United Kingdom Longborough Pageant Opera [3] – Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists, Lengthy borough Pageant Orchestra / Anthony Negus (conductor). Recorded at Loughborough (directed by Matthew Dilley) on 26.6.2024 and accessible on OperaVision and YouTube till 9.2.2025. (JPr)
I accomplished a Ring cycle, of kinds, in 2023 with Amy Lane’s staging of Götterdämmerung (evaluation right here). It had all begun with Das Rheingold in 2019 however was interrupted by the pandemic which means that the deliberate three full cycles have been delayed till this yr after they befell over successive weeks. This was the third Ring cycle within the comparatively quick historical past of Longborough Pageant Opera and that’s astonishing in itself. In 2021 there was nonetheless social distancing, although Longborough went forward with placing on Amy Lane’s Die Walküre with a restricted viewers (the theatre solely holds 500 anyway), an much more diminished orchestra of 30 and singers avoiding one another in any respect prices on the small stage. I didn’t go to see the Ring this season however caught up with the complete Die Walküre Lane meant for the cycle because of the recording of the efficiency on twenty sixth June and now freely accessible to see and listen to.
Watching it, one of many first phrases that involves thoughts is intimacy, there aren’t any novelties to the filming and it’s as if the efficiency was happening in somebody’s entrance room, albeit a big one. I suppose that’s what this transformed – and now very nicely upholstered barn in Gloucestershire – truly is. The general impression of what I noticed was that – in the principle (and with notable exceptions) – what Lane give us is one thing so easy and conventional that it could have been seen very many occasions earlier than within the opera’s 150 years. There have been no winged helmets or any chariot drawn by rams for Fricka however there have been spears; furs and animal skins (for Siegmund and Hagen); a fireplace and the stump of a tree with a sword so seen in it that it didn’t want the additional illumination it will get a one level; and, amongst a lot else, Wotan has a patch overlaying his left eye.
The general look appears sepia-tinged at occasions with Emma Ryott’s darkish costumes being aided and abetted by Tim Baxter’s video projected in the back of the stage making all of it look as if we had wandered into the illustrations of Arthur Rackham or the work of Casper David Friedrich. Baxter created appreciable ambiance along with his gloomy forests, scudding threatening clouds, foaming waters, sunrises and sunsets, photographs of the moon, starscapes, wooded mountain valleys (with vistas glimpsing a fortress-like Valhalla), in addition to the all-important flames for the ultimate scene. Notably spectacular have been the thundering horses’ hooves for the Valkyries and Wotan. Paying homage to 2021, the orchestra is now 60 (nonetheless on the small aspect for Walküre) and the singers nonetheless appeared to be ‘avoiding one another in any respect prices on the small stage’ typically singing in the direction of one another from reverse sides of it. Rhiannon Newman Brown’s set appeared mainly some shallow steps to both aspect rising to a low platform throughout the again and within the final two acts a small central dais. It was black and appeared because it was supposed to present the looks of basalt rock.
The perfect performing in opera is reperforming and the close-up camerawork typically permits us to understand the work of a forged of consummate singer-actors and there was some spectacular storytelling. In fact, I used to be listening to a recording by means of loudspeakers, however their diction was so impeccable it was attainable to comply with virtually each phrase of the libretto and the singer-friendly accompaniment from Anthony Negus and his Longborough Pageant Orchestra helped. The diminished Walküre orchestration was by Alfons Abbass and had a chamber-like intimacy at occasions although appeared to present full-value to the ‘Journey of the Valkyries’ and ‘Wotan’s Farewell’ when the orchestra sounded pretty much as good as I’ve ever heard it. As earlier than after a measured begin Negus’s Walküre was wealthy intimately and completely paced throughout the three acts. It first allowed ardour to bloom for Siegmund and Sieglinde, earlier than he whipped alongside these Valkyries and ended with some gloriously evocative ‘Magic Hearth Music’.
