Met Siegfried 20th April 2013

[Bert Coules]

Anyone else listening? It's a bit variable so far for me, with Gerhard Siegel's distinctly approximate Mime the low point and Jay Hunter Morris's intelligent and often introspective Siegfried the high. Was Mark Delavan the Wotan in Rheingold this cycle? he's pretty good I thought, nicely commanding if maybe just a touch unvaried. But as I've said before here, I admire (and envy!) anyone who can perform these roles at all.

I haven't heard the infamous Machine making its presence felt, but perversely I would have liked more noise from the stage: the sword-forging was a remarkably quiet and low-key affair and the climactic anvil-cleave hardly registered at all.

Incidentally, following the chat about the previous Covent Garden Ring over in the Walküre thread, I've posted a couple of pictures there from the programme.

Bert

[DracoM]

Well, Bert, I have to say I truly was NOT impressed by Siegfried, except insofar as he sounds like a repellent, swaggering adolescent - yes, as he is supposed to be. BUT that voice would sub for a metal-cutter in a breaker's yard. Much of the time almost indistinguishable from as you say a slightly dodgy Mime. Band in very good nick - was it a bit slower than we're used to these days?

One query: where are the mics for this production, because during the Notung forging scene, Siegfried seems to be practically on top of one, and the orchestra somewhere down on Ellis Island. Odd.

[Bert Coules]

I wonder if my impression of Hunter is coloured by having seen him in the part? He was outstandingly good, I thought, especially in the production's very first outing. At the very least you have to admit that he's true to the text and the notes, unlike Siegel's Mime who adlibbed one line completely and shouted a lot of the rest.

Bert

[DracoM]

Totally agree about Mime. Having a distinctly off day.
Like you, am impressed by Wotan. He was pretty good in Die Walkure as well, I recall.

[Bert Coules]

Interesting that in this highest of high-tech Rings there seems to have been scant effort made to colour Fafner's voice. In sound alone he could be just another character standing alongside Wotan and Alberich.

Bert

[Tapiola]

Mimes are usually dodgy, though I have to admit that this one sounds vocally ok to me, ad libs notwithstanding. It's Siegfried who is making me wince - especially in the (first) Forging Song - too little power and sounding very effortful. I do agree about the quality of the orchestra though.

[Bert Coules]

too little power and sounding very effortful.

But Siegfried is pushing himself to a level, both physical and emotional, that he's never attempted, let alone attained, before. It shouldn't sound easy.

Bert

[Tapiola]

But Siegfried is pushing himself to a level, both physical and emotional, that he's never attempted, let alone attained, before. It shouldn't sound easy.

Bert

I take your point, Bert, and I find it hard to disagree with this: perhaps my ears are too accustomed to the likes of Windgassen, who sounds so effortless and secure at this point, despite the difficulty of the part. Admittedly, there's no-one around today to compare...

[Resurrection Man]

But Siegfried is pushing himself to a level, both physical and emotional, that he's never attempted, let alone attained, before. It shouldn't sound easy.

Bert

I'm with Tapiola on this. I find this Siegfried very disappointing and lack lustre. I have quite a few Rings on CD and have seen the cycle live and all the Siegfried's have much more 'heft' to their voice which suits the character IMO. Murray does not.

[Flosshilde]

I missed Act 1. I'd agree with the comment above about Fafner; no feeling of the wurm being annoyed at being woken up - a bit too matter-of-fact. The end of the act is always glorious - that headlong rush of joy & excitement. Ruined, of course, by the Met audience. I might give the end of Act 3 a miss - couldn't bear to hear Voigt

[Flosshilde]

Decided to listen so far; Siegfried's voice does seem to be holding up well (whether one likes it or not is another matter )

[Bert Coules]

I just spoke to a singer friend who knows the Ring very well but unlike me didn't see Hunter Morris in the cinema relay. She's finding him decent but a shade bland and lacking in character: "He's not acting with his voice very much" was her comment. I still think he's doing fine, and I don't find his sound at all unpleasant. He might not be ideal in the part but who these days is? I agree with my friend's other comment: "I've heard far, far worse".

Bert

[DracoM]

Voigt is excruciating. All over the place, inaccurate, breaking up lines by odd breathing, and she doesn't have the notes. And we've got her Brunnhillde to look forward to in Gotterdammerung as well. Sorry, but she and Hunter are almost a parody. His voice is now quietly fraying, and hers has gone.

[Tapiola]

Voigt is excruciating. All over the place, inaccurate, breaking up lines by odd breathing, and she doesn't have the notes. And we've got her Brunnhillde to look forward to in Gotterdammerung as well. Sorry, but she and Hunter are almost a parody. His voice is now quietly fraying, and hers has gone.

I'm sorry but I have to agree with this. I'm on the edge of my seat here, but for the wrong reasons.

[Tapiola]

I just spoke to a singer friend who knows the Ring very well but unlike me didn't see Hunter in the cinema relay. She's finding him decent but a shade bland and lacking in character: "He's not acting with his voice very much" was her comment. I still think he's doing fine, and I don't find his sound at all unpleasant. He might not be ideal in the part but who these days is? I agree with my friend's other comment: "I've heard far, far worse".

Bert

To be fair, I have also heard worse. But this is not pretty...