{"id":42555,"date":"2017-02-03T19:33:40","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T00:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=42555"},"modified":"2017-02-03T21:01:07","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T02:01:07","slug":"scrutiny-cocs-ring-journey-concludes-with-a-musically-sublime-gotterdammerung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2017\/02\/03\/scrutiny-cocs-ring-journey-concludes-with-a-musically-sublime-gotterdammerung\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | COC\u2019s Ring Journey Concludes With A Musically Sublime G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canadian Opera Company’s down to earth G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung honours the conclusion of Canada’s first and only Ring Cycle.<\/h3>\n
\"Christine
Christine Goerke as Br\u00fcnnhilde and Andreas Schager as Siegfried in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung, 2017. (Photo: Chris Hutcheson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Richard Wagner: G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung.\u00a0Johannes Debus (conductor),\u00a0Tim Albery (director). Runs Feb. 2\u201325 at the\u00a0Four Seasons Centre.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it was announced at the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s 2014-15 season launch that the Company was bringing back its production of the Ring Cycle that was the inaugural event of the Four Seasons Centre in 2006, there was a real cause for celebration. Certainly, the \u201cWagnerites,\u201d a term first coined by George Bernard Shaw as a label for Wagner opera devotees, were overjoyed. Unlike the typical Ring Cycle of four operas performed usually within six days, this revival did not include Das Rheingold<\/em>, and with the three operas performed over three seasons.<\/p>\n

The last installment, G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung,<\/em> opened last evening at the Four Seasons Centre. At five-plus hours including two intermissions, it\u2019s a bit of a marathon. Combined with a weeknight performance that starts at 6 p.m., it probably explained why there were some empty seats, which is a shame. No matter \u2014 those who managed to be there witnessed a remarkable musical performance. As a \u201cRing Veteran\u201d of many cycles, I would rate this G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung<\/em> as among the best musical performances I\u2019ve seen of this opera.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) Robert Pomakov as Alberich and Ain Anger as Hagen in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung, 2017 (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Without a doubt, the splendid cast deserves a lot of credit for the success of the premiere. It\u2019s always a bit unfair to compare current memory with something that happened a decade ago, but I am convinced that the cast of principals now are infinitely stronger than in 2006. Last evening, Brunnhilde was American soprano Christine Goerke<\/a>, partnered by the Siegfried of Austrian tenor Andreas Schager<\/a>. These roles are incredibly demanding, and the two artists totally lived up to expectations. This was Goerke\u2019s first-ever G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung<\/em> Brunnhilde, which she called \u201ca beast\u201d in Act 2. To express the anger in Brunnhilde, her music is sung with emotionally weighted tone. Goerke paced expertly and sang unflaggingly, with beauty and nuance. Dramatically, she embodied Brunnhilde movingly. It was an auspicious beginning to a role that will serve her well.<\/p>\n

Austrian tenor Andreas Schager brought bright, beautiful, ringing, smooth tone, with an very easy top. If memory serves, the mature Siegfried has three high C\u2019s \u2014 the end of Zu neuen Taten in the Prologue, a tricky one buried in a florid phrase in Act 2 which hardly anyone sings, and then a clarion, long-held one in Act 3. Schager matched Goerke perfectly in the first, ecstatic high C, and sang a splendid one in Act 3. His Siegfried is unusually youthful and full of energy. All in all, it was a remarkable performance.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) Martin Gantner as Gunther, Ain Anger as Hagen, Christine Goerke as Br\u00fcnnhilde, Andreas Schager as Siegfried and Ileana Montalbetti as Gutrune in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung, 2017. (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The third vocal standout of the evening was the Hagen of Estonian bass Ain Anger, whom I had the pleasure of hearing a few times, mostly recently as Cardinal Brogny (La Juive<\/em>) in Munich last July. What a voice! His dark, rather menacing sound reminds me so much of the great Matti Salminen, and it fits Hagen perfectly. Ten years ago, Mats Almgren was a terrific Hagen at the COC. Ain Anger matched and even surpassed him last evening. Scottish mezzo Karen Cargill was a superb Waltraute, singing the Narrative with gleaming tone, and dramatically she was a good match for Goerke.<\/p>\n

