2017 International May Festival - Wagner's Ring Cycle in Wiesbaden (Siegfried, Götterdämmerung)

As I pointed out in the previous Das Rheingold, Die Walküre review, it is not so often that Ring Cycle takes operagoes throught specific time period, historical events or in this case such vast period – from enchant time to the present-future time.

That is the case with Wiesbaden's Siegfried and Götterdämmerung productions. Siegfried being set in to me 1970's, 1980's poor district of a town where in a very old-fashioned kitchen settings as we can see in the Act 1, Mime plans his lifelong revenge, maniac love/hate pretended feelings towards Siegfried who's interested only in his "hippie lifestyle" – very keen on his walkman / headphones music (do you still remember those?) While Wanderer is portrait here as a man out of town in a suit, and a suitcase. To me raher overmodernized Act 2 takes us to a bank where Siegfried tries to win Fafner's Ring by first of all winning a computer game to enter the building and then defeating his enemy and taking the Ring with him. Not disturbing but rather interesting staging made me think about why it hasn't already been staged similarly before. Third act as we all know returns to Brünnhilde’s statue where she sleeps. The most moving moment of the opera for me was Wotan's meeting with Erda when both of them sit on the edge of the statue – being so close to their beloved daughter and yet so far from her and from each other in reality. Brünnhilde gets her hero and is awaken from her sleep, all ends well.

And all starts well again (in Götterdämmerung) where after a glorious number with three Norns, daughters of Erda, weaving laser pistols instead the rope of destiny, singing beautifully, we already see the couple's house, a modern feng shui style type of condo with somehow museum pieces placed in the corners, reminding us of the past heroic moments of both lovers – Brünnhilde’s helmet, Siegfried's sword Notung. What I liked about this production of Götterdämmerung was the minimalistic staging of Act 2, you clearly again realize that there is no need for huge stage decorations and oversize costume which often been the case in other continental productions. And I can't forget about one more rather personal moment that stayed with me – Siegfried just before his dead seeing and remembering “his life in pictures”, surrounded by things he had, remembered a lived through as a young boy in Siegfried and as a grown up man later on in Götterdämmerung. The end was simply magnificent on all levels. So was the whole Ring that brought a new meaning, view on such epic work that will always have something to say...

Siegfried

Conductor Alexander Joel
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg
Stage Designer Gisbert Jäkel
Costume Designer Antje Sternberg
Lighting Designer Andreas Frank
Video Falko Sternberg
Dramaturgy Katja Leclerc

Siegfried Andreas Schager
Mime Matthäus Schmidlechner
The Wanderer Jukka Rasilainen
Der Wanderer Thomas Hall
Alberich Thomas de Vries
Fafner Young Doo Park
Erda Bernadett Fodor
Brünnhilde Evelyn Herlitzius
Waldvogel (the woodbird) Stella An

Statisterie des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden, Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden

Götterdämmerung

Conductor Alexander Joel
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg
Stage Designer Gisbert Jäkel
Costume Designer Antje Sternberg
Lighting Designer Andreas Frank
Video Falko Sternberg
Chorus Master Albert Horne
Dramaturgy Regine Palmai 

Siegfried Andreas Schager
Gunther Samuel Youn
Alberich Thomas de Vries
Hagen Albert Pesendorfer
Brünnhilde Evelyn Herlitzius
Gutrune Sabina Cvilak
Waltraute / First Norn Bernadett Fodor
Second Norn Silvia Hauer
Third Norn Sabina Cvilak
Woglinde Katharina Konradi
Wellgunde Marta Wryk
Flosshilde Silvia Hauer

Chor, Extrachor & Statisterie des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden, Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden

2017 International May Festival - Wagner's Ring Cycle in Wiesbaden (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre)

The city of Wiesbaden is a very special place. A good  friend with its old-fashioned soul. You can find many old historical signs, beautiful parks, romantic corners and yet there are new modern parts where everything is growing, buzzing with new technologies, big shops, big dreams. Everything  at that point seems somehow ordinary. But Wiesbaden isn’t ordinary. Wiesbaden is unique...

And so was in a way Wagner’s cycle Der Ring Des Nibelungen I experienced in Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden as part of International May Festival (24.4. - 25.5.2017). To my understanding, this production of Ring is structured and presented as very visual historical journey through the world of humanity itself.

