Prom 14 - 22.07.13: Wagner – Das Rheingold

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

7.00pm – c. 9.55pm
Royal Albert Hall

Wagner
Das Rheingold (160 mins)
(concert performance; sung in German)

Iain Paterson baritone (Wotan)
Stephan Rügamer tenor (Loge)
Jan Buchwald baritone, Proms debut artist (Donner)
Marius Vlad tenor, Proms debut artist (Froh)
Ekaterina Gubanova mezzo-soprano (Fricka)
Anna Samuil soprano (Freia)
Anna Larsson mezzo-soprano (Erda)
Johannes Martin Kränzle baritone (Alberich)
Peter Bronder tenor (Mime)
Eric Halfvarson bass (Fafner)
Aga Mikolaj soprano (Woglinde)
Maria Gortsevskaya mezzo-soprano (Wellgunde)
Anna Lapkovskaja mezzo-soprano, Proms debut artist (Flosshilde)
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim conductor

The first opera in Wagner's Ring cycle, Das Rheingold, introduces us to mythical stories of sword-wielding heroes, castles, magic potions and scheming dwarves, and the central corrupting influence of the all-powerful ring, guarded by the cruel water-sprites, otherwise known as the Rhinemaidens. A lecherous Nibelung dwarf called Alberich seizes the gold and heads to Nibelheim where he builds an empire based on fear and slave labour. We also meet Wotan the chief god in his castle Valhalla, and who when he hears of the all-powerful ring, decides he wants it for himself. Das Rheingold is performed by Staatskapelle Berlin and a stellar cast from both Barenboim's Berlin and Milan ring cycles. This is the first ever performance of Wagner's four Ring cycle operas in a single Proms Festival.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No interval of course. I hope long sessions don't cause ... er... personal problems for the musicians.

[Flosshilde]

I'd be more worried about the audience - but there's always the fountain in the middle.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

7.00pm – c. 9.55pm
Royal Albert Hall

Wagner
Das Rheingold (160 mins)
(concert performance; sung in German)

I'm not sure which I find most disconcerting, a Rheingold lasting 160 minutes (when Böhm takes under 140 mins) or the BBC's assertion that a 160' performance, starting at 7pm, will finish around 9:55pm.

[VodkaDilc]

I'd be more worried about the audience - but there's always the fountain in the middle.

Hasn't the fountain disappeared?

[Flosshilde]

Oh dear.

[Prommer]

I am only catching the Valkyrie as that seems best cast... Terfel, Stemme, Kampe and O'Neill...

[Petrushka]

No interval of course. I hope long sessions don't cause ... er... personal problems for the musicians.

I recall reading somewhere that Georg Solti was aware of this problem and ensured he went before the performance began. Remembering this comment I made sure I did the same before the Rattle Rheingold 10 years ago (can it really be that long ago?).

[ARBurton]

Technically not quite - Proms 2004!

[Zucchini]

How long will it take 3,000 women to, er, powder their noses after the performance?

[Flosshilde]

No interval of course. I hope long sessions don't cause ... er... personal problems for the musicians.

I don't know why a Proms performance should present any more difficulties than a regular theatrical one

Actually, the Prologue & first act of Gotterdammerung can be as long, if not longer, so watch out for further 'personal problems' a few days ahead

[Bert Coules]

I just tuned in to sample this. Is it just me, or is it being transmitted at an unusually low level, both on DAB and online?

[ARBurton]

I just tuned in to sample this. Is it just me, or is it being transmitted at an unusually low level, both on DAB and online?

I`ve noticed that often on R3 - I use Total Recorder as my recording program and often have to set it to 300%.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't know why a Proms performance should present any more difficulties than a regular theatrical one

It's much more difficult to creep off the stage in a concert performance. Players do sometimes abscond from the pit from time to time, and actors have ample opportunity to do the necessary.

[Bert Coules]

I missed the opening announcements tonight: was the performance semi-staged or did they just stand in a line and sing?

The bits I heard certainly sounded like the latter: it was just about the most bloodless, undramatic and uninvolving Rheingold I've ever heard. Mind you I've always been allergic to Barenboim, so whatever the staging I'd probably have felt the same.