The Ring and I
We're doing the Kirov Ring, the so-called first cycle, and I purposefully haven't looked at any reviews until we finish it tonight.
For me, this is something of a discovery of Wagner. I had watched parts of the Met cycle that was televised in the 1980s, but I didn't get through it and I remember being quite puzzled by Siegfried. I think I might have watched Rheingold and then skipped over Die Valkyrie to watch Siegfried, which wouldn't have made much sense. First of all, I'm sure I got lost in the story, and then I was a teenager, and I don't think I quite got what the Siegfried/Mime scene that begins Siegfried was about, on one level--being a teenager, and an annoying one at that, and then doing some of the things you do to grow up: figuring out who you are, leaving the people who raised you, finding love. Seeing all of the operas in order, live, is a powerful experience. Last night, after the week-long hiatus (Rheingold and Valkyrie were last weekend, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung this weekend) I felt a wave of pleasant nostalgia for the set pieces (oh, our giant humanoid forms! oh look, the little creatures with colored lights for faces, or as someone said in intermission last weekend, the teletubbies!), the characters, and especially the themes, which seem like old friends. It's a remarkable achievement, to create something on this scope, and I'm glad I've found it for myself.
The singing has been good and Siegfried last night really showcased the Mime. But the production leaves something to be desired. The blocking is often inexpressive, and the acting ranges from good to tired. The gesturing in particular The gesturing in particular got on my nerves at the beginning, but it has fallen off as the story has moved from the realm of the gods and giants to the actions of humans on earth, and others who chose to move among them for whatever reasons (the dwarfs, the Wanderer).
I look forward to tonight, though I gather it's the longest one. To prepare, a day of planning good snacks and getting a little exercise and rest.
For me, this is something of a discovery of Wagner. I had watched parts of the Met cycle that was televised in the 1980s, but I didn't get through it and I remember being quite puzzled by Siegfried. I think I might have watched Rheingold and then skipped over Die Valkyrie to watch Siegfried, which wouldn't have made much sense. First of all, I'm sure I got lost in the story, and then I was a teenager, and I don't think I quite got what the Siegfried/Mime scene that begins Siegfried was about, on one level--being a teenager, and an annoying one at that, and then doing some of the things you do to grow up: figuring out who you are, leaving the people who raised you, finding love. Seeing all of the operas in order, live, is a powerful experience. Last night, after the week-long hiatus (Rheingold and Valkyrie were last weekend, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung this weekend) I felt a wave of pleasant nostalgia for the set pieces (oh, our giant humanoid forms! oh look, the little creatures with colored lights for faces, or as someone said in intermission last weekend, the teletubbies!), the characters, and especially the themes, which seem like old friends. It's a remarkable achievement, to create something on this scope, and I'm glad I've found it for myself.The singing has been good and Siegfried last night really showcased the Mime. But the production leaves something to be desired. The blocking is often inexpressive, and the acting ranges from good to tired. The gesturing in particular The gesturing in particular got on my nerves at the beginning, but it has fallen off as the story has moved from the realm of the gods and giants to the actions of humans on earth, and others who chose to move among them for whatever reasons (the dwarfs, the Wanderer).
I look forward to tonight, though I gather it's the longest one. To prepare, a day of planning good snacks and getting a little exercise and rest.
posted by jag at 8:45 AM
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