 Photographers: Karl und Monika Forster

Das Rheingold being set in the ancient times, back in the day. As the opera begins we see Rhinemaidens enjoying their day, playing with huge bubbles, sprinkling the gold from Rhine on themselves. All this in the very interesting shape of a massive eye – which appears later on in the Ring again. Alberich represents a regular guy with villain manners and rather funny looking hairy stomach that stops at nothing to get The Ring. Splendidly staged second scene takes us to Wotan’s tent where he rests with his wife – surrounded by various boxes, replica of future Valhala that’s being built by Fasolt and Fafner and a couple of sofas covered with massive furs. As the story progresses we get to see Freya (presented here as a belly dancer) and surrounded by children which seems very unusual . In this production, giants don’t seem to look scary at all. I enjoyed the scene where Alberich eagerly expressed his powers to Wotan and Loge in transforming himself into a massive giant and later changing to a small frog that Wotan together with his faithful Loge immediately captured (while visuals on above screne show images of powerful people such as Donald Trump - very poignant.) Alberich ended up in a massive cage. Probably the most and only disturbing moment in the opera to me was when Freya was being stripped off her clothes on stage (only to some see-through underwear) and covered with all the gold that giants required as payment for Wotan’s palace. Final scene topped it all when Loge breaks the tent's fabric and we see Valhala’s splendid front gate where everything  including all the boxed furniture, sofas and all other things are moved to. Wotan, Fricka, Freya and the rest of the family majestically walks in. Only Loge awaits on stage and wonders what will happen next…
 
Das Rheingold’s staging was my favorite of all the Ring operas; especially costumes suited the time and mood perfectly. Singing highlight for me was Wotan (Thomas Hall) with wonderful legato and whole pallet of colors that I admired very much. The orchestra under the baton of maestro Alexander Joel  had only began to display their magnificent talent and impeccable sound that the audience cheered hugely during all the operas that followed.

Conductor Alexander Joel
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg
Stage Designer Gisbert Jäkel
Costume Designer Antje Sternberg
Lighting Designer Andreas Frank
Video Falko Sternberg
Youth Chorus Dagmar Howe
Dramaturgy Katja Leclerc 

Wotan Thomas Hall 
Donner Benjamin Russell 
Froh Aaron Cawley 
Loge Thomas Blondelle 
Alberich Thomas de Vries 
Mime Erik Biegel 
Fasolt Albert Pesendorfer

Fafner Young Doo Park 
Fricka Margarete Joswig 
Freia Betsy Horne 
Erda Bernadett Fodor 
Woglinde Gloria Rehm 
Wellgunde Marta Wryk 
Flosshilde Silvia Hauer

Jugendchor des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden, Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden

 

Photographers: Karl und Monika Forster

 

In Die Walküre, we move to World War II. settings where Sieglinde lives and works in a pub and Hunding is a chief of a local war regiment - trying to capture Sigmund who’s been wondering around the woods. Again, first act is wonderfully staged with a massive tree positioned in the middle of the pub – upper branches touching the World of Gods from where Brünnhilde occasionally looks down to check the situation. Second act takes place in another tent – this time strategic war meeting is taking place with Wotan as general surrounded by other soldiers; and Brünnhilde when appearing as a proper war exited young heroin dressed accordingly in leather coat and leather helmet. Frica appears in a night dressed looking and acting like an already winning dictator herself. Wotan and Brünnhilde – both have amazing spirit and love for one another – the combination of heroism, stubbornness (Bruhnilde is truly father’s daughter) and attention to one another is apparent straight from the beginning of their first scene together. Intelligently created move to the second scene of Act 2 is done by taking down war tent’s fabric – and suddenly we are in a cold dark forest with Siegmund and Sieglide singing and living their love for one another. Brünnhilde appears and explains what could have been if only Siegmund agress to what she’s offering – and strangely enough we can see Siegmund entering wonderfully set table with food and drinks, surrounded by various girls while Wotan and Frica enjoing a glass of wine and looking at him. Make believe. Siegmund refuses in order to be with his beloved Sieglinde who ends up being raped by Hunding’s soldiers (totally unappropriated and shocking) when Hunding appears to have a fight with Siegmund. As Brünnhilde tries to help her half-brother win over Hunding, Wotan steps in and ends the fight by letting Hunding kill his beloved son. And Frica? She keeps sitting at the table and as Wotan leaves with the promise to punish Brünnhilde for not obeying his wishes, she looks on with a winning and horrifying smile on her face…