Martin Gantner (Gunther), doing double-duty as the Sprecher in Die Zauberfl<\/em>\u00f6te<\/em>, was an excellent Gunther, combining a beautiful, smooth baritone with a totally convincing portrayal. Canadian bass Robert Pomakov also made a strong impression in the brief role of Alberich. The Norns and Rhinemaidens were taken by a mix of Ensemble members and guest artists, including former Ensemble member Ileana Montalbetti returning as the Third Norn and Gutrune, singing with bright but edgy tone.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) Ain Anger as Hagen, Ileana Montalbetti as Gutrune, Andreas Schager as Siegfried and Martin Gantner as Gunther in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung, 2017. (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This was COC Music Director Johannes Debus\u2019s first G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung<\/em>, and he gave an incisive and exciting reading of this monumental work. One could say he didn\u2019t sufficiently hold down the orchestra, but it never did overwhelm the singers from where I was sitting. The Brass section had some minor glitches starting from the first note on, but not bad enough to detract from the balance. The augmented male chorus was amazingly good in an appropriately macho, testosterone-infused way, particularly in Act 2.<\/p>\n

If the musical side of things was superlative, the fly-in-the ointment was the production itself, and the accompanying stage direction.\u00a0 The Ring Cycle is fertile ground for all sorts of interpretations, from the rather literal, grandly realistic Met production (now retired) by Gunther Schneider-Siemssen to the abstract Wieland Wagner Ring to the very deconstructionist Ring by Frank Castorf, these last two from Bayreuth. I can accept \u2014 and enjoy \u2014 any re-imagining if it \u201cmakes sense\u201d. The COC Ring had four different directors, with four different points of view and different aesthetics. To me, arguably the most successful of the four is Francois Girard\u2019s Siegfried, while the Tim Albery\u2019s G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung<\/em> the least successful. It was rumoured that budget constraints led to a rather barebones approach in G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung \u2014<\/em>\u00a0fair enough.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r,
(l-r, foreground) Christine Goerke as Br\u00fcnnhilde, Andreas Schager as Siegfried and Ileana Montalbetti as Gutrune in the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s production of G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung, 2017. (Photo: Michael Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The aesthetics of this production is obviously modern, given the presence of computer monitors, contemporary Mad Men-style clothing, the overhead wires that snapped at the end of the Norn Scene. But is there a subtext that underscores this aesthetic? I looked and couldn\u2019t find any.\u00a0 The Ring can be interpreted as an allegory of struggle for power, at any time in human history, and any place in the world. Heavens know power struggles exist at any time, especially given the current world politics.\u00a0 But there is no hint of any underlying message except in the most generalized way, unlike the Castorf Ring. I feel this is an opportunity lost.<\/p>\n

What the Albery G<\/em>\u00f6tterd<\/em>\u00e4mmerung<\/em> production gives us is an intriguing \u201clook\u201d but little that can be found beneath the surface. The staging of almost all of Act 3 makes little sense due to the lack of stagecraft.\u00a0 Why does Hagen collapse slowly to the ground? Brunnhilde walks off the stage to the side without any hint of going to the funeral pyre? \u00a0The chorus brings out pieces of the broken Valhalla?\u00a0 Or are these \u201cmemory fragments\u201d from the Siegfried<\/em> production? The obligatory crowd scene at the very end is there, but does this directorial touch really speaks to the audience, to convey a message?\u00a0 I have my doubts. That said, on balance I\u2019m not disappointed as it\u2019s the first and only Canadian Ring Cycle. Maybe in future revivals, it could be modified in such a way that it truly speaks to the audience.<\/p>\n

Performances continue at the Four Seasons Centre to February 25. Full details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more REVIEWS, click HERE<\/u><\/a><\/span>.<\/h3>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canadian Opera Company’s down-to-earth G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung consigns the conclusion of Canada’s first and only Ring Cycle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":42564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6439,43,52,63],"tags":[628,1459,2838],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/02\/Gotterdammerung-CH-031.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-b4n","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42555"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42555"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42570,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42555\/revisions\/42570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42555"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=42555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}