Wagner: Die Walküre

Although they have had their misses, I am very loyal to the Met HD series, I just love opera and it gives me ample opportunity to watch some favourites and to admire new discoveries. Die Walkure is just another part of the epic ring cycle by Wagner. This Met production of Die Walkure is not quite as good as the triumph that was Das Rheingold but it is just as impressive and wonderfully sung on the whole. Technically it is great, with splendid high definition, and the camera work, picture quality and sound are equally impressive.

Robert Lepage's stage direction is not quite as ambitious as his Das Rheingold, but once again he takes on an enormous task and succeeds admirably with it. The costumes add to the mood as do the large sets, particularly the rocky landscape set in Act 2. Lepage's technical wizardry manages to not overshadow Wagner's music, even with like Das Rheingold a few minor things that inevitably detract. I found the golden eye in Act 2 to be the most impressive image, and Wotan's Farewell scene is monumental in every way.

From a musical point of view, it has some fantastic moments but not as consistent as Das Rheingold. The orchestra, apart from a sometimes fatigued brass section, play with a rich sound, and James Levine's conducting is nuanced and deeply felt if occasionally plodding. Their best moments were the closing scene of Act 1, which was full of beauty and sonority, and Wotan's Farewell. I was disappointed however in Walkürenritt, it is messy with the orchestra never quite sure of the tempo and the staging seemed a little too claustrophobic.

The cast are fantastic generally, wonderful singing and acting from most. Eve Marie Westbroek fared weakest I feel as Sieglinde, her voice is rich and powerful to start with but loses fire and luster. Jonas Kaufmann fares much better though as her brother Siegmund. I did have reservations about him singing Siegmund, Kaufmann has a wonderful lyric-spinto voice with a lovely dark baritone quality but when it comes to Wagner it is one more suited to Lohengrin. He still sings wonderfully though, with plenty of intensity and beautiful soft singing, and is heroic and commanding enough. Maybe though if he takes on the role again, it's better to do it in a smaller theatre.

Deborah Voight is a strong presence as Brunhilde, with her top full and ringing and her middle while not as pleasant in the sound(sometimes a little nasal) it is much more appealing than some of her other performances. She is very commanding, and her diction is fairly idiomatic if at times overdoing the consonants. Stephanie Blythe sounds absolutely thrilling as Fricka, lots of passion and power, outstanding vocal evenness and colour and intelligent painting of words. Hans-Peter Konig is wonderful as Hunding, lots of richness and menace in the voice and a presence that is towering and enough to make the skin crawl.

Bryn Terfel may occasionally lack resonance in his lower registers, but the top rings out, and overall his Wotan is a very incisive and authoritative characterisation. All in all, very impressive and sung and performed to a high standard. Just not quite a triumph. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is the second appearance of Robert Lepage's set, consisting of 24 rotating slabs, that is used throughout the Met Ring Cycle. Again I am amazed with what he can do with these slabs, not least in the Ride of the Valkyries where, to the audience's delight, they become bucking broncos. It is difficult to imagine a more exciting ride than this unless someone tried it with real horses.

Before that we have Jonas Kaufman as Siegfried and Eva-Maria Westbroek as Sieglinde. This is wonderfully sung, particularly by the silken voiced Kaufmann but I felt that this version of the incestuous siblings was not quite as erotic as some that I have seen. Then Deborah Voigt bounces onto the stage as the friskiest Brunnhilde ever. She is the poster girl for bariatric surgery and I mean that without a trace of irony. She really is a very sexy Brunnhilde. Sexy and Brunnhide are not words that you often see in the same sentence. Her flirting with her father, Wotan, is a joy. After his subdued performance in Das Rheingold, Bryn Terfel is at his full majesty in this second part. Terfel and Voigt make a thrilling couple, vocally and visually. Voigt looks positively petite next to the huge frame of her co-star.

The scene between Wotan and Stephanie Blythe's Fricka is not so successful. Blythe has a unique mezzo voice but her acting is wooden and static. Then we have the final confrontation between Wotan and Brunnhilde. Opera does not get more exciting than this. No-one can match Terfel for quiet menace, a quiet menace that can fill an opera house I might add. Voigt is coquettish, fragile and defiant in turn. I have not seen or heard anything like it since John Tomlinson and Anne Evans at Bayreuth in 1993. Finally Voigt is suspended upside down in the magic fire. Well, not quite, it is a fairly obvious body double.

I notice from my review of that 1993 production that I was very much preoccupied with Wagner's metaphysics. No longer: these days I am content to sit back and listen to the wonderful music and watch these stunning performances.