Originally posted by slarty
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I thought the role was totally beyond him - the voice seems very strained and most unpleasant especially in last act but it seems I might be alone in this judgement -
I was unable to catch the live broadcast so have recorded it for the future and am disappointed at the comments I've read about Lance Ryan. He's sung the role with Barenboim in Berlin to good reviews, though he famously turned up late for one performance whereupon his place was taken by Andreas Schager - the Gotterdammerung Siegfried in Sunday's Prom.
Was Lance Ryan really so bad?"The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard HaitinkComment
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Not in my view, though I can see why some were put out by his sometimes effortful approximation. I think he communicated the character of Siegfried well. He's a raw youth, so surely it's about more than just hitting his notes perfectly.Originally posted by Petrushka View PostComment
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No, he was OK. Vibrato a bit too wide at times, and the voice tends to be quite hard-edged in fortissimos (slightly reminiscent of Vickers, actually), but that's common with Wagner tenors. Nina Stemme is the best Brunnhilde out there, but her vibrato was fairly strong under pressure tonight as well. The third act is my least favourite part of the opera but it was pretty exciting.Originally posted by Petrushka View PostComment
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Ryan sounded a touch unpitched at times, but compensated to a degree by getting the point of the role across as noted above. Probably sounded a lot harsher on the ear on the relay, as so often. I think Stemme briefly lost her place at one point again, but once more, little harm done to the live experience.
No expense spared, clearly, with Stefan Dohr (principal horn of the Berlin Phil) taking the horn solo, and as principal horn in the orchestra in at least act III.
Conspicuous rapprochement between Barenboim and co-leader (genuine, hopefully) after Tuesday. Temperamental artistes eh?Comment
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The best singing came from Martin Kranzle and Stemme. Stensvold looked like a bank manager, and sounded about as charismatic as one. Ryan was adequate but compensated through having a good stage presence. Bronder was inadequate, adopting a bizarre stance throughout which brought to mind... well better left unsaid!
Siegfried is the hardest of the tetralogy to bring off, and this was not a total success. The first act fluctuated in tempo and dynamic without any reason I could discern, but thereafter the trajectory became surer and more compelling. Act 3 should be ecstatic, and it was, even Ryan turned up a notch for the final duet. The journey through the fires surrounding Brunhilde's rock to the rarefied heights was beautifully played.
Barenboim does seem to take an act to get going, but once he is there it is very fine Wagner playing. Good brass section throughout and wonderful woodwind in act 2.Comment
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Wonder how the principal horn of the Staatskapelle felt about this?Originally posted by Simon B View Post"The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard HaitinkComment
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Relieved, probably! I think what happened was that he played principal in acts I and II, then Dohr played the solos (as an "onstage" cameo - you had to be there!) and then gave the principal a break by taking over for act III. Pragmatic probably given the endurance test presumably involved in doing a complete Ring...Comment
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Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
Don’t cry for me
I go where music was born
J S Bach 1685-1750Comment
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Presumably she knows enough about a broad range of music to fulfill the role of Radio 3 presenter adequately. I think in her blog she explains that she isn't unfamiliar with Wagner - she's heard some of his other works - & it's just the Ring she hasn't got to grips with, for a number of reasons. In which case I think she's actually quite a good presenter for a series of programmes in which other people who do know about the Ring discuss it.Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostComment
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I'm afraid that his voice has been irrevocably harmed by singing these role too often in the open throated style. His singing technique is deficient for this kind of role.Originally posted by Petrushka View Post
Almost all singers in this fach have learned how to cover the voice to be able to deal with the outrageous demands on the voice, especially in this role. Otherwise the voice goes very quickly. A good example of a singer who did not learn was Peter Hofmann, and his career as an opera singer was over very quickly.
A good example of a singer who has adapted his technique successfully to deal with the demands of the heavy wagner roles is Bryn Terfel. His voice was a beautiful lyric baritone with a good middle register. Now he sings in the Bass-baritone world of Wotan/Sachs ect, and the demands on the voice and vocal stamina are enormous.
The main reason that Siegfried, the opera is so difficult to perform is the lack of singers who can perform the title role. It is probably the toughest tenor role in all opera.
I fear Mr Ryan is only going to get worse, especially as he is singing it again on monday at Bayreuth, followed by the Götterdämmerung Siegfried next wednesday.
I am sorry to say that these days there are so few decent singers who can handle this role, that we invariably accept the like of what was on offer last night.
Mati Turi who recently sang it with ENO North or Jay Hunter Morris, who sang it recently at the MET are two who can at the moment get through the role with a degree of safety to our ears.
I don't ever remember such a mismatch in the final scene as last night. It is a cruel destiny anyway for the tenor to finally awake Brünnhilde with his voice in tatters and she ready and rested. There have been very few in the history of Wagner singing who could bring it off. Especially when the awakened Brünnhilde was Flagstad, Varnay or Nilsson.
However, Melchior, Windgassen and Hopf did the impossible,and in more recent years only Jean Cox,Siegfried Jerusalem and Reiner Goldberg have been able to do any justice to this role.
As for the comment about "Ploddenboim" , a little research would show that Barenboim's tempo for Act 1 last night brought it in, in just under 78 minutes. Only Keilberth, Böhm and Sawallisch can match that. Solti, Karajan, Kempe and Haitink are much slower. In fact all three acts would quite easily fit onto single CDs - this is normally the sign for a fast performance. So PLODDING it certainly is not. I have absolutely no problem with anyone liking or not liking anyone or anything, but it is very unfair to give false and misleading judgements about things, especially to the less experienced among us.Comment
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I commented on the 'Walkure' thread on the shortness of the intervals - only 20 minutes rather than the 30 - 40 minutes common in the opera house. I know that Siegfried can rest during the Wotan/Erda scene, but last night his appearance on stage came quite quickly after the end of Act 2. Is it better for the singer to have a longish rest, or does it allow the voice to 'cool down' too much, meaning that he has to work more at warming up before he appears in Act 3?Comment
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With comings and goings I managed to hear relatively little of Siegfried but what I heard sounded absolutely magnificent with soloists, conductor and orchestra bringing the score (what a score - Fafner awakening was astonishing) to vivid life. The sound on R3 - admittedly heard over the car radio - bowled me over.
How anyone can doubt Barenboim as a Wagner conductor of the first rank is beyond me.Comment
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or the terms and conditions of the Wonga site !Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
I went to the pre Prom talk and it was far better than the previous two - SMP has said basically the same at all the talks ie she has heard a lot of the ring but never a complete cycle.Comment
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Normal opera house procedures are to have a short(30m) and a longer interval.(45m)Originally posted by Flosshilde View Post
Festival opera performances will have intervals of an hour each.
E.G. This afternoon's performance of Die Walküre from Bayreuth will begin at 16:00. finishing approximately at 22:00.
The Proms intervals are a little on the short side for Wagner.
Some singers need longer than others to recover from the strains of a heavy Wagner Act.
Most will vocalise a little in their dressing rooms before each act, however the length of intervals.
When Windgassen sang Siegfried or Tristan, he refused to speak at all after the performance until the next morning.
He managed his voice so well, that he sounded virtually as good at 60 as he did at 30. He sang every major Wagner role with success.Comment
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