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

Smetanův operní skvost Tajemství v Ostravě!

 

Po nedávných inscenacích oper Bedřicha Smetany – Čertova stěna (2014) a Braniboři v Čechách (2016) – se na ostravské jeviště nyní dostává předposlední dokončená opera již těžce nemocného Bedřicha Smetany Tajemství, která bývá považována za jeho nejlepší operní kompozici! Inscenace je připravována pro uvedení kompletního cyklu Smetanových oper Smetanovský operní cyklus 2024.

V roce 2024 uplyne dvě stě let od narození Bedřicha Smetany a připomeneme si i sté výročí Roku české hudby, jehož základ byl ostatně položen v roce 1924 také ke Smetanovu výročí. V rámci připravovaného Smetanovského operního cyklu přivedlo NDM na jeviště Divadla Antonína Dvořáka již poslední dokončenou Smetanovu operu Čertova stěna (2014) a prvotinu Braniboři v Čechách (2016), nyní následuje Tajemství (2017). 

 

 Lucie Kašpárková (Blaženka, dcera Malinova), Ondřej Koplík (Vít, syn Kalinův, myslivec); Foto: Martin Popelář 

Jádrem komických oper Bedřicha Smetany bývají komplikace provázející ústřední milenecký pár, v pozdních operách přetavený směrem ke zralým a většinou o to problematičtějším vztahům. „Tajemství je opera o vztazích, konkrétně o okolnostmi přetrženém vztahu Kaliny a Rózy, který se po dvaceti létech komplikovaně urovnává, přičemž na povrch vyplouvají staré křivdy, animozity, osočování a emoce. Tento osobní konflikt dokonce přerůstá v nevraživost celých rodin a jejich příznivců a málem rozbije i začínající vztah mladého páru Blaženky a Víta. Až sestup do podzemí spojený s bezprostředním ohrožením života přiměje Kalinu vidět věci z jiné perspektivy,“ uvádí režisér inscenace Tomáš Studený.

„Naše inscenace je tradičně zasazena do prostředí romantického Bezdězu, vonícího chmelem, propleteného rostlinným motivem upomínajícím na purpurové maliny a zelenobílé kaliny,“ doplňuje dramaturgyně Eva Mikulášková.

Josef Škarka (Bonifác, vysloužilec, Kalinův výměnkář), Lucie Kašpárková (Blaženka, dcera Malinova), Anna Nitrová (Panna Róza, sestra Malinova), Martin Gurbaľ (Malina, konšel);  Foto: Martin Popelář

Svatopluk Sem (Kalina, konšel); Foto: Martin Popelář

V rámci snahy o co nejkvalitnější vyznění díla posílil soubor opery sbor bezmála o šedesát členů a přizval také členy Operního studia NDM a baletu NDM. Diváci se mohou na Smetanovy barvité harmonie i na ztvárnění v „klasickém duchu“.

Hudebního nastudování se ujal hudební ředitel opery NDM Jakub Klecker, sbory vede Jurij Galatenko, kostýmy navrhla Eva Jiřikovská. Autorem scény je scénograf, kostýmní výtvarník a člen souboru činohry David Janošek: „Význam podstaty tajemství, které v sobě automaticky nese zvědavost, hledání, pátrání, cestu za poznáním, jsme zakódovali i do tvaru a rozložení jeviště samotného – rozehráváme hru na jevišti, pod jevištěm… cest je spousta. Tam všude a ještě dál může být ukryto tajemství; tajemství, o kterém hrajeme, procesí odněkud někam, cesta, kterou musíme představením urazit, abychom přinejmenším tajemství této opery odhalili,“ říká.

V hlavních rolích se divákům představí Martin Bárta / Svatopluk Sem (Kalina), Lucie Hilscherová / Anna Nitrová (Panna Róza), Martin Gurbaľ / Pavel Vančura (Malina), Lucie Kašpárková
/ Jana Sibera (Blaženka), Tomáš Černý / Ondřej Koplík (Vít) a další.

Premiéry se uskuteční 27. a 29. dubna v 18.30 hodin v Divadle Antonína Dvořáka.