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LA Opera: Wagner's Die Walkure (Monika Rittershaus)
The LA Opera’s landmark production of Richard Wagner's four-part cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen, continues with Die Walküre. The fantastical production by the German director Achim Freyer is matched by a stellar cast that includes the 69-year-old tenor Placido Domingo as Siegmund and the radiant German soprano Anja Kampe as Sieglinde.
As Wagner's epic continues, Wotan, king of the gods, hopes that his mortal son Siegmund might help him regain the ring. But Siegmund's adulterous and incestuous love for his twin sister Sieglinde infuriates Fricka, goddess of marriage. Brünnhilde (the titular Valkyrie, one of Wotan's divine warrior maiden daughters) attempts to protect Siegmund, but her bold disobedience leads to a terrible punishment.
The performance will be sung in German and will run approximately five hours.
The Cast:
Siegmund: Plácido Domingo
Sieglinde - Anja Kampe
Brünnhilde - Linda Watson
Wotan - Vitalij Kowaljow
Hunding - Eric Halfvarson
Fricka - Michelle DeYoung
Gerhilde - Ellie Dehn
Helmwige - Susan Foster
Waltraute - Erica Brookhyser
Schwertleite - Ronnita Nicole Miller
Ortlinde - Melissa Citro
Siegrune - Buffy Baggott
Grimgerde - Jane Gilbert
Rossweisse - Margaret Thompson
Conductor: James Conlon
LA Opera Orchestra
Comments [5]
Alas I'm a bel canto man,
Avoid Wagner whene'er I can,
While the Ring is in play,
I am staying away,
Rossini is my coq au vin.
What a treat to hear a performance of Die Walkure where the Wotan has a sonorous noble beautiful voice with no high pitch problems and no rough, unfocussed singing ,even to the end of this long, tough role. Vitalij Kowaljow is a GREAT singer. The legendary "Met" Opera heldenbaritone Friedrich Schorr had a voice of rich timbre, but had trouble with his highest notes throughout his career. Linda Watson is one of a kind, a wonder woman, whose singing voice is solid, full and dead center on pitch with sumptuous tones. Her stamina is stunning. Michelle De Young as Fricka is everything vocally and dramatically one could wish for in the role. Placido Domingo's voice became fuller and more on focus, vocally and in his German, in the second act, where he excelled. Anja Kampe has a beautiful voice, used well, and only when it came to the "Redemption through Love" motive "O hehrstes Wunder! Herrrlichste Maid!" did she lack the ideal thrust and power to make this most ecstatic moment of Die Walkure the thrilling experience it CAN be. James Conlon conducted with authority and evident LOVE of the MUSIC and its STORY! A triumph for LA Opera!
Remarkable performance under Conlan. Has a different flavor from the Met's version (and we are used to our own Wotan, James Morris, but even he is leaving that). Very pleased to have it on this afternoon.
Everything about Walkuere is fantastic, esp. Act II. The scene with Fricka and Wotan is masterfully composed. The scene with Wotan and Brunnhilde is the most heart wrenching part of the entire Ring. The old cliches about Act II are simply that, old cliches.
Great start, wonderful finish but oh what a middle. Nagging wife, two hours of Brunhilde questioning Wotan about his earthly children. First act ends with Sigmund and Siglinde eloping, Sigmund sings "Spring with gentle weapons conquers the world".Last act, Wotan takes Brunhilde's godhood away and condemns her at first to be a housewife, worst punishment he could think of. Sisters run off screaming Woe, Woe. Wotan relents and encircles her with fire awaiting Siegfried.
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