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Sofia Ring
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Mike Scott Rohan
Jun 13, 2013, 12:43:14 PM6/13/13
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I've just been shown some excerpts, sans voice, from the Sofia Opera's new Ring staging, their first ever. The effect....
"Colourful" doesn't half cover it. The aura and style are not unlike the Valencia ring, using projections liberally -- including what looks like 1970s Dr Who credit titles -- but with far more action and vigour than Valencia. Something of the grotesque circus look of the current San Francisco staging, too, with the Rhinemaidens on a trampoline, the Valkyries sci-fi harpies perched on rocket nacelles; but without the distortions. In fact, in the first three at least (Gotterdammerung follows next week) it seems to be playing Wagner dead straight, for all its visual peculiarities, and making an honest attempt to tell Wagner's story and fulfil his dramatic directions, with some degree of magical and mythical grandeur. The dragon appears not to be literal, but much else is. I would certainly sooner sit through this than most -- it actually looks like fun.
As to voices, that's impossible to say -- nobody I immediately recognise in the video, though I shall be looking this up. Brunnhilde looks distinctly oriental, though of what type it's hard to say -- very like an Uzbek friend of mine, though. But I've enountered the Sofia company before, though not in Wagner, and they tend to field big, beefy old-fashioned voices, not necessarily subtle but no disaster either. One remembers Christoff and Ghiaurov were both Bulgars.
Anyhow, there's a short chunk coming up on Youtube -- try Der ring-Wagner-Sofia. Very interesting, if as I hope they repeat it. The only trouble is, I remember Bulgarian cooking....
Cheers,
Mike
"Colourful" doesn't half cover it. The aura and style are not unlike the Valencia ring, using projections liberally -- including what looks like 1970s Dr Who credit titles -- but with far more action and vigour than Valencia. Something of the grotesque circus look of the current San Francisco staging, too, with the Rhinemaidens on a trampoline, the Valkyries sci-fi harpies perched on rocket nacelles; but without the distortions. In fact, in the first three at least (Gotterdammerung follows next week) it seems to be playing Wagner dead straight, for all its visual peculiarities, and making an honest attempt to tell Wagner's story and fulfil his dramatic directions, with some degree of magical and mythical grandeur. The dragon appears not to be literal, but much else is. I would certainly sooner sit through this than most -- it actually looks like fun.
As to voices, that's impossible to say -- nobody I immediately recognise in the video, though I shall be looking this up. Brunnhilde looks distinctly oriental, though of what type it's hard to say -- very like an Uzbek friend of mine, though. But I've enountered the Sofia company before, though not in Wagner, and they tend to field big, beefy old-fashioned voices, not necessarily subtle but no disaster either. One remembers Christoff and Ghiaurov were both Bulgars.
Anyhow, there's a short chunk coming up on Youtube -- try Der ring-Wagner-Sofia. Very interesting, if as I hope they repeat it. The only trouble is, I remember Bulgarian cooking....
Cheers,
Mike
Mike Scott Rohan
Jun 13, 2013, 1:25:58 PM6/13/13
to
Further to this, the longer excerpts I saw have also turned up on Youtube, 6 minutes each, under the names of the individual operas, and with voices etc.
And I must say I'm rather encouraged. There's more of Siegfried, and things get a bit sillier there, but remain promising. Wotan looks porcine, but has the presence, vocal and physical, if a bit rough; Brunnhilde looks rather mature, but has a nice tone, and there are some very promising tenors. Alberich is just rough, Mime a bit underpowered, but only Sieglinde sounds off -- and makes the *strangest* noise when Siegmund withdraws the sword. I'm still intrigued and will follow this up.
Cheers,
Mike
And I must say I'm rather encouraged. There's more of Siegfried, and things get a bit sillier there, but remain promising. Wotan looks porcine, but has the presence, vocal and physical, if a bit rough; Brunnhilde looks rather mature, but has a nice tone, and there are some very promising tenors. Alberich is just rough, Mime a bit underpowered, but only Sieglinde sounds off -- and makes the *strangest* noise when Siegmund withdraws the sword. I'm still intrigued and will follow this up.
Cheers,
Mike
Bert Coules
Jun 13, 2013, 1:55:52 PM6/13/13
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I've just watched the Siegfried extracts. Yes, there are sillinesses but my
word, it does looks interesting. Unfortunately, it's presented in the wrong
aspect ratio, at least on my system, so there's a bit of a bar to
appreciating it fully: I'm going to download this and the others and tweak
the playback to get a better picture.
I do like the shades of Siegmund and Sieglinde watching their son forge his
sword, but Wotan's bouncing-ball world globe is perhaps a step too far, not
to mention impractical to carry during all that wandering. Maybe he
deflates it and only blows it up again on special occasions.
Thanks for the link, Mike.
Bert
word, it does looks interesting. Unfortunately, it's presented in the wrong
aspect ratio, at least on my system, so there's a bit of a bar to
appreciating it fully: I'm going to download this and the others and tweak
the playback to get a better picture.
I do like the shades of Siegmund and Sieglinde watching their son forge his
sword, but Wotan's bouncing-ball world globe is perhaps a step too far, not
to mention impractical to carry during all that wandering. Maybe he
deflates it and only blows it up again on special occasions.
Thanks for the link, Mike.
Bert
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