Prom 20 - 28.07.13: Wagner – Götterdämmerung

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

4.30pm – c. 10.15pm
Royal Albert Hall

Wagner
Götterdämmerung (259 mins)
(concert performance; sung in German)

Nina Stemme soprano (Brünnhilde)
Ian Storey tenor, Proms debut artist (Siegfried)
Mikhail Petrenko bass (Hagen)
Gerd Grochowski baritone (Gunther)
Anna Samuil soprano (Guntrune/ Third Norn)
Johannes Martin Kränzle baritone (Alberich)
Waltraud Meier mezzo-soprano (Waltraute/ Second Norn)
Margarita Nekrasova mezzo-soprano, Proms debut artist (First Norn)
Aga Mikolaj soprano (Woglinde)
Maria Gortsevskaya mezzo-soprano (Wellgunde)
Anna Lapkovskaja mezzo-soprano, Proms debut artist (Flosshilde)
Royal Opera Chorus
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim conductor

The final leg of Daniel Barenboim's Ring Cycle with the Staatskapelle Berlin - the first ever complete cycle at the BBC Proms. And it's not a happy ending: Götterdämmerung - The Twilight of the Gods - is the darkest of the four operas. The ecstatic love of Siegfried and Brunnhilde, celebrated at the end of the previous opera, is under threat from the plotting of the cunning Hagen. As the son of Alberich who created the all-powerful golden Ring, Hagen's single purpose is to regain the Ring at all costs. Soon Siegfried's fate is sealed: can Brunnhilde save the world's?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In my opinion, Act 3 of Götterdämmerung is one of the pinnacles of all musical achievement. Every time I hear it, this view is confirmed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

In my opinion, Act 3 of Götterdämmerung is one of the pinnacles of all musical achievement. Every time I hear it, this view is confirmed.

[Petrushka]

In my opinion, Act 3 of Götterdämmerung is one of the pinnacles of all musical achievement. Every time I hear it, this view is confirmed.

Act 2 is edge of the seat stuff as well no matter how many times you've heard it. I shall be in the hall for this and am greatly looking forward to it, particularly to hearing Nina Stemme.

[ucanseetheend]

I will be there in arena. hope the queue isnt too long next Sunday. I was there the last time gotterdammarung was done with BBCSO /Don Runnicles. Always remember John Tomlinsons face getting very red, Cant remember the year someone remind me.

[ARBurton]

12th August 2007!

[Petrushka]

Looks like the advertised Siegfried has withdrawn and his place taken by Andreas Schager.

[Black Swan]

In my opinion, Act 3 of Götterdämmerung is one of the pinnacles of all musical achievement. Every time I hear it, this view is confirmed.

I totally agree. It is one of if not my favorite scene from all Opera.

J

[David-G]

I have not been able to get to any of the previous parts of the Ring, but I am contemplating trying to come on Sunday. Any suggestions as to when I should aim to arrive in the queue so as to be able to get a reasonably good Arena place?

[Black Swan]

Just started. Even on the radio the music is glorious. Heard a bit of clanger from the trumpet in Siegfried's Rhine Journey but the rest is fantastic.

[slarty]

Andreas Schager is a good replacement for Ian Storey. He it was who stood in for Lance Ryan in Berlin last April in Siegfried at the last minute when Ryan did not turn up.
He sang from the side of the stage while an assistant stage manager, dressed as Siegfried, went through the motions on stage. Ryan turned up during the interval and Schager hurried over to the Phiharmonie where he was just in time to take part in Simon Rattle's Zauberflöte as the scheduled First Armed Man.
His singing was better than Ryan's, who you will know from the Siegfried Prom thread, I don't much care for.
Excellent beginning with three very good Norns (Waltraud Meier is quite a luxury to have as the 2nd norn) and an excellent "Zu neuen taten..." from Stemme/Schager.
........

[RobertLeDiable]

I think that was possibly the most beautiful rendering of the Norns' scene I have heard.

[Black Swan]

I agree the Norns were fantastic. I am waiting for the Waltraute/Brunhilde duet. What can one say about Waltraud Meier, she is fantastic and I am very impressed with Nina Stemme.

[Bert Coules]

Well, someone (possibly the leader of the orchestra) seems to have put a bomb under Barenboim and threatened to light the fuse unless he perked things up a bit. There was still some of the the usual smoothing out and pulling back from the really big moments and far too many over-calculated sudden volume changes from the singers, but that act was the first time I've felt at all engaged by the drama.

[grandchant]

Getting better all the time...

We're now into Act 2 and it's surpassing act 1 which was superb in itself. At this rate I'll be a complete emotional wreck by the end. Barenboim goes from strength to strength.