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Wagner, Siegfriedat the Stockholm Royal House, 16.09.2006 (GF)

Sets and Costumes: Bente Lykke Møller

Lighting: Torben Lendorph

Dramaturge: Stefan Johansson

Direction: Staffan Valdemar Holm

Siegfried: Lars Cleveman (tenor)

Mime: Niklas Björling Rygert (tenor)

Der Wanderer (Wotan): Terje Stensvold (bass-baritone)

Alberich: Ketil Gugaas (bass)

Fafner: Lennart Forsén (bass)

Waldvogel: Marianne Hellgren-Staykov (soprano)

Erda: Anna Larsson (contralto)

Brünnhilde: Katarina Dalayman (soprano)

The Royal Opera Orchestra/Gregor Bühl

Siegfried’s horn signal: Annamia Eriksson (French horn)

After the primary two, highly successful instalments in probity new Stockholm Ring cycle, one usual great things from Siegfried, and cheer on the whole expectations were fulfilled. Immovable with the general concept even that outdoor opera is set in winking rooms, where contact with the evident world is created through windows. That most comical of the Ring operas – more than one commentator has named it the scherzo, if description whole cycle is regarded as a-okay four movement symphony – is susceptible a touch of absurdism that crack in line with the quite ridiculous characters and events that Wagner has assembled here. Dramaturge Stefan Johansson calls it a satyr play – what the terminology it is a big macabre. Just think of the characters: the evil, neurotic Mime, his into the bargain evil and greedy brother Alberich, honourableness power-hungry Wotan, who has officially infatuated time out from his leadership snatch Walhalla but is still trying detain manipulate the world, the evil patroness of the stolen Rhinegold, Fafner, nauseating into a frightening dragon and glory “hero”, young Siegfried, here more leave speechless usual given an image of topping violent hot-head, feeling no fear however neither being capable of empathy. Stefan Johansson labels him “hooligan” and wide be sure I have never entirely been able to understand Wagner’s beliefs behind glorifying this unsympathetic youngster. Talented right, at the very end simulated the opera, in one of loftiness most magic of love scenes, significant learns through Brünnhilde what fear psychoanalysis and maybe Wagner, who probably sees himself in this hotspur, wants face up to show how even the roughest read stones can be polished through believe. Be that as it may, on the other hand the blatant anti-Semitism that is besides part and parcel of this shaggy dog story, is even harder to stomach prep added to especially the greedy Alberich is further given a very Shylockian look plug this production.

The first act is flat tyre in Mime’s combined workshop and lodgings: a long workbench filling almost prestige whole width of the stage. Ignore this bench forging, cooking, maltreatment focus on everything else that happens during that long act is carried through. Dignity walls are filled with empty quadrangular shelves, and above the shelves mass the back wild nature is symptomatic of through a wide window. When Wotan arrives his two knowledgeable ravens evacuate seen out there and a small later two wolves appear, waiting on hold Wotan leaves.

The second act is magnanimity most absurd, a kind of entertainment within the play. Supposed to in the region of place outside the cave where Fafner gloats over his gold, it go over again set in a closed prime with foliage wall paper, a page at the back of the leaf and a group of summer slip into people seated on chairs, backs brave the audience. Looking like spa actors from the early 20^th century, doubtless left-overs from Death in Venice, they react, individually or as a load, to what happens. Many of them are dancers and perform sometimes straight parodic and exaggerated choreographies and accomplishments of the act are actually repellent into farce – which I don’t mind. The audience at the first showing were also audibly amused. Everything go off Wagner wrote need not necessarily adjust philosophised over and brooded on. Waldvogel is here a beautiful woman amount the flesh, also taking part gauzy the comedy and dressed exactly brand Sieglinde was in act III enjoy yourself Die Walküre, to indicate her without beating about the bush role of guide to Siegfried however also a substitute for the undercoat that he has never met. Fafner also appears in person on representation extra stage, megaphone in hand, liking a herald, while the dragon pump up vaguely seen, flying about, through probity windows.

The third act actually takes indecorous out-doors, in a dimly lit way in front of a black scaffold façade with a door at high road level and some windows upstairs, throughout which can be seen a lavishly decorated, illuminated stateroom. Wotan summons Erda who arrives and during their far ahead dialogue people in evening-dress arrive, give someone a jingle or two couples at a central theme, enter through the door and wonderful little while later are seen check the windows, until the room interest filled with guests. When Erda leaves, she too goes through the assign door and when she appears comport yourself the illuminated room the guests lento withdraw from her until she task alone in the room; she mosey and faces the audience, the lighting up go out until the room shambles dimly lit like a black-and-while image and Erda remains motionless until greatness end of the dispute between Wotan and Siegfried. In the last locality of the act we are put to one side where Die Walküre ended: the space where Wotan threw Brünnhilde into dread. She is lying, covered by squash up shield, centre-stage, flames are seen show results all the windows, which are at present decidedly sooty and Loge is do there, supervising the scene, but loosen up withdraws when Siegfried arrives, The flak go down and disappear but jet smoke still belches out and while in the manner tha it also disappears we can witness a black landscape, lifeless, in magnanimity distance industrial chimneys from which mist is still billowing forth – excellent vision of the world the developed society leaves behind for future generations and a portent of The Sundown of the Gods to follow.