Do you care for a real horse on stage? Well, in Wiesbaden you surely get it. Act 3 starts with the Ride of Valkyries while one of them sits and rides a real horse on stage. Magnificent moment! Wotan arrives and is eager to punish Brünnhilde for what she had done. She appers in front of him and begs and explains; she is punished nevertheless as we all know. True highlight of Die Walküre is the end – Brünnhilde doesn’t end up on a rock or plain stage surrounded by fire – she literally walks into a statue that opens and closes from the front. Statue closes, Loge surrounds it with fire and devastated Wotan leaves the stage knowing he’ll never see his beloved daughter ever again…


To be honest, my main reason for coming to see and hear this Ring was the legendary soprano Evelyn Herlitzius who was simply magnificent! Father/daughter duo Egils Silins as Wotan and her Brünnhilde had amazing onstage energy together - the most touching, caring and stubborn Wotan-Brunhlide one can imagine. Egils Silins’ Wotan was very strick, uncompromising, nerveless and yet unable to show his emotions until the very end. Wonderful and last minute replacement for Sieglinde was Danish soprano Brit-Tone Müllertz.

Conductor Alexander Joel
Director Uwe Eric Laufenberg
Stage Designer Gisbert Jäkel
Costume Designer Antje Sternberg
Lighting Designer Andreas Frank
Video Falko Sternberg
Dramaturgy Regine Palmai 

Siegmund Andreas Schager 
Hunding Albert Pesendorfer 
Wotan Egils Silins 
Sieglinde Brit-Tone Müllertz 
Brünnhilde Evelyn Herlitzius 
Fricka Margarete Joswig 
Helmwige Sarah Jones 
Gerhilde Sharon Kempton 
Ortlinde Heike Thiedmann 
Waltraute Judith Gennrich 
Siegrune Marta Wryk 
Rossweiße Anna Krawczuk 
Grimgerde Maria Rebekka Stöhr 
Schwertleite Romina Boscolo

Statisterie des Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden, Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden

Thomas Hall: "Pevně doufám, že si v budoucnu zazpívám také Wotana."

Americký barytonista Thomas Hall zpívá převážně na německých operních scénách. Při mé nedávné návštěvě Varšavy jsem jej měla možnost slyšet v roli Telramunda ve Wagnerově opeře Lohengrin. Pan Hall byl velice laskav a odpověděl na několik otázek týkající se jeho kariéry a budoucích operních plánů.

Mohl byste nám prozradit něco více o vašich pěveckých začátcích? Začínal jste jako profesionální hráč na lesní roh. Domníváte se, že Vám hraní na hudební nástroj pomohlo v pozdějším studiu zpěvu a pěvecké techniky?

Ano, myslím, že období, ve kterém jsem se plně věnoval hraní na lesní roh, mi moc pomohlo. Dalo mi to dobré základy pro čtení not, poslech hudby a také v neposlední řadě asi jednu z nejdůležitější věcí v kariéře operního pěvce. Dobrou dechovou techniku.

Máte ve svém repertoáru některé písňové cykly? Vím, že jste interpretoval některá oratoria například Brahmsovo Requiem nebo barytonový part v první symfonii Vaughana Williamse...

Protože jsem nenavštěvoval pěveckou konzervatoř, nikdy jsem bohužel s písněmi moc zkušeností neměl. Moc rád zpívám například Beethovenovu devátou symfonii nebo již zmíněného Brahmse. V této chvíli se ale soustředím především na operní role. Doufám ale, že do budoucna budu mít příležitost si zazpívat další nový repertoár. Třeba i písně.

Letos v dubnu jste ztvárnil roli Telramunda ve Wagnerově opeře Lohengrin ve Varšavě. Většina umělců, které jsem osobně slyšela, interpretuje tuto postavu jakou zlou, slabou - naprosto pod vlivem Ortrudy. Telramund i přesto slouží králi a je přesvědčen, že vždy dělá tu správnou věc. Váš Telramund byl jiný. Byl více lidský, skutečný. Kdo je tedy podle vás tento muž?

Oba dva režiséři, se kterými jsem na této inscenaci spolupracoval, měli zájem o to, aby Telramund byl skutečný člověk. To byla skvělá příležitost, jak ukázat i některé z dobrých stránek, které na jevišti většinou diváci nemají šanci vidět. Já jej vidím jako člověka, který se snaží dělat správné skutky. Vždy hovoří o tom, v co věří. I přesto, že je velice silný a nebojácný, je i tak ovládán svou manželkou Ortrudou. V druhém jednání je vidět jeho lidská tvář, protože zjišťuje, že je s jeho životem a vírou v něj je konec. Je také jasně vidět, jak je k ženě připoután, až už po fyzické sexuální stránce nebo nebo z dobré vůle a poslušnosti, kterou ona využívá.

