I'm coming out of blogger hiatus for a quick post. I should be packing for my flight to California that leaves in 5 hours and catching some sleep, but I'm on too much of a high to focus on that.
This evening I spent five glorious hours at the opera house. I know what you're thinking, "who puts five hours at the opera house and glorious in the same sentence?" I do...after hearing Washington National Opera's concert performance of Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung. The concertized opera featured Swedish soprano Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde (whom I mildly have a girl crush on, but that's a story for another day), American tenor Jon Fredric West as Siegfried, Israeli bass-baritone Gidon Saks as Hagen, and American baritone Gordon Hawkins (sporting a cam-walker boot and cane) as Alberich. They were all STELLAR! as was the orchestra led by Philippe Auguin.
This was my first foray into Wagner. A couple months ago, I would have told you it would take me years before I even considered listening to one of his operas. They're long, intense, and if the music doesn't hit you right, it can seem too harsh to really enjoy. But things just fell into place and I actually was excited to attend the performance. Obviously for me the main draw was Theorin. I'm normally not drawn to dramatic or heavier voices, but something just clicked for me while I've watched her performances in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. It was a voice I wanted to hear more of, and since I had seen Ariadne seven times, I needed something different. And Wagner was my only option. I also had a chance to speak to one of WNO's stage managers who had grown up listening to the Ring. It was something that she totally "got" and I don't know how she did it, but she was able to convey that to me in a way that really piqued my interest.
Aside from knowing the basic synopsis, I really had no idea what to expect, but I did know that Götterdämmerung was the conclusion of Wagner's four part Der Ring des Nibelungen, an epic saga very similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. So here's the gist, Brünnhilde and Siegfried are married, and as a token of his love, Siegfried has given the powerful ring to Brünnhilde. Well Hagen wants that ring. So he crafts a plan to have Gutrune slip Siegfried a potion that will make him fall in love with her. Then Siegfried will woo Brünnhilde on behalf of Gunther and Hagen will then try and snag the ring. As in most cases, things don't go as planned. For one, Brünnhilde is a feisty and skeptical broad and doesn't buy in to the whole thing. Words are exchanged and Siegfried is eventually killed by Hagen. Brünnhilde finds out that Siegfried was given a potion and realizes that he really did love her. So she gets the ring back and jumps into Siegfried's funeral pyre with her magical flying horse. They are reunited in death, the ring is given back to the Rhinemaidens and all is good. End scene!
So the music. It really is intense, but in a good way. It's hard not to get swept up in it. The music tells a story and it's so very visual. I don't know if that makes sense, but it really paints a picture. Different themes (or lietmotifs) are used for the different characters, and it's really cool to be able to recognize that and pick out the lietmotifs that go with the characters. Wagner was certainly a genius when it came to composing. And maestro Auguin had a great command of WNO's orchestra. I normally can't tell the difference between good and great, but these guys were on their game tonight.
Oh and the singers!!! They have this beautiful music dripping with such dramatic intensity from start to finish and they just sing the holy hell out of it. There were some areas that lulled in comparison to others, but I was just so captivated by what these artists were giving me. The entire cast gave a great performance. Standouts were Gidon as Hagen and Gordon as Alberich. I also enjoyed Bernadette Flaitz as Gutrune (though she looks a little tense on stage)and Betsy Bishop as Waltraute (girl can strut in her fabulous red gown!).
And Iréne!!! My God the woman can belt! I thought she was great in Ariadne, but she totally kicks ass as Brünnhilde. She has such command of the role and she completely lets loose on those notes. She's loud, but in control. It's never an abrasive or unattractive sound - just a really loud, powerful, intense quality. She was absolutely beautiful in a black sparkly dress. One of my friends that I saw the show with commented that it looked a little like armor in the sense that it glistened and had a silvery-ness to it. But boy was she sparkly! Her character basically gets the last hurrah in the opera (and the Cycle for that matter). Called the Immolation Scene, Iréne stood solo on stage in front of a cloudy gray backdrop, a spotlight shining on her, and basically takes charge of things. She orders the pyre for Siegfried's funeral, tells the Rheinmaidens what to do with the ring, and just sets everything right. Iréne's interpretation of the Immolation scene was intense. Since she's the only one on stage, you're obviously going to be drawn to her. But she has such a magnetizing stage presence that it becomes a very intent focus. I wish you could all experience what I did! She pulled me in and by the time she was calling for peace from the gods, the tears had begun to well up. The music and the singing, it was just so impassioned. I have never heard a voice quite like that before - I sat in my chair trembling with tears streaming down my face. I completely connected with Wagner's opera and Theorin's performance (and I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it). After Theorin finished the Immolation scene, she stood completely still as the orchestra played out and the curtain finally came down.
The audience response was none that I have ever heard in an opera house before. Fans of Wagner know their stuff, and they know when something is good and when something is spectacular. I am not exaggerating - the crowd popped to their feet as soon as the curtain went down. Iréne came out, and she was showered with cheers and applause - honestly, the longest solo bow I've ever experienced, and it was completely well deserved. The rest of the cast each got their due, and the entire company was bathed in lavish applause. This is totally what opera is about and why I'm in love with the art form. It's a performance like this, when the artists give their absolute all and everyone is just on, that makes for those memorable evening that just sticks with you. It's why I come back. It's why I sit for five hours in a dark opera house, so that I can be moved to tears. It's why I'll be going back next Sunday for round two.
I must say that the "production" also worked. This wasn't just a stand and sing concert performance. The gray backdrop added an appropriate mood to the atmosphere and the artists interacted with each other instead of just standing still. It didn't matter to me that this wasn't an actual staged opera. The drama was there in the singing. I think it also allowed the artists to really focus on the music and not be hindered by any staging or costumes.
So that was my first Wagner experience. I'm pretty sure I'm hooked.
You think about the events that get you from one place to the other, and how it can be one performance or one voice that brings you to the next. If I had never heard Iréne sing, I think it would have taken me much longer to realize the beauty of Wagner and really understand its awesomeness. So I guess this is my "thank you" to Iréne. And if you're in DC on November 15th, go see Götterdämmerung! It's awesome! And Iréne Theorin is balls to the wall Ah-MAZING!!!
Iréne Theorin (as Ariadne) and Me!
8) This is one of the few (maybe even the only) operas featuring a saxophone. In addition, the orchestra as a whole sounded in tip-top shape. Major shout out to the horns and brass section for some excellent work.
And the number one reason to see Washington National Opera’s production of Thomas’ Hamlet (drum roll please……)
If you’re in DC, get over to the Kennedy Center to see this opera. Despite earlier casting woes, WNO has pulled together a solid group of singers. Don’t ask yourself “to see or not to see.” Do yourself a favor and just go. You might see me back for a round two viewing.
