Patrice Chereau, 1944-2013

[Mr Pee]

Patrice Chereau, director of the ground- breaking Bayreuth Centenary Ring Cycle, passed away on the 8th October 2013:-

http://www.theartsdesk.com/film/patrice-chereau-1944-2013-partial-view

That production is one that has still to be surpassed, and should serve as a lesson to many directors today, where gimmickry, controversy and flashy effects often seem more important than insight.

[Zucchini]

I've rarely been so moved as by Jones & McIntyre in Walkure Act 3 - even through a TV screen.

[slarty]

Patrice Chereau, director of the ground- breaking Bayreuth Centenary Ring Cycle, passed away on the 8th October 2013:-

http://www.theartsdesk.com/film/patrice-chereau-1944-2013-partial-view

That production is one that has still to be surpassed, and should serve as a lesson to many directors today, where gimmickry, controversy and flashy effects often seem more important than insight.

I'm afraid that the Chereau Ring was criticised at the time for all the above and almost ended the reign of Wolfgang Wagner. However they thankfully survived and refined the productions over 4 years ultimately to be filmed.
As for never being surpassed, I have to disagree, the then concurrent Ring at CG directed by Götz Friedrich was just as great if not better. I saw them both at the time.

But the later Küpfer Ring under Barenboim topped the lot.
I also thought that his later Tristan production in Milan was also tremendous. As was his movie "La Reine Margot".

RIP Patrice.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That production is one that has still to be surpassed, and should serve as a lesson to many directors today, where gimmickry, controversy and flashy effects often seem more important than insight.

I've rarely been so moved as by Jones & McIntyre in Walkure Act 3 - even through a TV screen.

One of the finest minds working in the world of Opera in my lifetime - this Ring Cycle and the complete Lulu were seminal in my own attitude to the genre. Many Thanks and RIP, M Chereau

[slarty]

One of the finest minds working in the world of Opera in my lifetime - this Ring Cycle and the complete Lulu were seminal in my own attitude to the genre. Many Thanks and RIP, M Chereau

Absolutely Fernie - the Lulu was tremendous - I was always disappointed that no VHS or DVD issue of the performance was ever issued.
It could only have been a contractual problem with all the,then, different recording companies involved.
Nothing to stop them now.
It would still look good today.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I never liked that attention-seeking Ring cycle. I like HIPP productions that reflect Wagner's intentions. Chereau's was frankly ridiculous in my opinion. Kollo was good though.

[gurnemanz]

I don't know the Chéreau Ring and might now be impelled to get the DVDs. It seems to me looking back that it is not such a world-shattering idea to set the operas explicitly in the political and social context which Wagner knew and was writing about. Joachim Herz had already done something similar in Leipzig a few years before. This was my first and to date only complete live Ring Cycle and it bowled me over at the time.