There is this installation of small Wagner statues in the front lawn. A favorite spot for photos.
At the beginning of the opera, and at end of each intermission, a brass ensemble would come out to make an announcement. Many people seem to enjoy this ritual.
While my appreciation for the music grew, my reaction to the revised story line is now somewhere between indifference and disdain. The increased "incoherence" made it necessary to spend more of my (limited) mental bandwidth to try to map different things together.
The Synopsis from the Program Book has the following description of the Acts. Act I: the night following the events in Rheingold - "Hounds and wolves;" Act II: the next morning - "Our father's will;" Act III: an elegant waiting room - "Successions and resignations." Again, much of the new scenario does not match what the lyrics tell us. One can almost say not understanding German, and not having surtitles, are blessings in disguise as the words could be so incongruent with what we were to think was happening.
Sieglinde appears pregnant in Act I, which gets us out of the incest problem. However, the Program tells us it's not clear who the actual father is; that is again not supported by the lyrics. One can attribute Hunding's jealousy to his suspicions. This makes Siegmund - who is ready to accept the child as his own - a generous person, and Sieglinde a less sympathetic figure - perhaps Siegmund is just her latest fad. (To make up the ugliness in some way, in this production there is a scene that can be construed as Wotan attempting to violate a sleeping Sieglinde.) For the scene where the two recognize they are twins, two children are brought in; one could call that clever, or superfluous. I say too cute by half.
One of the moving episodes in this opera is the dialog between Brunnhilde and Siegmund. It begins with Brunnhilde telling Siegmund he is to be taken to Valhalla, and ends with Brunnhilde deciding to help Siegmund. In the new story line this encounter does not happen, nor is it written up in the Program Book. However, it is not easy not to invoke the scene in one's mind as the music unfolds. I suspect many in the audience appreciated the dialog, but that is despite the disconnect in the new story line.
During Act II, which shows the "atrium" of Wotan's house, there was this door to a greenhouse that showed the reflection of the conductor at her podium; she certainly was very intense in her movements. For Act III we have (I think) a beauty salon with a mirrored wall. At first I was worried if a cover conductor was at work (with a beard there is no mistaking him for Young). Then I realized the image I saw was the prompter's. He also worked very hard. As with my observation of Maazel conducting Walkure many years ago, the gestures were surprisingly detailed. Most players acknowledged him at curtain call, as did Young. I couldn't find the name(s) of the prompter(s) in the Program Book; an unsung hero.
Another climax in the original story is when Siegmund retrieves Notung from the ash tree. Indeed the Notung leitmotif is played many times in anticipation before that happens. It is not clear what Notung is, or if it's even a thing. These leitmotifs help a lot in figuring out what is happening, without a clear reference to an object, it simply becomes a theme that gets worked multiple times. Nothing wrong with that, but leitmotifs are a big part of Wagner's story-telling. So far (up through Siegfried) the Notung may be a pen knife, a pistol, or a sword hidden inside a crutch. And what's up with all these pistols being waved around?
In the new story there is a lighted pyramid that comes out every now and then, carried by one of the actors (Wotan being the first one). A reviewer mentions the power of such a device and expresses wonderment at its ability to capture the audience's attention. Let me say one can achieve the same effect with, say, a scarecrow. Bring out something incongruous, or nonsensical, of course people would remember.
Another effect, probably for its shock value, is Freia's coffin being shown at the beginning of Act II. She is the goddess of youth and gardening, and eating the apples she grows keeps the gods young. If she dies, there is no more eternal life, which opens a whole can of worms. (E.g., why Brunnhilde remains the same after decades of sleep.)
The eight Valkyries are first introduced as sisters who just had plastic surgery - yes, all eight of them. The arias talk of collecting heroes for Valhalla, and talks of Brunnhilde and Grane coming to meet them. Here they simply barge in on them.
One of the scenes audiences look forward to is how Brunnhilde is put to sleep and surrounded by fire. It was a real bummer that she just walks off the stage. (She would come back out in Siegfried.)
There is one technique that I appreciate, although one can't tell that from the acting. At the end of the opera, Wotan leaves Fricka (about time, many would say), puts on a hat, and becomes the wanderer we see in Siegfried. Of course the new story has to stretch to make sense of his departure from Valhalla. This will be "explained" in Gotterdammerung, not in a satisfactory way, that's my impression for now.
As Sieglinde was already pregnant, she gives birth to Siegfried during this opera. That brings the Siegfried leitmotif to reality, it also means Brunnhilde gets to see Siegfried before she is banished.
End of Act 1. Hunding (he wears a name tag for some reason), Sieglinde, and Siegmund. The two children are the twins when they were small.
End of Act 2. Hunding, Fricka, Wotan, Brunnhilde, Sieglinde, and Siegmund.
End of opera. Seven Valkyries, Wotan, Brunnhilde, Sieglinde, Fricka, and Grune (not a horse, but a personal assistant). The eighth Valkyrie was sung by Christa Mayer, who sang Fricka in the earlier parts of the story.
This time with Simone Young. But Fricka/Schwertleite is missing.
Both Anne and I feel "so far so good" after this second installment of the Ring Cycle. The music continued to sound great. All the principals sang well. I know little German, but it's quite clear Sieglinde has problems with her pronunciations, so I assume the Germans in the audience have trouble hearing the words also. Good thing we are all experts in Wagner operas, so a missed word here or there isn't a problem. (A joke, just in case there is any misunderstanding.)
Intermissions between the Acts are about one hour each, the performance started at 4 pm, so it was close to 10 pm when we left the theater.
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