Which Ring is this?

[Bert Coules]

Can anyone identify this DVD Ring for me, please? I haven't seen the whole
thing and would like to. A few of the moments which have stayed with me:

In the dawn duet in G�tterd�mmerung, Siegfried and Br�nnhilde perform in
1876-style Bayreuth costumes in front of a backcloth painted with that era's
style of scenery. They might have been inside a picture-frame, too, or
maybe it was a small prosc arch.

Grane is a child's-toy horse's head on a stick.

The journey down the Rhine is staged in front of (and in) a giant cubical
structure which slowly revolves as Siegfried paddles it while leaning out of
a window.

Any ideas? Many thanks.

[REP]

On Sunday, May 19, 2013 5:28:15 PM UTC-7, Bert Coules wrote:
> Can anyone identify this DVD Ring for me, please? I haven't seen the whole
>
> thing and would like to. A few of the moments which have stayed with me:
>
>
>

> In the dawn duet in G�tterd�mmerung, Siegfried and Br�nnhilde perform in

>
> 1876-style Bayreuth costumes in front of a backcloth painted with that era's
>
> style of scenery. They might have been inside a picture-frame, too, or
>
> maybe it was a small prosc arch.
>
>
>
> Grane is a child's-toy horse's head on a stick.
>
>
>
> The journey down the Rhine is staged in front of (and in) a giant cubical
>
> structure which slowly revolves as Siegfried paddles it while leaning out of
>
> a window.
>
>
>
> Any ideas? Many thanks.

I googled 'Der Ring des Nibelungen hobbyhorse' and got this:

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Nibelungen-Rootering-Zagrosek-Stuttgart/dp/B00068WRH0

One of the reviewers describes Grane as being "represented on stage by a hobby horse, a cutout horse head on a stick".

REP

[Bert Coules]

REP wrote:

> I googled 'Der Ring des Nibelungen hobbyhorse' and got this:

Thanks so much for that. For some reason, the word "hobbyhorse" escaped me
when I did my own search.

If anyone else is interested (and ACD, you'll love this, I *know* it) there
are video clips, including the end of the dawn duet, at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dx35oNWwTQ

I see that my memory was correct about the costumes, backdrop and Grane but
wrong when it came to the frame or prosc arch. How could I have forgotten
that they were standing on tables?

Now to track down the whole thing...

[Bert Coules]

Ah, a bit of preliminary research reveals that this was the Ring done with
four different production teams. Strange idea, but maybe it works overall.

[REP]

On Sunday, May 19, 2013 7:06:36 PM UTC-7, Bert Coules wrote:
> Ah, a bit of preliminary research reveals that this was the Ring done with
>
> four different production teams. Strange idea, but maybe it works overall.

Such an idea never occurred to me, but I like it. I think I'd rather hedge my bets and get an uneven Ring by different directors than one that I dislike across the boards. Maybe the next Met Ring...

Speaking of which, the 2017 LePage revival is officially canceled.

REP

[Bert Coules]

REP wrote:

> Such an idea never occurred to me, but I like it.

On reflection, it's not that much odder than having more than one Wotan,
Siegfried or whatever, though I suspect that four different design concepts
will be more jarring than four different directorial approaches.

> ...the 2017 LePage revival is officially canceled.

Was that to have been the next outing for it? Nothing scheduled between now
and then? If so, it's a pity, I would like to have seen it.

[Jay Kauffman]

The Le Page Ring was completely cancelled some time ago as I reported here - never to be seen again it will be replaced by a new Ring in 2017 Wagner Fan

[REP]

Yes, 2017 was its next scheduled revival. And I've heard that it was only revived this season because of the Wagner anniversary. I think the Met would have preferred to keep it in storage for a while until New York audiences were craving Wagner again. Sales were lackluster this season.

Regarding Wagnerfan's promise of a new Ring in 2017, I don't have my fingers crossed, nor have I heard anything. I almost think the Met's best course is to put off doing the Ring again until audiences are screaming for it.

REP

[A.C. Douglas]

On Sunday, May 19, 2013 10:06:36 PM UTC-4, Bert Coules wrote:
> Ah, a bit of preliminary research reveals that this was the Ring done with
>
> four different production teams. Strange idea, but maybe it works overall.

That would be the Staatsoper Stuttgart _Ring_ of 2000. The DVD can be had through Amazon (US) at:

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Nibelungen-Rootering-Zagrosek-Stuttgart/dp/B00068WRH0

ACD

[A.C. Douglas]

NO new _Ring_ in 2017, and Gelb is threatening to bring back the Lepage _Ring_ for the 2018-2019 season.

The man just can't accept his colossal blunder.

ACD

[A.C. Douglas]

From the NYT, 17 May 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/18/arts/music/the-met-packs-up-its-notorious-ring-machine.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1369018835-0fdtiy69QRanKRj8fGiOtA

=== Begin Quote ===
Mr. Gelb said in a telephone interview that he was working on plans for the 2017-18 season and that they did not include the “Ring.” But after declaring that plans can always be changed, he said, “I would not bet against it being in ’18-19.”

“What I didn’t anticipate when I planned it for the ’16-17 season was a certain amount of ‘Ring’ fatigue as a result of having played it this season, last season and then the season before,” he said, noting that the Lepage productions of “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre” were introduced in the 2010-11 season. “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung” followed in 2011-12.

“In the past,” he said, “that would have been it” for three to five years. “But because of the Wagner bicentennial” this year, “I decided to bring it back immediately.” He said he then concluded that “it would be more exciting if we held it” from the 2016-17 season.

