The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Die Walküre was exciting to watch and featured a host of great performances, but was marred by some difficulties with the set. For the premiere, James Levine conducted the orchestra to the delight of the packed house. The playing was beautiful, as were the performances.
By far the strangest moment of the night came at the beginning of Act II, when Deborah Voight, playing Brünnhilde, attempted to climb the giant wooden planks that serve as the new set. She fell, and the crowd was aghast for a moment, until she gamely rose and began singing the famous “Hojotoho” verses, as she berates her father, Wotan. It was surprising that she fell, but also that the production calls for members of the cast to climb the unwieldy backdrop. Another scene in which the planks become an enormous forest subtly and beautifully lighted with orange lanterns worked much better. In Act III, the Valkyries use the swinging planks as if they are horses for a while, and then proceed to slide down them all the way to the stage. Scenes like this are certainly fun to watch, but also make the audience worry for the safety of the performers, especially after Voight’s fall. The giant set later becomes a bird’s eye view of a mountain top on which Brünnhilde is imprisoned. The set is visually very appealing, even if there are some kinks which need to be worked out. Surprisingly, some members of the audience booed at the end of the production, showing their dissatisfaction with the new set.
The Ring Cycle has not lost its appeal through the years, as this sold-out performance attested. The story of gods and men vying for power still holds its mythic resonance. The final scene, in which Wotan rejects Brünnhilde for disobeying him, was dramatically done and beautifully sung and acted by Ms. Voight and Bryn Terfel as Wotan. Like many other opera fans, I will be very interested to see the rest of the new Ring productions due next year. If the new Walküre is any indication, you won’t want to miss the others.
(Metropolitan Opera, New York City, 4/22/11)
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