"Siegfreid" MET on Blu Ray - superb

Posted by John C. - Aussie (A) on July 21, 2014 at 16:41:05

Last night friends came over and we looked at Ring opera no 3. This 4+ hour opera needed a rethink of approach so they came early, we viewed Act 1, had the main meal (accompanied with a nice Aussie red) , Act 2, finished the meal with dessert, and finally Act 3.

Now I was tired and not really looking forward to the event but, it was so good, I got sucked in.

However parts are indeed tedious. A lot of rambling on in Act 1 and the final love scene between Siefried and his lover Aunt (yes it is a ridiculous plot but a fantasy...) must be the longest one in opera. But it sure had its moments.

But what a cast!! Superb singing and acting from all quarters - Gerhard Siegel as Mime, Jay Morris as Siegried, Bryn Terfel as The Wanderer, Eric Owens as Alberich and Deborah Voigt as Brunnhilde. It is difficult to imagine any better.

And the staging was very appropriate with that gigantic 50 ton moving plank mechanism used discretely to act as a screen for the various scenes. No hint of Eurotrash there.

So I must rethink my previous mantra that "you have to be in the right mood" to fully appreciate a musical work. Bottom line is that if the artistry is good enough you will get sucked into the event. That was certainly the case for me last night.

And we shall see how Gotterdammerung works out next month when friends come around again. A comment on this board previously suggests the scenery did not come off so well so we shall see.

So I must enthusiastically recommend both Die Walkure and Siegried of this MET set. We were all less impressed with Das Rheingold and Gotterdammerung waits for appraisal. No argument Wagner's music can sometimes be a bit tedious and long winded but overall it can be captivating.

John

What can be more subjective than music? It reflects our personal tastes and preferences.

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Topic - "Siegfreid" MET on Blu Ray - superb - John C. - Aussie 16:41:05 07/21/14 (1)

Thanks for the review, John. How one imbibes quantities of liquid - tinear 15:22:28 07/22/14 (0)

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