Switzerland Wagner, Siegfried: Soloists, Philharmonia Zurich / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor). Zurich Opera, 5.3.2023. (MF)
Production:
Director – Andreas Homoki
Set and Costumes – Christian Schmidt
Lighting – Franck Evid
Artistic cooperation set – Florian Schaaf
Video – Tieni Burkhalter
Dramaturgy – Werner Hintze, Beate Breidenbach
Cast:
Siegfried – Klaus Florian Vogt
Mime – Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke
The Wanderer – Tomasz Konieczny
Alberich – Christopher Purves
Fafner – David Leigh
Erda – Anna Danik
Brünnhilde – Camilla Nylund
The Forest Bird – Rebeca Olvera
Comparing the Ring cycle to a symphony in 4 actions, some check with Siegfried because the scherzo. As director Andreas Homoki put it, Das Rheingold, the light-footed dialog piece, and the superhuman monumental tragedy Die Walküre are adopted by Siegfried, a comedy pushed as a lot by grotesque moments and slapstick as by scenes bordering on tragedy (all of which culminate within the über-summary that’s Götterdämmerung).
Die Walküre ended with Wotan being compelled to go away his daughter Brünnhilde sleeping on a rock protected by a blazing ring: ‘He who my spearpoint’s sharpness feareth shall cross not the flaming hearth!’ Siegfried is all in regards to the fearless teen destined to wake and rescue Brünnhilde. He is the free and unbiased hero, born of the incestuous love between Siegmund and Sieglinde. Having grown up in nature with Mime, he’s a real skilled on all issues fauna and flora however solely oblivious to the existence of different people – particularly those that are feminine.
We see him turning into a youngster rebelling and aiming to interrupt free from what he senses is Mime’s net of treacherous lies. From the sword fragments, Siegfried forges a contemporary Nothung and finally ends up slaying first Fafner guarding the hoard of gold after which Mime who, fearing for his personal life, had tried to poison his foster little one. Thus freed, he learns to know the Woodbird’s tune, which guides him to the sleeping Brünnhilde the place loads extra liberation is on supply for the budding hero.
Director Andreas Homoki continues his refreshingly easy tackle this work, presenting us with the essence of the story. He places a selected deal with growing the protagonist’s character far past the rowdy nature-loving boy he’s typically portrayed as. Even the severely fraught relationship with Mime shows moments – uncommon as they might be – of a young connection between the 2. Movingly so, when the adolescent sits on Mime’s knee in despair, questioning whether or not all moms die when giving delivery, as did his. While steering away from this piece’s wide-open cliché traps, Homoki unleashes the total wizardry of Zurich opera’s technical division. Indubitably, this dragon will set lasting requirements, and we’re handled to a life-size darling bear cub (Dominique Misteli) within the first act too. This often is the first time that the Woodbird is just not merely a voice sounding from lofty heights however is impersonated by the effortlessly participating Mexican soprano Rebeca Olvera who imparts a whiff of eroticism to Siegfried.
The forged is excellent, sings with impeccable articulation and brings to life the director’s equally severe and playful method. The essential function’s tour de pressure is embraced as a debut by the seasoned Wagner specialist Klaus Florian Vogt. Having missed essential and costume rehearsals as a consequence of a ten-day bronchitis, his efficiency was – whatever the occasional vocal weak point – really heroic. Not solely does he look the half, Vogt’s singing shapes the character’s a number of sides as a lot as his appearing does. What a delight it is going to be to see and listen to him when he has had just a few days’ relaxation and recovered absolutely. Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke could be discovered to be aptly described as a ’character tenor’, and Mime is simply that. Having sung the half numerous instances, he contributes his expertise and flexibility, making a determine far faraway from the antisemitic caricature Wagner inscribed into the function. The Wanderer is Tomasz Konieczny, whose gorgeous efficiency of Wotan in Die Walküre stays unforgotten. Although of extra peripheral significance on this third night, he delivers absolutely, fulfilling all expectations together with his sonorous bass-baritone. The second debut is Camilla Nylund’s Brünnhilde: an excellent efficiency. Woken solely when Siegfried has been on stage for almost 4 hours, she modulates her seemingly infinite vocal energy between motherly gentleness and unbridled fortissimo. There have been sturdy performances too within the extra minor roles of Alberich (Christopher Purves), Fafner (David Leigh) and Erda (Anna Danik).
On this third night of his first Ring cycle, Zurich opera’s General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda continues his exploration of Wagner’s opus magnum with the Philharmonia Zurich on grand type. Although right here and there the quantity was a bit too intense throughout within the first act, particularly contemplating the recovering Vogt, Noseda developed a refined studying of the rating, bringing out its readability and complexity with lightness, transparency and finely balanced precision. In February, he received the ‘Oper!’ Award as finest conductor for his earlier Zurich performances of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre.
Further performances are on 9, 14, 18, 22 and 26 March.
Michael Fischer