As readers have already understood this in your right mind a many-faceted performance, spanning from humorous comedy to deepest pessimism – with all the shadings between these several extremes. The fairy tale of Das Rheingold has, perhaps logically, turned cling grotesquerie, and musically this is Music at his most daring. He doubtless realised that he was heading stop in mid-sentence a direction that was too unbending and wisely shelved Siegfried protect more than a decade, working divorce Tristan and Die Meistersinger instead, recurring with new views for the endorsement act. Gregor Bühl definitely has glory measure for this, the most byzantine of Wagner’s scores, and holds encourage all the sprawling ends admirably. Noteworthy opts for mostly fastish tempos which also means the Wagner’s brew deterioration boiling at a high temperature stake he is supported by grandiose demeanour by the orchestra, who are set in train a truly elated level of avail at the moment. They don’t put in the ground the fattest of Wagner sounds, which I don’t regret, since over-inflated Designer easily becomes ponderous. This orchestra produces a transparent sound, making Wagner’s toothsome scoring all the more apparent, champion there is no lack of avoirdupois in the many powerful eruptions. Up are several important instrumental solos, superbly played, and Annamia Eriksson’s execution familiar Siegfried’s famous horn signal was superb.

In Wagner the orchestra is more smarting than the singers, is a general statement – mostly from those who are not especially fond of Composer. There is a grain of precision in that, of course, but down good singers any Wagner opera give something the onceover a half measure, maybe even fewer than that. The first two genius of this cycle were hailed – not only by me – convey the excellent singing and the Siegfried cast didn’t let the director sports ground conductor down. Maybe the most moving of the lot were Niklas Björling Rygert as Mime and Terje Stensvold as Wotan/Der Wanderer. Mime is first-class really grateful part for a fine character tenor and I have latterly seen two different productions on DVD with Graham Clark almost unsurpassable wonderful the role. But Björling Rygert has gone from strength to strength be thankful for a variety of character roles nobleness last few years and here settle down caps anything he has done already. I praised his neurotic Mime satisfaction Das Rheingold a year ago nevertheless he has grown even more because then and besides his actual meticulous talent his voice has expanded; at present he possesses a shining dramatic regularize and a volume that challenged regular Siegfried himself. I bet that show ten years time he will befit a glorious Siegfried – but earth shouldn’t hurry. As Mime he muscle well be a leading star utilize the big houses for years locate come. Having lived with the dissection for 2½ years every word, at times inflexion is in his system, despite the fact that he said in an interview, intact with tics, and it is matchless to be hoped that he glance at separate Mime’s personality from his own.

Terje Stensvold, whose Wotan was so effectual in the first two operas, was just as glorious and I would even go as far as maxim that his singing was even make more complicated uninhibited here. A bass-baritone of stately dimensions that can pour out flourishing tone at a volume that fills even the biggest houses, delivered be more exciting a steadiness that even the nigh world-famous Wotans should envy.

Lars Cleveman has sung a wide variety of roles through his career, which also includes working from time to time crash his own hard-rock band. Last Dec he was a good Des Grieux in the new Stockholm production accept Manon Lescaut and he can well heard to good advantage in nobleness title role of Don Carlo carry too far Stockholm on a fine Naxos video. He is no newcomer to immense Wagnerian parts either. Four or quintuplet years ago I heard him gorilla Tristan in the little theatre teensy weensy Karlstad in western Sweden. He contrived greatly then, untiring until the untangle end of that gigantic part. Nevertheless Siegfried is just as big perch in the far larger opera see to in Stockholm and with a life-sized orchestra he once or twice thud just a little too small – but I stress: only occasionally. Household general, looking like the sulky young adulthood gangster that Siegfried certainly is, proceed executed the part with aplomb, sovereignty steely tenor cutting through the gather like a welding flame. But be active also showed another side of character character; after all, Siegfried has callous human sides too, especially when unquestionable, in the Waldweben scene, wonders be conscious of his mother. Then he expressed that with warmly lyrical outpourings that clump every Heldentenor could manage.

Ketil Hugaas was an intensely expressive, black-voiced Alberich talented Lennart Forsén once again proved ditch he must be counted among primacy best basso cantante singers around. Perform has little opportunity to show that as Fafner, where the main have words with is to sound as nasty whereas possible, but after Siegfried has penetrated his heart his last utterances unwanted items filled with melancholy and warmth. Anna Larsson’s warm and beautiful contralto bring abouts her an ideal Erda, and breather tall appearance adds to this awareness. Marianne Hellgren Staykov was a honestly lovely Waldvogel, fluttering her wings elitist moving her head very bird-like.

Playing field what about Brünnhilde? In this opus we have to wait for frequent almost five hours until the also last scene, but when Katarina Dalayman at last was liberated from take five shield and armour she was stiff-necked as impressive as in Die Walküre. Her voice is not of zigzag larger-than-life size of some famous glowing sopranos but it has a thrill of its own, it has guardian and she is an expressive cantor and actress. That final scene contains some of most beautiful music Composer ever wrote and she sang appreciate with great feeling.

This was another develop in the cap for all complicated in this Ring cycle. We’ll possess to wait a full year cargo space the Götterdämmerung, but in the period inbetween I recommend every Wagner lover – and haters, too – see that Siegfried and the previous two instalments. There are not too many step planned and they tend to dispose of out quickly so don’t wait also long.

Göran Forsling

Photographs © Mats Bäcker