Met Die Walkure 13th April

[DracoM]

Sorry to start so early, but Simon O'Neill.............? Is it just my ear, or does he sound in a bit of trouble already. Seems not to have either top or bottom at the moment. Tone a bit thin and spiky. Has he got a cold?

And at the mo, being sung off the stage by Mirella Serafin.

[Stanley Stewart]

Yes, a pre-curtain announcement asked for audience indulgence as he was prepared to continue.

[DracoM]

Thanks I missed that - drat!! Many thanks.
Well, how he can get to the end of Die Walkure of all pieces with a voice in this nick, I do not know.

[DracoM]

Crikey!! They SWAPPED the Siegmund mid-Act!!!!!!

[Flosshilde]

They could do with swapping Brunhilde too


Just checked the cast list - it's Deborah Voigt

[DracoM]

I'm afraid Mme Voigt sounds a decent way past her best. Pretty shrill.
I do like the Wotan and Fricke. Right on top of the thing and this Wotan has all manner of nuances and a big voice too.

Let's see how Act 3 works out.

[Flosshilde]

In the interval interview (& try saying that after spending the supper interval in the bar!) she said that this would probably be her last Ring.

[Barbirollians]

I am afraid it was dire - I had to turn it off.

[Flosshilde]

Applause for the set (I assume that's what they are applauding)

[Flosshilde]

Whince!

Doesn't the Met have a tendency to hang on to 'old favourites', out of what could be called either sentiment or loyalty, rather beyond what might be reasonable?

[David-G]

They could do with swapping Brunhilde too

Just checked the cast list - it's Deborah Voigt

Just listening to Act 3. Her pitch seems very insecure, and very wobbly.

[Flosshilde]

I've switched off - enough of her croaking & squawking.

I remember going to a concert by the King's Consort & James Bowman. One realised that his voice was past its best, but he used it beautifully & with great expression; similarly with Ann Evans in what must have been one of her last opera performances, as Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos.

I think Deborah Voight is trying a performance too far. Her comment in the interview is telling; something along the lines of 'if you don't sing Wagner for a while you miss it & want to get back to it'.

[johnn10]

Agree -very unpleasant to listen to. All in all definitely not a performance to be preserved for posterity. But no doubt at the end our two presenters will be full of unconditional praise as per usual.

[Mr Pee]

I've been catching up with this cycle on Blu-Ray- just Gotterdamerung to go. Deborah Voigt comes across pretty well on that earlier set of performances. I must say that I think this is one of the most succesful Ring productions I've seen, notwithstanding its well reported technical breakdowns and the difficulties faced by the singers in safely getting around the set. There are some breathtaking stage and video effects, particularly in the second act of Siegfried, which has a 3D animated woodbird flitting about the stage.

Also in its favour is that it is extremely well cast from a physical point of view- the cast look right for their parts, which makes a pleasant change in Wagner- witness Botha's recent Parsifal.

I think that all these factors contribute to a cycle that uses modern technology very effectively to get pretty close to Wagner's almost impossible stage demands. And one is probably more inclined to ovelook less than perfect vocals if one is caught up in the production as a whole, which is why I rarely listen to live opera on the radio, particularly Wagner, which is vocally so demanding that the perfect performance of any of the major roles is an almost impossible ask. (Although I think Jonas Kaufmann comes pretty close as Siegmund on the DVD/Blu-Ray release.)

For those who have access, this cycle will be broadcast in May on Sky Arts 2.

[Belgrove]

Excellent Wotan.

Considering the fluctuating personnel this managed to pull the irons out of the fire.

It is an almost completely different cast to that which premiered this production, which was graced with Westbroek and Kaufmann as the twins, and these were great performances. Voigt let down the side in that, looking like a rabbit trapped in headlights.

Luisi's conducting is a puzzle. Last week it was slow, transparent and rather Italianate, this week faster, denser but still detailed. He has a greater sense of rubato in this than in Rheingold, which one needs in a long work. The orchestra played beautifully. Maybe beauty is Luisi's overall conception of The Ring, but that is only part of it.

For those who have access, this cycle will be broadcast in May on Sky Arts 2.

Thanks for the alert Mr Pee.