Thomas Hall v roli Telramunda; Savonlinna Opera Festival 2013

 Credit: Timo Seppäläinen, Itä-Savo

Která z Vašich rolí je Vám nejbližší? 

Postava, kterou jsem doposud zpíval asi nejvíce, je titulní role v opeře Richarda Wagnera Bludný Holanďan. Hlasově mi naprosto sedí. A protože jsem se již podílel na několika zajímavých operních produkcích po celém světě, cítím se v roli velice dobře a pokaždé se mi zdá, že objevuji něco nového, doposud nepoznaného. Víte, on není typická lidská postava, může být ztvárněn různě – záleží vždy na režisérově vizi. Je tedy zajímavé tento charakter poznat do detailů, ať už jej chápe divák jako nadpřirozenou postavu nebo jako skutečného člověka.

Existují pro vás nějaké další pěvecké výzvy či nadstandardní úkoly, když pěvecky studujete a následně se připravujete na některou z německých dramatických postav ve srovnání například s charaktery z italského či francouzského repertoáru? Vím, že jste v minulosti zpíval například Gerarda v opeře Andrea Chenier, Iaga či Escamillia...

Jediná neněmecká role, kterou jsem za posledních pár let zpíval, byl Scarpia (audio ukázka Te Deum ZDE k poslechu). Ten se postavám z Wagnerových oper dost podobá. Zpíváte totiž mnoho dlouhých frází přes velice dramatické pasáže orchestru. Jazyk je pro mne osobně asi největším úskalím. Italské role obecně vyžadují hodně legatového zpívání, italské souhlásky jsou ve většině případů velice měkké. Německý jazyk má velice striktní dikci a velice tvrdé souhlásky, které vyžadují velké množství energie, opory a dobré dýchání.

 

Thomas Hall jako Jochanaan; Norská národní opera

Před časem jste zpíval také v Národní opeře v Oslu. Sám jste mi již ve Varšavě prozradil, že Jochanaan je jedna z vašich oblíbených postav. Jaké byla tedy operní produkce Salome a jak se vám spolupracovalo s panem dirigentem Johnem Fiorem, který také často a rád diriguje v České republice.

Operní produkce se nesla ve velice netradičním duchu. Režisér opery Stefan Herheim měl jasné představy o vztazích mezi jednotlivými charaktery, poukazoval na rozdíly mezi ženami a muži v obecné rovině. Celá inscenace byla velice zajímavá a to nejen po stránce hudebního nastudování maestra Johna Fioreho. Vzájemná tvůrčí práce všech umělců přinesla své ovoce. John je úžasný dirigent, se kterým se moc dobře spolupracovalo. A to nejen proto, že  znal do detailů kompletní dílo, ale především proto, že umí pracovat se zpěváky a rozumí jim.

Dramaturgie většiny amerických operních institucí se podstatně liší od plánů evropských operních domů. V USA se často uvádí nové opery, světové premiéry; a mnohokrát se jedná o velice zajímavé operní počiny. Sama jsem jich během svého dvouletého pobytu ve Spojených státech viděla hned několik. V Evropě je uvádění světových premiér tak trošku raritou. Proč si myslíte, že je tomu tak a co je podle vás důvodem?
Já se osobně domnívám, že operní domy v USA mají jiný systém a postoj k novým dílům než evropské operní instituce. Snaží se udržet operu zajímavou a relevantní pro dnešního diváka. Evropské operní domy uvádějí starší a většinou známá operní tituly v nových a leckdy moderních produkcích. Americké operní domy se na druhou stranu snaží uvádět nová operní díla. Samozřejmě, že se ve Spojených státech uvádí často i klasické operní tituly. Ano, z velké části se dnes v USA vynakládají finance, úsilí a čas do nových operních titulů.

Existuje nějaká role, kterou byste rád zařadil v budoucnu do svého repertoáru? Možná i některou z českých rolí?

Ano, pevně doufám, že si v budoucnu zazpívám Wotana. Bohužel českou operní tvorbu až tak dopodrobna neznám, ale jistě bych si v Čechách jednou rád také zazpíval.

Jaké máte pracovní plány do budoucna? 

