As reported here a few days ago, Robert & I really liked Das Rheingold (the first opera in Wagners Ring Cycle) at the Wiener Staatsoper, but we were very disappointed the following night with Die Walküre (the second). We were anxious, therefore, about how we would feel about the third, Siegfried: if it disappointed us as much as Die Walküre, it would have cast something of a pall over the whole cycle, and our visit to Vienna. Im pleased to report that we need not have worried: Siegfried was splendid, for a number of reasons. First (as indeed with both the previous operas) the orchestra, Jeffrey Tates conducting, and the acoustics of the house were pretty much perfect. Next, the sets, costumes and staging were great - original without being silly, nowhere contradicting the narrative as expressed in the libretto and music, and for the most part visually satisfying. Finally, all the principals (and this is an opera for a small number of principals appearing in even smaller combinations onstage) sang excellently. Polish baritone Tomasz Konieczny was again (in his final appearance in this cycle) a magnificent, stentorian, expressive and perfectly controlled Wanderer (Wotan). German mezzo-soprano Janina Baechle was a hugely fatigued and bored, and splendidly nuanced Erde. Estonian Bass Ain Anger (Fafner), German baritone Jochen Schmeckenbecher (Alberich), and Austrian tenor Herwig Pecoraro (Mime) were all again wornderful in the roles that they had established in Das Rheingold. American Stephen Gould (who I had never seen before) was a terrific Siegfried - a classic heldentenor with loads of power and just that little bit of edge to his voice without rendering it harsh. The star of the show without doubt was Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, who brought the house down at the end of her short (say 30 minutes) but crucial role in the second scene of Act 3. Id seen her once before - and loved her - as Brünnhilde in the San Francisco Ring in 2011. If anything she seemed better now, and its a great shame that for whatever reason she had to cancel her appearance in Die Walküre a few days ago. Her absence, and her last minute replacement by Linda Watson, was I think a big factor in us not much enjoying that opera. In any event, tonights Siegfried was right up there with the best that I have seen, and it augurs well for a quality Götterdämmerung here in Vienna on Sunday night.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 00:09:44 +0000