Reviewed as a standalone efficiency, Amy Lane successfully levels the emotional excessive and lows of the tough relationships over the three Walküre acts: there may be burgeoning incest (Siegmund and Sieglinde), marital discord (Sieglinde/Hunding and Wotan/Fricka) and the love of a father (Wotan) for the daughter (Brϋnnhilde) he should abandon. Nevertheless, sure leitmotifs of her Ring go unexplained or underdeveloped. Firstly, there may be Wotan’s enfeeblement as he seems ailing now and again earlier than pulling himself collectively (an absence of Freia’s golden apples?). There’s additionally, what appears like, a leather-bound journal (Erda’s earthly knowledge foretelling occasions?) he brings on in the beginning of the opera and leaves for Sieglinde. On the finish of the primary act Sieglinde scribbles the be aware that she is leaving Hunding on a web page from it however takes the e-book together with her. That web page appears to achieve Fricka in the beginning of Act II, Sieglinde should drop the e-book as a result of Wotan has it on the finish of that act. There’s quite a lot of overlaying eyes with arms and Wotan and Brϋnnhilde have magical powers. On the finish of the second act Brϋnnhilde initially freezes Hunding together with her hand simply as Wotan does to Siegmund permitting him to get stabbed within the again. It’s truly Sieglinde who now collects Siegmund’s damaged sword. The hyperactive Valkyries are goth-like and seem like attempting to rein-in invisible horses. The small central dais acts as a ‘dock’ surrounded by spears through which Brϋnnhilde is placed on ‘trial’ earlier than being ‘jailed’ inside it by Wotan.
Basically, the singing transcends criticism, nonetheless, I do want these Ring cycles had left us with a legacy of younger Wagner singers who would go on to sing their roles with growing regularity sooner or later. The spotlight of Emma Bell’s wonderful Sieglinde was the second she discovers from Brünnhilde that she is carrying Siegmund’s little one. Bell sang ‘O hehrstes Wunder! Herrlichste Maid!’ (‘O superb miracle! O wondrous maid!’) with all of the radiance this exultant outburst calls for. (At occasions I puzzled how even higher this Walküre might need been had Bell sung Brϋnnhilde.)
The weird (for Wagner) colors and nuance Marc Le Brocq delivered to ‘Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater’ (with iron-lunged cries of ‘Wälse! Wälse!’), ‘Winterstürme wichen dem Mond’ and through the ‘Annunciation of Demise’ duet in Act II with Brünnhilde confirmed it’s attainable to sing a giant position like this lyrically (not less than in Longborough’s small theatre).
Julian Shut’s acquainted baleful bass voice was supreme for his imposing, callous and brutal Hunding. As in 2021 there was a masterclass from Madeleine Shaw – once more shunning all of the black and gray for a chic emerald robe – because the domineering, resolute Fricka who (once more) gave the browbeaten Wotan no likelihood of profitable their home argument. The enthusiastic Valkyries have been clearly well-coached and sang extra evenly than some octets do.
Lee Bisset didn’t actually let anybody down as Brünnhilde regardless of her voice not sounding as contemporary or as safe because it as soon as was. Identical to 2021, as soon as previous her ‘Hojotohos’, acting-wise, her Brünnhilde was very subtly characterised and moved from the feisty innocence of Wotan’s devoted daughter to the damaged – although defiant – determine on the finish.
Repeating his 2021 Wotan too, Paul Carey Jones’s chief god appeared much more grizzled and world-weary and was clearly channelling Sir John Tomlinson’s seminal portrayal of the position. Carey Jones started the Act II scene – when Wotan recounts the Ring story as much as that time – very quietly and employed Sprechstimme for what began like a Shakespeare soliloquy. His Wotan quickly rallied for all of the acquainted anger and bravado as he railed towards his perceived misfortune although he seemed to be manifesting ‘Das Ende!’ somewhat than fearing it.
What one other outstanding Longborough Pageant Opera achievement, do watch it if you happen to can.
Jim Pritchard
Featured Picture: Paul Carey Jones (Wotan), Lee Bisset (Brünnhilde) and Valkyries © Matthew Williams-Ellis
Creatives:
Director – Amy Lane
Set and Props designer – Rhiannon Newman Brown
Costume designer – Emma Ryott
Lighting designer – Charlie Morgan Jones
Video designer – Tim Baxter
Affiliate Lighting designer – Clancy Flynn
Assistant Director – Leo Doulton
Choreographer – Lorena Randi
Solid:
Siegmund – Mark Le Brocq
Sieglinde – Emma Bell
Wotan – Paul Carey Jones
Fricka – Madeleine Shaw
Brünnhilde – Lee Bisset
Hunding – Julian Shut
Gerhilde – Eleanor Dennis
Ortlinde – Cara McHardy
Waltraute – Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
Schwertleite – Verena Gunz
Helmwige – Katie Lowe
Siegrune – Carolyn Dobbin
Grimgerde – Katie Stevenson
Rossweisse – Rozanna Madylus
