The Ring of The Nibelung
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Cast
Photo by Keith Ian Polakoff
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By Michael Van Duzer
Like it or not, reduction is a key concept in live performance today. In the heyday of the Broadway musical, shows employed principals along with both a singing and a dancing chorus. The current revival of Sweeney Todd drastically reduces the size of the cast while handing them instruments so they can double as their own orchestra. Of course, this is an extreme case and apparently a successful concept, but many masterpieces are routinely cut and re-shaped to fit changing tastes and times. I doubt that many of us have ever seen a complete Hamlet on stage.
In the world of Grand Opera, cuts are often made to the material, but professional companies have remained largely immune to whole scale reductions in cast and orchestra size. This is especially true of the works of the Nineteenth Century composers that form the foundation of the modern operatic repertoire. And of those composers, the most protected is certainly Richard Wagner whose use of the orchestra revolutionized opera composition. And, the most sacrosanct work in Wagner’s career remains his four opera epic, Der Ring des Niebelungen.
Wagner spent nearly thirty years working on his Ring Cycle and wanted the tetralogy performed on successive nights. But the vocal demands (to say nothing of the physical ones) proved too great and, when performed together, the operas are generally given over a week’s time. Wagner devotees often travel around the world to see and debate new versions of the Ring Cycle.
Surely some of these stalwarts were on hand last weekend when Long Beach Opera (in conjunction with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh) unveiled their new version of the Ring. And, yes, this was a new version, not simply a new production. Wagner’s massive orchestra was whittled down to fewer than 30 members, and hours of music were cut from the operas in order to create a Ring Cycle that could be experienced in one marathon weekend. This abbreviated Ring was originally created by Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick for the Opera Company of Birmingham.
The intimate, thrust stage of the Center theatre proved a singularly felicitous choice of venue for this Ring, allowing the performers to relate to the audience with a startling immediacy. While the size of the orchestra and its placement behind the stage allowed singers who might not be able to project over a full-sized Wagner orchestra to fill the house with Andrew Porter’s English translation of the libretto.
Director Jonathan Eaton took his conceptual cue from the stripped-down nature of the affair and made decidedly low-tech, but theatrical, choices to achieve Wagner’s grand effects. Danila Korogodsky’s unit set was a similarly simple, blank canvas of a playing space with a skull chandelier hanging over the proceedings. Her costumes were mostly primitive with the occasional modern reference, as with the Rhinemaidens punk outfits or Wotan’s leather daddy duds in The Valkyrie.
Rhinegold proved a shaky start for the journey. Eaton’s vision seemed muddled and uncertain of whether to stage Wagner’s battling gods, giants, and dwarves in a realistic or strictly theatrical mode. But the human element entered with Valkyrie. and found his direction on much more secure footing. In fact, each successive opera surpassed the previous one in depth and emotional connection. Not an easy feat.
Even with cuts, Rod Nelman was unable to overcome Wotan’s tendency to bluster and was pretty much, as Anna Russell would say, a “crashing bore.” Jessie Raven’s Fricka managed to seem dignified despite some unfortunate costumes and her Waltraute in Twilight of the Gods sizzled. Nathan Bahny proved a gruff-sounding and not very compelling Alberich. Gary Lehman and Karen Driscoll were an impressive Siegmund and Sieglinde, singing with passionate conviction and reasonably clear diction. Driscoll returned as an able Gutrune. Eugene and Herbert Perry’s delineation of the warring giant brothers Fasolt and Fafner proved that they were more than stunt casting while Herbert came back as an edgily violent Hunding. John Duykers brought his wealth of experience to a beautifully realized Mime while Daniel Cafiero’s well enunciated Loge brought focus to Rhinegold.
Deidra Palmour Gorton brought the Valkyrie Brunhilde to vivid life, and her singing proved as fearless as her acting. The Siegfried/Twilight Brunhildes were taken on by Susan Hanson (who’d also played Freia). She sang with luminous intensity and made sense of the character’s journey from vengeful Valkyrie to a loving and forgiving woman. Dan Snyder’s clarion-voiced Siegfried rang through the hall seemingly without effort. If he couldn’t actually make the character likable, his careless virility brought Siegfried to life. Dean Elzinga brought an elegant sense of menace and probably the best diction of the Cycle to Hagen.
Artistic Director Andreas Mitisek and his orchestra made a decent showing, though it was obvious that more rehearsal would have cleaned up some messy moments. But the very fact that they were able to play for an entire weekend is a remarkable feat. Jonathan Dove’s orchestral scaling down is sensitive and brings out nuances that might be lost in the visceral power of a larger orchestra. Yet there are many times that one yearns for the full-bodied sound of a full string or brass section.
On balance, this abbreviated Ring Cycle works as its own special must-see event, and there is a second weekend in which to experience it: January 21 & 22. As with previous theatrical marathons like Nicholas Nickleby and Angels in America, the experience fosters a sense of camaraderie among the audience. So don’t be surprised if you make a few new friends at The Ring Cycle.
Center Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center; January 14 & 15 and 21 & 22
www.longbeachopera.org.
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