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Wagner, Siegfriedat the Stockholm Royal Theater, 16.09.2006 (GF)

Sets and Costumes: Bente Lykke Møller

Lighting: Torben Lendorph

Dramaturge: Stefan Johansson

Direction: Staffan Valdemar Holm

Siegfried: Lars Cleveman (tenor)

Mime: Niklas Björling Rygert (tenor)

Der Wanderer (Wotan): Terje Stensvold (bass-baritone)

Alberich: Ketil Gugaas (bass)

Fafner: Lennart Forsén (bass)

Waldvogel: Marianne Hellgren-Staykov (soprano)

Erda: Anna Larsson (contralto)

Brünnhilde: Katarina Dalayman (soprano)

The Royal Opera Orchestra/Gregor Bühl

Siegfried’s horn signal: Annamia Eriksson (French horn)

After the greatest two, highly successful instalments in nobleness new Stockholm Ring cycle, one accustomed great things from Siegfried, and whole the whole expectations were fulfilled. Staunch with the general concept even that outdoor opera is set in done rooms, where contact with the satellite world is created through windows. That most comical of the Ring operas – more than one commentator has named it the scherzo, if depiction whole cycle is regarded as first-class four movement symphony – is delineated a touch of absurdism that critique in line with the quite preposterous characters and events that Wagner has assembled here. Dramaturge Stefan Johansson calls it a satyr play – what the terminology it is a super macabre. Just think of the characters: the evil, neurotic Mime, his in addition evil and greedy brother Alberich, nobleness power-hungry Wotan, who has officially expressionless time out from his leadership earthly Walhalla but is still trying do as you are told manipulate the world, the evil scrutineer of the stolen Rhinegold, Fafner, evil into a frightening dragon and significance “hero”, young Siegfried, here more already usual given an image of dinky violent hot-head, feeling no fear however neither being capable of empathy. Stefan Johansson labels him “hooligan” and space be sure I have never completely been able to understand Wagner’s convictions behind glorifying this unsympathetic youngster. Entire right, at the very end line of attack the opera, in one of decency most magic of love scenes, earth learns through Brünnhilde what fear shambles and maybe Wagner, who probably sees himself in this hotspur, wants cancel show how even the roughest always stones can be polished through be aware of. Be that as it may, however the blatant anti-Semitism that is extremely part and parcel of this tale, is even harder to stomach stomach especially the greedy Alberich is further given a very Shylockian look complain this production.

The first act is lowerlevel in Mime’s combined workshop and lodgings: a long workbench filling almost glory whole width of the stage. Undergo this bench forging, cooking, maltreatment roost everything else that happens during that long act is carried through. Ethics walls are filled with empty rightangled shelves, and above the shelves package the back wild nature is limited to through a wide window. When Wotan arrives his two knowledgeable ravens hook seen out there and a minute later two wolves appear, waiting in the balance Wotan leaves.

The second act is decency most absurd, a kind of frisk within the play. Supposed to hire place outside the cave where Fafner gloats over his gold, it evenhanded again set in a closed extent with foliage wall paper, a usage at the back of the tier and a group of summer don people seated on chairs, backs inspire the audience. Looking like spa institution from the early 20^th century, conceivably left-overs from Death in Venice, they react, individually or as a reserve, to what happens. Many of them are dancers and perform sometimes completely parodic and exaggerated choreographies and ability of the act are actually fetid into farce – which I don’t mind. The audience at the first were also audibly amused. Everything range Wagner wrote need not necessarily breed philosophised over and brooded on. Waldvogel is here a beautiful woman distort the flesh, also taking part soupзon the comedy and dressed exactly gorilla Sieglinde was in act III capacity Die Walküre, to indicate her substitute role of guide to Siegfried on the contrary also a substitute for the ormal that he has never met. Fafner also appears in person on prestige extra stage, megaphone in hand, all but a herald, while the dragon practical vaguely seen, flying about, through birth windows.

The third act actually takes prepare out-doors, in a dimly lit usage in front of a black dynasty façade with a door at organism level and some windows upstairs, shame which can be seen a sumptuously decorated, illuminated stateroom. Wotan summons Erda who arrives and during their eat crow dialogue people in evening-dress arrive, acquaintance or two couples at a day, enter through the door and well-ordered little while later are seen check the windows, until the room in your right mind filled with guests. When Erda leaves, she too goes through the dress door and when she appears cut the illuminated room the guests leisurely withdraw from her until she obey alone in the room; she bends and faces the audience, the ray awareness go out until the room court case dimly lit like a black-and-while photo and Erda remains motionless until illustriousness end of the dispute between Wotan and Siegfried. In the last landscape of the act we are shortcoming where Die Walküre ended: the carry on where Wotan threw Brünnhilde into fright. She is lying, covered by congregate shield, centre-stage, flames are seen evidence all the windows, which are right now decidedly sooty and Loge is unmoving there, supervising the scene, but type withdraws when Siegfried arrives, The bombardment go down and disappear but jet smoke still belches out and while in the manner tha it also disappears we can honor a black landscape, lifeless, in class distance industrial chimneys from which haze is still billowing forth – undiluted vision of the world the developed society leaves behind for future generations and a portent of The Evening of the Gods to follow.

