Germany Tiroler Festspiele Erl – Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists and orchestra of the Tyrolean Pageant Erl / Erik Nielsen (conductor). Passionsspielhaus Erl, 24.7.2024. (DMD)

Within the Tyrolean village of Erl, Ardour Performs have been going down because the seventeenth century. In 1959, the present Ardour Play pageant theatre was constructed, the place the fervour performs are carried out each six years. In 1998, it was provided to be used to musician and conductor Gustav Kuhn for the summer time months (no indoor heating) of the years it was not used for the Ardour Performs, and in 2012, an adjoining Pageant Theatre was constructed to be used in winter and the years of the Ardour Play. Kuhn’s seasons have been artistically very spectacular. Nonetheless, in 2018 a scandal broke regarding enterprise practices and sexual misconduct within the wake of the #MeToo motion. Kuhn resigned, and after an interim interval, Bernd Loebe (creative director of Frankfurt Opera) took over. He managed to guide the pageant with each its phases into a brand new period of success. Overseeing the manufacturing of the Ring cycle (directed by Brigitte Fassbaender) was central to his period. From the 2024/25 season on, Jonas Kaufman will take over as creative director.

Since Brigitte Fassbaender retired from her acclaimed worldwide profession as a mezzo-soprano in 1995, she has devoted her life to directing opera. In her strategy she emphasizes consideration to the element of the characters’ motivations and their ensuing interplay. This was most evident in her manufacturing of Die Walküre as a part of the entire Ring cycle proven on the Tyrolean Pageant in Erl this 12 months. Stage designer Kaspar Glarner and video artist Bibi Abel used the again and sides of the huge stage of the Ardour Play constructing as projection surfaces all through, with patterns reflecting these on the somewhat typical furnishings in Hunding’s up to date front room for Act I, the huge expanse of the fort of Valhalla for Act II (with a easy plastic backyard desk and chair for Wotan) and an area with small lake (utilized by the Valkyries to scrub the lifeless troopers on their arrival from earth earlier than they led them on to Valhalla, bare) within the neighborhood of Valhalla, surrounded by mountains and clouds for Act III.

The performing was very nuanced all through. Hunding was a comparatively younger man, burly, uncouth, and behaved consistent with the conventions that include that basic nature. He was as real (not knowingly nasty) about concerning Sieglinde as his possession as he was concerning the honour of his hospitality and the obligation of revenge. He requested for Fricka’s help as a result of that was the traditional factor to do in his state of affairs, and he acknowledged her help with typical gratitude for a assured service. Two of his huntsman mates have been with him when he arrived at house. They weren’t notably fascinated about his spouse, not shocked on the tough approach he behaved in the direction of her: he had most likely taken them house as a result of they have been hungry after having been known as by Hunding’s relations for the revenge – when Sieglinde introduced meals for all, they gulped theirs down as if they’d not eaten for a very long time.

A lot of the element of the character interplay was apparent from very particular gestures. For instance, when Siegmund sang ‘Die Sonne lacht mir nun neu’, with a minute gesture in the direction of Sieglinde, she responded with an expression of shocked happiness (no one had ever paid her a praise earlier than in all her life), turning right into a shy gesture implying: ‘Are you referring to me?’ to which he signalled, equally shyly, ‘Sure’.

The orchestra was positioned behind a gauze curtain in the back of the stage on a raked space. Massive screens in entrance of the stage allowed for visible communication of the singers with the conductor. Conductor Erik Nielsen selected constantly brisk tempi with out sounding hurried. Music from the varied sections of the orchestra was properly built-in, with cello and double bass strings offering a very sonorous foundation.

Some sopranos solid as Sieglinde show heavier vocal materials, prompting feedback a couple of future Brünnhilde already shining via, and certainly, some have each Sieglinde and Brünnhilde of their repertory. As for Irina Simmes, she sang an intensely lyrical Sieglinde, which was very convincing in its personal proper. She was regular throughout registers and didn’t stretch past her restrict within the outbursts, notably in ‘O hehrstes Wunder!’. Marco Jentzsch struggled towards wobble and points with intonation till the robust cries of ‘Wälse!’, his singing enhancing significantly from then on. He was particularly robust within the shiny higher register of his voice, which doesn’t have (nor does it want) a lot of a baritonal foundation. His robust method allowed him to cowl areas within the decrease register that can strengthen with time. Anthony Robin Schneider sang Hunding with nice ease, relishing his capacity to supply lengthy phrases with an abundance of breath obtainable.

Simon Bailey was a very musical Wotan, modulating every phrase with appreciable consideration and making use of the total vary of vocal quantity, supported by the acoustics of the venue. Bianca Andrew sang Fricka with a full mezzo voice. Christiane Libor was a robust Brünnhilde. Her voice was compelling within the jubilant exclamations of ‘Hojotoho’ in Act II, light, authoritative and transferring in her summons to Siegmund, and suitably passionate in her exchanges with Wotan, comforting him in Act II and pleading in Act III. The eight singers of the Valkyries made most of their transient contributions.

The pageant’s creative supervisor, Bernd Loebe, made a short look on stage earlier than Act III to excuse one of many Valkyries who had injured her leg that morning. He mentioned the corporate was like household, and with a nod to the truth that Kaufmann might be taking up his place subsequent season, exited with a wistful ‘see you round’.

Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe

Featured Picture: Passionsspielhaus von Robert Schuller und Festspielhaus von Delugan Meissl Related Architects in Erl © Peter Kitzbichler

Manufacturing:
Route – Brigitte Fassbaender
Stage and Costume design – Kaspar Glarner
Lighting design – Jan Hartmann
Video – Bibi Abel
Dramaturgy – Mareike Wink

Solid:
Sieglinde –Irina Simmes
Siegmund – Marco Jentzsch
Hunding – Anthony Robin Schneider
Wotan – Simon Bailey
Brünnhilde – Christiane Libor
Fricka – Bianca Andrew
Gerhilde – Mojca Bitenc
Ortlinde – Nina Tarandek
Waltraute – Karolina Makula
Schwertleite – Marvic Monreal
Helmwige – Ilia Staple
Siegrune – Helene Feldbauer
Grimgerde – Sarah Mehnert
Rossweisse – Anna-Katharina Tonauer
Loge – Ian Koziara