Before the Deutsche Staatsoper shows its complete Ring (made in collaboration with Milan’s La Scala) in 2013, a recapitulation of the previous two installments has been offered during the Festtage 2012. While Das Rheingold had cast changes (most notably René Pape as Wotan), Die Walküre has the same cast from last year, when I could catch the last performance, conducted at white heat by Barenboim and sung in the grand manner by almost everyone in the cast. This evening, the circumstances proved to be somewhat less exciting. After an aptly raw introduction, Barenboim took some time to switch full powers and, even when he did, one had the sensation that, instead of continuous development, one would rather see moments when things seem to connect and build up in momentum only to sag back to slimmer orchestral sound and less exciting music-making. Friday he conducted Rheingold; Saturday, Lulu; this evening, Walküre – maybe this explains his variable level of energy. In any case, when all elements actually converged – as in the Fricka/Wotan scene and especially in the Sieglinde/Brünnhilde act III scene – memories of last year came back very vividly.
In terms of casting, all women deserve high compliments this evening. Iréne Theorin displayed a particularly strong middle register this evening without any loss of power in her high notes. Some may find her voice overmetallic now and then, but her artistry is beyond minor snags. Everything about her performance is generous: her powerful voice, her keenness on tonal and dynamic variety (exquisite pianissimi throughout), her fully committed stage persona. It is hardly her fault that Anja Kampe could sometimes be even more touching – she was born to sing Sieglinde and has inscribed her name along the great exponents of this role. Ekaterina Gubanova’s Fricka has only grown in strength since last year – she offers a perfect blended of warmth and focus in her rich mezzo-soprano.
Although Simon O’Neill has received warm applause, I have to say that his singing this evening got on my nerves. If you are curious to know how Gerhard Stolze would have sounded as Siegmund, you just needed to be in the Schiller Theater today. In any case, Stolze was a better actor (and a singer of more nuance) than O’Neill, who hams as if his life depended on it. Mikhail Petrenko’s bass sounded throaty and unsupported and offered very little impact as Hunding. As we have often discussed here, the part of Wotan is on the high side for René Pape, but – in one of these six days in the year when one’s voice is just perfect – he has no rivals in depth, nobility and musicianship. Alas, this was not one of these six days, and his high register was basically non-functional. In the second act, he struggled a lot with it and had to resort to every trick available to get away with high-lying passages. Fortunately, he excelled in rounded, rich, voluminous tones in his long recap of Rheingold, in which he used all his Lieder singer abilities. The problem remained that he still had act III to sing. The fact that he saved his voice for the closing scene would be more disturbing, if Pape had not cunningly found a dramatic excuse for that: I have never seen such a world-weary, depressed Wotan as this evening. When he sang Nicht send’ ich dich mehr aus Walhall, it sounded as if he was describing all the torments of HIS life without Brünnhilde. When he finally had to sing out, the voice was still tense and unflowing in its upper reaches, but he still could make it to the end commendably. During the curtain calls he seemed at first a bit apologetic and then legitimately touched by the audience’s recognition. I just wonder how rewarding the experience is for him – and I have to believe that his intent to expose his reputation as an immaculate singer in such a strenuous part must come from his unreserved love for Wagner music. And I respect that.
Barenboim’s schedule is generally punishing and if anything one is surprised that his work is as consistent as it is. The energy and commitment is admirable but one has to wander how fair this is to the audience and rewarding for him and his reputation.
As for Pape, I would be strongly inclined to dismiss RML’s judgement were its soundness not so widely attested and confirmed. On one hand Pape’s Wotan is one of the interpretations by any singer of any role that I’m most interested in hearing on the other it might possibly prove the greatest disappointment. I don’t know that it can be surpassed by anyone today but it does appear perhaps that it may not always live up to Pape’s usual standards and I’m at something of a loss. RML says he appreciates his commitment and we all should but if this does appear to be such a stretch for him vocally you have to wander how conducive it is to his vocal health. Fortunately (???) he doesn’t appear inclined to reprise it too often.
This still leaves the question of who would be the Wotan of choice today. At his best Pape could be a candidate and even at less than his best not easily surpassed. I really liked Terfel but he too needs to be on good vocal form and the voice lies higher than is ideal. Uusitalo is also inconsistent a bit unsteady, perhaps somewhat uninteresting. Thomas J. Mayer is an insightful interpreter and the role seems to lie well for him but the timber is not distinctive and somewhat lacking in color. Dohmen has the role within range and is an experienced interpreter. Thomas Konyzcny is supposed to be good but I’ve been less than impressed though I’ve never heard him in the role. I suppose Kovaljev, disappointing at La Scala (as I recall you wrote) and vocally (though not dramatically) impressive in Dresden is a name to watch for.
Hi, Cavalier!