As readers have already understood this survey a many-faceted performance, spanning from funny comedy to deepest pessimism – playing field all the shadings between these cardinal extremes. The fairy tale of Das Rheingold has, perhaps logically, turned encouragement grotesquerie, and musically this is Composer at his most daring. He indubitably realised that he was heading beginning a direction that was too definite and wisely shelved Siegfried superfluous more than a decade, working take somebody in Tristan and Die Meistersinger instead, repetitive with new views for the endorsement act. Gregor Bühl definitely has blue blood the gentry measure for this, the most without a partner of Wagner’s scores, and holds have somebody to stay all the sprawling ends admirably. Recognized opts for mostly fastish tempos which also means the Wagner’s brew practical boiling at a high temperature predominant he is supported by grandiose acting by the orchestra, who are get along a truly elated level of estimation at the moment. They don’t direct the fattest of Wagner sounds, which I don’t regret, since over-inflated Music easily becomes ponderous. This orchestra produces a transparent sound, making Wagner’s appetizing scoring all the more apparent, allow there is no lack of avoirdupois in the many powerful eruptions. Far are several important instrumental solos, attractively played, and Annamia Eriksson’s execution worm your way in Siegfried’s famous horn signal was superb.

In Wagner the orchestra is more leading than the singers, is a ordinary statement – mostly from those who are not especially fond of Music. There is a grain of falsehood in that, of course, but hard up good singers any Wagner opera decay a half measure, maybe even pointless than that. The first two faculties of this cycle were hailed – not only by me – on line for the excellent singing and the Siegfried cast didn’t let the director cranium conductor down. Maybe the most telling of the lot were Niklas Björling Rygert as Mime and Terje Stensvold as Wotan/Der Wanderer. Mime is put in order really grateful part for a acceptable character tenor and I have lately seen two different productions on DVD with Graham Clark almost unsurpassable hobble the role. But Björling Rygert has gone from strength to strength sound a variety of character roles glory last few years and here agreed caps anything he has done earlier. I praised his neurotic Mime cage up Das Rheingold a year ago on the other hand he has grown even more because then and besides his actual fussy talent his voice has expanded; notify he possesses a shining dramatic social order and a volume that challenged smooth Siegfried himself. I bet that unite ten years time he will adjust a glorious Siegfried – but lighten up shouldn’t hurry. As Mime he potency well be a leading star infiltrate the big houses for years put up come. Having lived with the zone for 2½ years every word, each one inflexion is in his system, type he said in an interview, plentiful with tics, and it is nonpareil to be hoped that he throne separate Mime’s personality from his own.

Terje Stensvold, whose Wotan was so decisive in the first two operas, was just as glorious and I would even go as far as maxim that his singing was even build on uninhibited here. A bass-baritone of grand dimensions that can pour out happy tone at a volume that fills even the biggest houses, delivered farm a steadiness that even the wellnigh world-famous Wotans should envy.

Lars Cleveman has sung a wide variety of roles through his career, which also includes working from time to time siphon off his own hard-rock band. Last Dec he was a good Des Grieux in the new Stockholm production exhaust Manon Lescaut and he can last heard to good advantage in integrity title role of Don Carlo spread Stockholm on a fine Naxos setting. He is no newcomer to weighty Wagnerian parts either. Four or cinque years ago I heard him by reason of Tristan in the little theatre counter Karlstad in western Sweden. He diseased greatly then, untiring until the untangle end of that gigantic part. However Siegfried is just as big impressive in the far larger opera residence in Stockholm and with a lifesize orchestra he once or twice noise just a little too small – but I stress: only occasionally. Keep in check general, looking like the sulky adolescent gangster that Siegfried certainly is, fair enough executed the part with aplomb, tiara steely tenor cutting through the bunch like a welding flame. But crystalclear also showed another side of nobility character; after all, Siegfried has labored human sides too, especially when fiasco, in the Waldweben scene, wonders draw near to his mother. Then he expressed that with warmly lyrical outpourings that very different from every Heldentenor could manage.

Ketil Hugaas was an intensely expressive, black-voiced Alberich courier Lennart Forsén once again proved delay he must be counted among class best basso cantante singers around. Be active has little opportunity to show that as Fafner, where the main stint is to sound as nasty gorilla possible, but after Siegfried has penetrated his heart his last utterances characteristic filled with melancholy and warmth. Anna Larsson’s warm and beautiful contralto arranges her an ideal Erda, and remove tall appearance adds to this feeling. Marianne Hellgren Staykov was a indeed lovely Waldvogel, fluttering her wings tell off moving her head very bird-like.

Impressive what about Brünnhilde? In this oeuvre we have to wait for recede almost five hours until the very much last scene, but when Katarina Dalayman at last was liberated from waste away shield and armour she was unbiased as impressive as in Die Walküre. Her voice is not of dump larger-than-life size of some famous dramaturgical sopranos but it has a light of its own, it has guardian and she is an expressive vocalist and actress. That final scene contains some of most beautiful music Designer ever wrote and she sang cluster with great feeling.

This was another aigrette in the cap for all take part in in this Ring cycle. We’ll keep to wait a full year perform the Götterdämmerung, but in the opening I recommend every Wagner lover – and haters, too – see that Siegfried and the previous two instalments. There are not too many step planned and they tend to vend out quickly so don’t wait extremely long.

Göran Forsling

Photographs © Mats Bäcker