Das Rheingold
August 25, 2009
Das Rheingold started off like it does at the Met. There is no grand entrance with applause for the conductor. The house is darkened and the low e flat seems to emerge from the earth. The rising arpeggios immediately immerse the listener into the Rhine and the world of the Ring. Unfortunately the mood was broken as soon as the curtain went up as the audience interrupted the music by applauding for the scenery. Robert Spano has certainly grown in this assay of the Ring. He is much more lyrical and he conducted with a heightened understanding of the work. The orchestra played extremely well for him.
The Rheinmaidens were good as ever. The flying abilities are astonishing. They sang well. Greer Grimsley was god before but he is even better now. Stephanie Blythe sang Fricka beautifully as she sings everything. The biggest standout was Richard Paul Fink as Alberich. He owns that role. Every time I see him he is better. Marie Plette was a touching Frieia. Maria Streijffert as Erda was okay but she did not have the imposing voice of Ewa Podles who last sang this role in Seattle. (Or for that matter Melissa Kelley who sang it so beautifully at a concert in Atlanta 2 weeks ago). Gordon Hawkins was wonderful as Donner. Kobie van Rensburg was good in the first non-Handel role in which I have heard him. I loved Jason Collins in the beautifully lyric part of Froh
The production evoking the Pacific Northwest is still beautiful. For the most part I liked the staging. I like the physicality between Wotan and Fricka but I thought it was a bit much. The men all had long hair (Greer used his own) which was fine but they kept putting on and taking off capes and coats requiring them to flip their hair around which seemed very effeminate and also distracting. Erda held Wotan to her breast as she sang which pre-saged their relationship (and how Brunnhilde came to be). At the end, as the gods started out over the rainbow bridge, Fricka tarried behind looking sadly at the body of Fasolt (who had terrorized her sister) and caressing the ground. Then she had some sort of interplay with Loge (whom she hated) as if they were making some plan. I am not quite sure what that was all about but it did keep me from paying attention to the gods entering Valhalla.
