Ahh, opening night. It was a fine evening, the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera. I was delighted and grateful for the experience. Something to remember.
As for the performance, no review is objective. Every review must at best be a deeply personal set of impressions, no matter how carefully measured.
To be honest, I am not a fan of opera. And full versions of the Ring cycle are among my least favorite listening delights no matter how "posh" and "mod" the production is (sorry Inspector Morse).
Instead, I prefer the late, great Anna Russell and her incomparable explanation of the Ring. Here in word, and sound.
Hojotoho
10 comments:
An unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text, sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English-speaking audiences.
Thanks for the post.
“I have witnessed and greatly enjoyed the first act of everything that Wagner created, but the effect on me has always been so powerful that one act was sufficient; whenever I have witnessed two acts I have gone away physically exhausted; and whenever I have ventured an entire opera the result has been the next thing to suicide.” -Mark Twain
I 2nd and 3rd that.
Mr. Wagner has beautiful moments but bad quarters of an hour.
The eyes and ears of the music world were supposed to be magnetized by this epochal Rheingold. As a quixotic fate would have it, the ears fared better than the eyes. Much better.
Oh dear. That was most disappointing. Overall, a dramatically (as in drama) lackluster, even phlegmatic, performance from all, Jimmy and the band included.
Earplugs, an underated invention.
Thank you for your blissfully short post and the links. I have ordered both the CD and DVD after listening. Even our teenagers liked the soundtrack. Ms. Russell is a treasure.
Wagner's title is properly rendered in English as The Ring of the Nibelung. The Nibelung of the title is the dwarf Alberich, and the Ring in question is the one he fashions from the Rhinegold. The title therefore denotes "Alberich's Ring".[1] In German the '-en' ending of 'Nibelungen' and the article 'des' preceding it denotes the possessive (genitive) case; mistaking 'Nibelungen' as a plural and calling the cycle The Ring of the Nibelungs, as occasionally happens, is incorrect.
Thank you for your input. I do know. Thank you for your input. I do know. The (miss)spelling was intentional.:-)
Great blog!
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