I often think of what Christa Ludwig wrote, in her biography, about her intent to sing Leonore/Fidelio and the consequences of her decision, when I hear Pape sing Wotan. You ask me about the Wotan of choice – in my opinion, although Pape is fallible in this role, he is the most musicianly of all them. When the phrase is congenial (i.e., when he does not have to sing up in his range), it is deluxe singing, round, legato-ish, ductible, expressive and his diction is perfect. It sounds like (James Morris) + (Theo Adam) – (comfortable high notes). I wish he could record the whole thing in studio and then return to roles more proper to his voice. I notice you don’t mention Mark Delavan, who may become a more interesting Wotan with experience – I find him more satisfying than Uusitalo any day. I have never seen Thomas J. Mayer as Wotan- only as Macbeth and Geistbote (FroSch) and I have the impression that he should have waited a bit. As for Tomasz Konieczny – he IS Alberich. He is one of the best Alberichs even compared to the great ones from the past – and that is my problem about his Wotan. I didn’t write that Kovaljev was disappointing – I found ind him good at La Scala on the contrary. I would say that, in this list, he is the most reliable. I find his voice naturally suited to the part – and he only needs time to grow into the role in terms of interpretation and understanding of the text. If I were the Intendant of an opera house, I would cast him for my Ring
[but if I were the director of a record company, I would cast Pape for my studio recording, as I said above].
Yes, I think Konieczny is not so much disappointing as unsuitable for Wotan. I may be wrong (I should look it up) and perhaps you didn’t criticize Kovaljev but I at least found him a bit disappointing on the broadcast and put somewhat in the shade by Stemme’s Brunnhilde.
I’m very glad to read your additional comments on Pape (not that your initial description of his performance wasn’t much more detailed and interesting than you usually get). Especially so as my comment was made with James Morris (circa 1997) very much in mind, as my first and among contemporary interpreters definitive Wotan (with apologies to John Thomlinson and his rather authoritative and powerfully sung interpretation). I share your interest in a studio recording of Pape’s Wotan but but unfortunately we’re unlikely to see it in today’s climate. With that in mind I really hope to see him live, hope that a DVD is made and hope that he is in particularly good voice on this occasion(s). One assumes that some such will be made in the course of the bicentennial. I noticed that the casting for the Scala Ring has not yet been announced. Pape and Kovaljev are probably the most likely candidates to sing Wotan though without Stemme’s (who is singing Isolde in Wien) Brunnhilde. I’ve gotten tickets for the Scala Ring since its relatively compact and though Barenboim’s conducting has been inconsistent his Ring is still the one most likely to impress. Otherwise I’m not really sure where I will be and which other Ring I’ll have a chance to see. Wien has Stemme but we’ll have to see.
I didn’t mention Delvan because I’ve never heard him in anything (and unfortunately was unable to hear the San Francisco broadcasts with Stemme) but he’s getting his big chance at the Met and if I’m there at the time I suppose we’ll take him out for a spin. Incidentally, Martina Serafin seems to be doing Sieglinde all over the place but I hear her in the VLL last weekend and found her a bit underwhelming.
Last, and possibly least, O’Neal as Sigmund next year in New York, Munich and Vienna?!?!? Sufficiently loud to be sure, but the roughness of tone and tendency to ham it up that you reference makes you wander.
Well, I intend to see Barenboim’s Ring here in Berlin in 2013. You can make it in one week (as you know, I won’t be here anymore and will have to travel back for that) and, at the same time, the Deutsche Oper will have some sort of Wagner week. So it’s going to be Wagner-overdose. Pape sings here Rheingold and Walküre – Uusitalo sings Siegfried. Theorin is the only Brünnhilde. One would have to be here for the whole month to see Janowski’s Siegfried in the beginning of the month, but it’s possible to see Götterdämmerung around that time. Konieczny is Wotan at least in one of the operas.
Many thanks for the report. A question – where are your preferred seats in the house?
Hello, sec! You’re welcome. Well, I’m not rich enough to have preferred seats, but I generally buy parterre around rows 11-13. Do you recommend any particular spot in the Schiller Theater?
Hello, rml! I’ve only ever been to the opera house on Unter den Linden, which is why I posed the question! I can be somewhat particular about my seating preferences in other houses, so I thought I’d ask a Berlin regular about the Schiller Theater. I’m really tempted by the Barenboim Ring next year.
Well, I adapt very easily to acoustics – so I am not sensitive as you are. In any case: I wouldn’t buy a seat too close to the stage (the acoustics are dry and you would like the sound to develop some bloom, I guess), I wouldn’t get a seat under the Balkon (the orchestra can sound too dry and your neighbors too loud). I was told that the first rows in the Balkon are good. I can’t tell you. I like my right-in-the-middle orchestra seats.