Davide Livermore’s original new production is set in 1940’s and is excitingly visualised by D-Wok’s videos. Sets created with stunning video projection pave the way for opera’s future. The orchestra is smaller than usual for Wagner, but the recreation of the original orchestra sound with original instruments enhances the texture of the Gestamtkunstwerk of great singing blending with music and text.
Wagner’s Ring Cycle is criticised as being racist. The subtitles are in French and English. Some of the German text with pejorative remarks against the Niebelungen are not translated. Only those understanding German can appreciate Monaco’s cleansing of the translation.
A boy writes a story on a piece of paper which he throws as a dart into the sky. At each scene change he continues his fairy-tale, throwing another dart.
The dart becomes a plane losing control in a storm and crashing into the Rhine. Bodies and luggage float upwards. Three Rhinemaidens sit on the crashed fuselage, when Alberich, the plane’s pilot, crawls out of the wreckage. They tempt and taunt Alberich mercilessly; each cruelly rejects him. The Rhinemaidens are not very bright. Revealing that the gold can only be taken by someone who renounces love, Alberich renounces love and takes the gold.
Meanwhile, the head God, Wotan, is in financial trouble. He cannot pay his builders, giants Fasolt and Fafner, for the castle they built. Valhalla. Wotan sacrifices Freia, his wife Fricka’s sister, as payment. Fricka is furious. He sends Loge, the FireGod, to Niebelheim to steal the Rhinegold to pay his debt, and release Freia. Meanwhile underground in Niebelheim, Alberich has already forged a magic helmet (TarnHelm) and a Ring out of the gold. Alberich is tricked into parting with the Ring and casts a fearsome curse on anyone in possession of it.
Wotan is greedy, likes power, and is a womaniser (the Valkyries are his illegitimate children). All that follows is his fault for reneging on the building contract, despite the spin, using Alberich as the fall guy.
There are some minor quibbles about the production. The Tarnhelm as a pistol is less effective than a magical helmet. Erda should ascend from earth where she lives but descends from the wrecked plane. The subject matter is not a child’s fairy-tale, the Rhinemaiden’s abuse of Alberich, theft, fearsome curse, adultery, murder (Fafner kills Fasolt), and incest in the next instalment (Die Walküre) to name but a few.
Singers make or break an opera. This cast provides stunning singing, particularly from Russian mezzo Ekaterina Semunchuk and young Turkish/German mezzo Deniz Uzun.
Semunchuk is one of the world’s finest mezzos. ‘Weiche, Wotan’ -Erda’s warning -, only lasts four minutes, but is a singing masterclass of thrilling, true rich mezzo sound. This is luxury casting – she usually sings far bigger roles but provides the best singing of the show.
Uzun was a late replacement for Fricka. A multi-prizewinner, her voice has matured significantly over the last three years. It is a stunning, velvet sound with intelligent characterisation of the text. An excellent future awaits.
Hungarian bass-baritone Péter Kálmán, is terrific as (very tall dwarf) Alberich, both vocally and physically, although occasionally the top register is tight. One really believes in his character. His curse is especially powerful.
Austrian tenor Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke as Loge and German tenor Michael Laurenz as Mime are both outstanding with intelligent interpretation and faultless singing.
Turkish baritone Kartal Karagedik as Donner, Bosnian tenor Omer Kobiliak as Froh, British bass David Soar as Fasolt and German bass Wilhelm Schwinghammer are all excellent younger-generation singers with good future prospects.
Singing his first Wagner role, British baritone Christopher Purves as Wotan is the weakest link.
French local soprano Mélissa Petit as Freia, looking like Marilyn Monroe, doubling up as a Rhinemaiden, gives a spirited performance.
This is a highly recommended original take on Rheingold. The whole performance is available on YouTube in sound only. Multiple photos show the powerful video effects.
PROLOGUE TO DER RING DES NIEBELUNGEN
Salle Garnier Opéra de Monte Carlo
Opera de Monte Carlo Salle Garnier
Music and libretto by Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Conducted by Gian-Luca Capuano
Directed by Davide Livermore
Videos by D-Wok
First performance Theatre Royal, Munich, 22 September 1869
Photo Credit Marco Borelli
Cast includes Christopher Purves, Karal Karagedik, Omer Kobiljak, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, David Soar, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Péter Kálmán, Michael Laurenz, Deniz Uzun, Mélissa Petit, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Kayleigh Decker, Alexandra Kadurina.
Running time 2 hours 35 minutes without interval.
23rd February 2025