog "Intermezzo" - posts for each opera, maybe a couple of other headings for the present Covent Garden cycle. Poster reckoned Nina Stemme is the reigning Brunnhilde, but can't remember the tenor. I would imagine the likes of Simon O'Neill (present Siegmund)in some years time, have the robust sort of voice to approach the part.

Kaufman wouldn't come to London for the time needed to rehearse and play Aenaeas in Les Troyens; alternatively & officially he had to cancel because he had a vocal problem. Be surprised to find him performing a ring cycle - for either of these reasons. I wouldn't have thought he has the right kind of voice - not a heldentenor?

[Howdenite]

I heard Nina Stemme in San Francisco and believe I will never hear another live Brunhilde sung anything like as wonderfully. I can't imagine she could be bettered at present. I also heard Jay Hunter Morris in Siegfried there and he was great in the part. I'd love to hear a radio broadcast -- I find it hard to really evaluate in the excitement of performance -- but my reaction to hearing him twice (two cycles) was that he was excellent. I think he is on the current Met DVD. Has anyone heard it? Afraid it is a bit out of my price range...

[DracoM]

Heard Kaufmann as Siegmund - terrific. OK, very different role, but he seemed to have most of the kit AFAICT.

[Prommer]

Not sure JK could (or would) really sing Siegfried... O'Neill and Stemme would certainly be the dream team in about 2 years' time! His death of Siegfried from GD on his latest solo disc is very fine, but no real clue as to his Act I Siegfried of course, let alone the Act III duet.

[Mandryka]

Not sure how anyone who saw the 2007 Siegfried with John Treleaven could criticise Vinke, who I thought held up very well throughout.

Siegfried, to my surprise, was the best of the three that I saw (couldn't make the Gotterdammerung in the end, due to the early start time, but managed to flog my ticket to a deserving person). Warner managed to rid his vision of most of the irritating clutter that had plagued the first two; also, this was the only one of the three in which Terfel looked comfortable - I felt he seriously let the side down in Walkure and (particularly) in Rheingold (where he clearly wasn't on top of his part).

[David-G]

also, this (Siegfried) was the only one of the three in which Terfel looked comfortable - I felt he seriously let the side down in Walkure and (particularly) in Rheingold (where he clearly wasn't on top of his part).

Just returned from "Walkure" of the 4th cycle. I can only say that in "Rheingold" on Friday, and this evening in "Walkure", Terfel was simply MAGNIFICENT. I will try to find time for a fuller report.

[underthecountertenor]

I agree, David-G, having seen the third cycle: Terfel was magnificent throughout. And from what I've heard, the side didn't feel at all let down by him: quite the contrary.

[Richard Tarleton]

Not sure how anyone who saw the 2007 Siegfried with John Treleaven could criticise Vinke, who I thought held up very well throughout.

Siegfried, to my surprise, was the best of the three that I saw (couldn't make the Gotterdammerung in the end, due to the early start time, but managed to flog my ticket to a deserving person). Warner managed to rid his vision of most of the irritating clutter that had plagued the first two; also, this was the only one of the three in which Terfel looked comfortable - I felt he seriously let the side down in Walkure and (particularly) in Rheingold (where he clearly wasn't on top of his part).

Which cycle were you at, Mandryka? I was at the 16-24 one. Re Vinke, I noticed in the comments re Susan Bullock that people nearer the stage were less aware of shortcomings. I was disappointed in Vinke, for different reasons than with John Treleaven; I suppose I still remember Siegfried J in the 1990s.

[Mandryka]

Which cycle were you at, Mandryka? I was at the 16-24 one. Re Vinke, I noticed in the comments re Susan Bullock that people nearer the stage were less aware of shortcomings. I was disappointed in Vinke, for different reasons than with John Treleaven; I suppose I still remember Siegfried J in the 1990s.

I was at the 2nd cycle, beginning (I think) on the 8th.

I thought Terfel's voice had coarsened, as had his acting: I have never been over-impressed with any of his Wagnerian assumptions, but he seems to have gone from crooning this role (as he did at the Proms in 2005) to bellowing it. He came in too early at one point in Rheingold, too (it was VERY noticeable). Oh, well - at least there were no Welsh sporting victories, so we were spared the dragon flag at the curtain call. ....

[verismissimo]

Prepping for Siegfried on Wednesday, I've been listening to Lauritz Melchior, Florence Easton, Friedrich Schorr, Wolfgang Windgassen, Astrid Varnay, Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson...

Hard for them to match...

I was endeavouring to manage my expectations with the above. I was there at the first run in 2005. John Tomlinson was fine, but Treleaven was nowhere near passable and Lisa Gasteen, highly thought of at the time, had lost her top and has not performed since, so far as I can see.

None of those mentioned in despatches come close to the top crew of the 1930s - Leider, Melchior and Schorr. Unsurpassed IMO.

[Richard Tarleton]

I was at the 2nd cycle, beginning (I think) on the 8th.

I thought Terfel's voice had coarsened, as had his acting: I have never been over-impressed with any of his Wagnerian assumptions, but he seems to have gone from crooning this role (as he did at the Proms in 2005) to bellowing it. He came in too early at one point in Rheingold, too (it was VERY noticeable). Oh, well - at least there were no Welsh sporting victories, so we were spared the dragon flag at the curtain call. ....

Mandryka, like you I was not a fan. but was favourably impressed. We heard different cycles so we're not commenting on the same performances...

posted by Verismissimo I was endeavouring to manage my expectations with the above. I was there at the first run in 2005. John Tomlinson was fine, but Treleaven was nowhere near passable and Lisa Gasteen, highly thought of at the time, had lost her top and has not performed since, so far as I can see.

None of those mentioned in despatches come close to the top crew of the 1930s - Leider, Melchior and Schorr. Unsurpassed IMO.

At the ROH you only need to go back to the mid '90s for a fine Siegfried and 2 fine Brunnhildes who could deliver over the distance - Jerusalem, Evans, Polaski...OK maybe nowhere near the greats of the early 20th century....

[Mandryka]

I was endeavouring to manage my expectations with the above. I was there at the first run in 2005. John Tomlinson was fine, but Treleaven was nowhere near passable and Lisa Gasteen, highly thought of at the time, had lost her top and has not performed since, so far as I can see.

None of those mentioned in despatches come close to the top crew of the 1930s - Leider, Melchior and Schorr. Unsurpassed IMO.

Shortly after the 2007 ROH Ring cycle, Lisa Gasteen began to suffer from vocal problems. Sadly, she has not sung since 2008.