Domnívám se, že v této branži neexistuje žádný definitivní plán. Doufám jen v to, že budu moci zpívat role, které mám v tuto chvíli v repertoáru a že si několik nových do repertoáru také zařadím. Často pracuji a zpívám v Evropě. Pravdou je, že bych si rád zazpíval více také ve Spojených státech…

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Can you please tell us more about your beginning as a singer? (You were formerly french horn player. Do you feel that playing an instrument professionally was an advantage for you prior to your singing career?)

I do think that my time as a horn player definitely helped my musicianship. It gave me a good musical foundation, including reading skills and ear training, as well some aspects of connection to the breath that can be used in singing.

Do you have any song cycles in you repertoire? How do you feel about interpreting songs and other vocal pieces like Brahms’s German Requiem or Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony which I love myself very much…

Since I didn’t study at a conservatory, I unfortunately don’t have much experience with the art song literature. I love doing concert works such as the Brahms and Beethoven 9, but at this point I’m mainly getting work in opera. I do hope to have the opportunity to perform more of the concert repertoire in the future.

Thomas Hall as Scarpia

In April I heard your wonderful Telramund in Warsaw. Most of Telramunds I have seen and heard are very bad guys, a little weak in a way but always determined to serve the King and do only what’s right. Your Telramund was different. Yours was more human and very real. If you think of it there are not just good or just bad people in the world… Who is Telramund to you?

Both of the stage directors that I’ve worked with in Lohengrin productions have wanted Telramund to be seen as a real person. So that has allowed me to try to make the character not quite as one dimensional as he can sometimes be. I see him as someone who is doing what he thinks is right, and saying what he believes to be true, and even though he sees himself as very powerful, he is manipulated by his wife Ortrud. In act 2 he really shows his human side because his life as he’s known it is essentially over. We also see how he is so attached to and controlled by Ortrud, whether it’s because of sexual attraction for her, or just a willingness to be dominated by her.

Which of the Wagner characters you sing is your favorite and why?

The Wagner role that I’ve performed the most so far is the Hollaender. So I’m very comfortable with that role vocally, and having done several different productions now, I feel like I’m getting to know the character as well. Since he is not really a truly human character, he can be portrayed in many different ways, depending on the particular director’s vision. So it’s interesting to explore those differences. Whether he is seen mainly as a supernatural character or as a real human being.

Are there any additional challenges in singing a Wagner role compared to let’s say Italian and French repertoire like Gerard in Andrea Chenier, Iago in Otello or Escamillo in Carmen?

The only non-German role that I’ve done recently was Scarpia in Tosca (Te Deum audio clip). There are similarities to Wagner in that role, in that you have many long sustained phrases over heavy orchestration. The language though is probably the main challenge. Italian roles in general require very legato lines and Italian consonants are for the most part fairly soft. Whereas German diction requires very hard consonants which takes a great deal of energy, support, and air. So there is an adjustment when singing in German so that you can sing with clear diction while keeping your voice in the proper position.

Recently you have sung Jochanaan in Salome at the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo. How was the production like and how did you enjoy working with maestro John Fiore who has also conducted a couple of operas at National Theatre in Prague...

The staging of the opera was very non-traditional, and was not set specifically in the biblical setting or time period. The stage director, Stefan Herheim, had many specific ideas about relationships between the various characters, and showing different types of relationships between men and women in general. It was also nice that the music was of central focus not only of Maestro Fiore as the conductor, but also of the stage director. There was great collaboration on that production. John was wonderful to work with, not only because he really knew every nuance of the score, but also because he knows how to work well with singers.

Most of the US opera houses repertoire seems quite different from the dramaturgy plans of European opera houses. In the USA houses often stage new operas, world premieres; often very interesting new pieces. I have seen a couple of great world premieres myself - in Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. In Europe new operas are very rare. Why do you think is that and what might be the reason for it?

I think that maybe the US and European houses just have different approaches to trying to keep opera as an art form relevant to today. It seems that in general the European theaters try to produce existing pieces in new and innovative ways, while in the US they try to do new works to keep the medium fresh. Although there are many updated productions of standard operas that are performed in the states, the real cutting edge work seems to go into new pieces.

Any specific roles you would like to add in your repertoire? Perhaps any Czech roles…

I definitely hope to do Wotan in the near future. Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with the Czech repertoire, but I would love to have the opportunity to perform a Czech role.

What are your plans for the future?

You can never really make definite plans in this business, but I just hope to continue performing the roles that are currently in my repertoire and to keeping adding to that list. Although I really enjoy working in Europe, I would like to have more opportunities to perform in the US as well.