“It made sense to wait,” he said, before repeating that Met audiences had not seen the last of the Lepage “Ring.”

“I don’t want you to think we’re not going to bring it back,” he said, “because we are.”
=== End Quote ===

--
ACD
http://www.soundsandfury.com/

[Jay Kauffman]

Absolutely terrible - don't buy it Wagner fan

[Bert Coules]

AC Douglas wrote:

> That would be the Staatsoper Stuttgart _Ring_ of 2000.

> The DVD can be had through Amazon (US)...

Thanks for that. Amazon UK have the set at a bargain price of �43.10.
Distinctly tempting. There's an interesting range of customer comments,
from

"Absolutely terrible, don't buy it"

to

"Easy to understand because it uses symbols from the modern World to tell
the story and deal with the philosophical issues."

Bert

[wagnerfan]

if you check the archives I believe Mike Scott Rohan had some choice
words for this litle travesty. Wagner Fan

[wagnerfan]

Only relaying what I heard about a month or so ago from very upper
MET management - if I hear anyting else I'll let everyone know but
does Gelb even know right now?? Wagner fan

[@zonnet.nl Herman van der Woude]

wagnerfan schreef op 20-5-2013 het volgende:

wagnerfan wrote on 20-5-2013 as follows:

> On Mon, 20 May 2013 12:16:37 +0100, "Bert Coules"
> <ma...@bertcoules.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> AC Douglas wrote:
>>
>>> That would be the Staatsoper Stuttgart _Ring_ of 2000.
>>> The DVD can be had through Amazon (US)...
>>

>> Thanks for that. Amazon UK have the set at a bargain price of ￜ43.10.

>> Distinctly tempting. There's an interesting range of customer comments,
>> from
>>
>> "Absolutely terrible, don't buy it"
>>
>> to
>>
>> "Easy to understand because it uses symbols from the modern World to tell
>> the story and deal with the philosophical issues."
>>
>> Bert
>>
>>
>>
> if you check the archives I believe Mike Scott Rohan had some choice
> words for this litle travesty. Wagner Fan

And a travesty it was, I saw this Ring on television. It did hurt to
watch it. Don't buy this one, it's not worth your money, not even for
ￜ43.10 and not even for you, Bert! If it is ever given to you by a
friend, I would doubt this friendship!

--
Met vriendelijke groet,
Cheers!
Herman van der Woude

[Richard Partridge]

On 5/19/13 10:48 PM, REP, at the.vict...@gmail.com, wrote the
following:

I think the Met's best course is to put off doing the Ring again until there
has been regime change at the Met.


Dick Partridge

[REP]

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:54:41 PM UTC-7, Richard Partridge wrote:
>
> I think the Met's best course is to put off doing the Ring again until there
>
> has been regime change at the Met.
>
> Dick Partridge

New management wouldn't help; anyone they bring in will be just as bad or worse. Unfortunately, the whole arts culture is in the pits right now and what the Met is doing is the new normal.

REP

[Mike Scott Rohan]

On Monday, May 20, 2013 3:24:48 PM UTC+1, Herman van der Woude wrote:
> wagnerfan schreef op 20-5-2013 het volgende:
>
> wagnerfan wrote on 20-5-2013 as follows:
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 20 May 2013 12:16:37 +0100, "Bert Coules"
>
> > <ma...@bertcoules.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >
>
> >> AC Douglas wrote:
>
> >>
>
> >>> That would be the Staatsoper Stuttgart _Ring_ of 2000.
>
> >>> The DVD can be had through Amazon (US)...
>
> >>
>

> >> Thanks for that. Amazon UK have the set at a bargain price of £43.10.

>
> >> Distinctly tempting. There's an interesting range of customer comments,
>
> >> from
>
> >>
>
> >> "Absolutely terrible, don't buy it"
>
> >>
>
> >> to
>
> >>
>
> >> "Easy to understand because it uses symbols from the modern World to tell
>
> >> the story and deal with the philosophical issues."
>
> >>
>
> >> Bert
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> > if you check the archives I believe Mike Scott Rohan had some choice
>
> > words for this litle travesty. Wagner Fan
>
>
>
> And a travesty it was, I saw this Ring on television. It did hurt to
>
> watch it. Don't buy this one, it's not worth your money, not even for
>

> £43.10 and not even for you, Bert! If it is ever given to you by a

>
> friend, I would doubt this friendship!
>
>
>
> --
>
> Met vriendelijke groet,
>
> Cheers!
>
> Herman van der Woude

Indeed, I've had some hard words for this -- I think they may be in Gramophone's archive still, if not then BBC Music Mags. Just mentioning those scenes recall Siegfried forcing Luana de Vol to hobble offstage with her knickers around her ankles, and that box rotating to reveal Siegfried greeting Brunnhilde and Gunther, dressed in a pinny and brandishing a cake he has clearly baked himself. Utter, shameless crap -- and it was narrowly the best of the four separate productions. I saw Siegfried in the flesh, and would have been better employed molesting small animals.

That backdrop, by the way, is a faded Hudson River School painting by Albert Bierstadt. It's meant to mock Romanticism, but it just looks sad and defiant. Their work, and his in particular, are positively Wagnerian -- we should have a new Met or Seattle Ring based on them

Cheers,

MIke

[Richard Partridge]

On 5/21/13 4:43 PM, REP, at the.vict...@gmail.com, wrote the
following:

What a depressing idea! But I'm afraid you're right.


Dick Partridge