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Big success for the Nibelungen Ring in Leipzig



Big success for the Nibelungen Ring in Leipzig

Review by Henning Høholt,

Photos from Leipzig Opera by Tom Schulze, and from applause: H.Høholt.

Leipzig Operahouse, foto Henning Høholt, May 2016

Leipzig Operahouse, foto Henning Høholt, May 2016

LEIPZIG/GERMANY: With one of the five leading symphony orchestras in the world – Gewandhouse Orchestra excellent led by Ulf Schirmer, a wonderful regi – and choreography, this in cooperation with the dancers, by Rosamund Gilmore and scenography with big variations by Carl Friedric Oberle, beautiful and well functioning costumes by Nicola Reichert, good lighting by Michael Röger, dramaturgie by Christian Geltinger, well functioning and beautiful video by Andy Zabel, and a starling of outstanding Wagner singers the first Nibelungen Ring in 40 years in Leipzig was a big success. 

REGI and CHOREOGRAPHY

A very good example of how well Rosamund Gilmore has used her dancers to make the stage pictures alive by using her brilliant dancers in function ions like this, where it is the grass in the garden in Siegfried which is coming alive. Foto Tom Schulze.

A very good example of how well Rosamund Gilmore has used her dancers to make the stage pictures alive by using her brilliant dancers in function ions like this, where it is the grass in the garden in Siegfried which is coming alive. Foto Tom Schulze.

Rosamund Gilmore who is responsible for the brilliant staging has even added a new dimension to the Nibelungen Ring. She has included a group of 14 dancers in the production. But not to dance parts in the operas, but to underline the history, building up under the singers, like a mowing scenographic element, which is doing this extraordinary, – the atmosphere, so that the audience don´t find it disturbing at all, but giving a deeper feeling, as the dancers, who both are working in a group, or several groups, but also one by one, with some of the leading singers. Such as one male dancer, in the role, who usually is a horse Grane – Ziv Frenkel, who follows Brünhilde.

From Siegfried at Opera Leipzig

From Siegfried at Opera Leipzig

This is an intelligent way of working, and i do sincerely hope that other houses would learn some from this idea. – A regisseur, that I would love to see at the new opera house of Oslo.

More from Siegfried with the dancers in the grass. Foto Tom Schulze

From Siegfried with the dancers in the grass and Mime – Dan Karlström.

Furthermore her staff with an excellent scenograf, costumes, light and even always good following spots, so the audience can see the mimic, which is so important, with so  much text as there is in the Nibelungen Ring. The mimic helps to underline the story.

A dramatic photo with Marika Schöneberg and Christiane Lieber (right) as Gutrune  and Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung  at Leipzig Opera May 8th. 2016. Foto Tom Schulze.

A dramatic photo with Marika Schöneberg and Christiane Libor (right) as Gutrune and Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung at Leipzig Opera May 8th. 2016.

DAS RHEINGOLD

Oper Leipzig - Richard Wagner "Rheingold"

Oper Leipzig – Richard Wagner “Rheingold” With Loge Thomas Mohr in front, and Tuomas Pursie as Wotan. 

It all starts in the “normal” Nibelungen way, with the Rhein daughters, then following up by all the affairs with Fawner and Fasolt and a great Loge, that happened to be Siegfried in Götterdämmerung. The entering of Wotan and Freia. I enjoyed the good characters underlining by the different costumes, and after a periode, i found out of the ideas with using the dancers as “mowing scenography” elements, who in fact also through their choreographed parts are participating in making the scenographic changes on stage. – Mowing furnitures. Happy for that this was not “modern German regi theatre”.

Die Walküre

An extraordinary good singing and acting couple, Andreas Schager as Sigmund and Christiane Liber as Sieglinde, at the applaus, foto Henning Høholt. Sorry for the bad photo quality.

An extraordinary good singing and acting couple, Andreas Schager as Sigmund and Christiane Libor as Sieglinde, at the applaus, foto Henning Høholt. Sorry for the bad photo quality.

Valkyrie with a starring singers Andreas Schager as Siegmund. Christiane Libor – Sieglinde – she sings Brunhilde on Sunday. Runi Brattaberg – Hunding, with the best diction I have heard in a long time, Kathrin Göring was Fricka and danish Eva Johansson convincingly Brunhilde.

Ulf Schirmer conducted masterly the Gewandhausorchester.

For me this opera – Die Walküre, became the highlight of the four productions in The Nibelungen Ring

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. Very much due to the wonderful tenor Andreas Schager as the best Siegmund i have heard for a very long time, his sound of the voice is extraordinary, with i light timbre, powerful long tunes, and furthermore that he looks good on stage, slim, and this did that he was also visually perfect in the role as a young Siegmund, who find his Sieglinde in the first stage, Splendid sung by Christine Libor, who we also ended up with as a wonderful Brünhilde in Götterdämmerung.

From Die Walküre in Leipzig.

From Die Walküre in Leipzig.

Hunting – Rúni Brattaberg, was a positive good surprise, with the best diction i have heard for a very long time, and then from the “Færøy Islands”

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. More happy I was, when i found out that he should also be Hagen in the last of the four operas, wonderful.

Die Walküre, last act with Eva Johansson as Brühilde and Markus Marquardt as Wotan, note the house behind with The 8 sisters of Brünnhilde, and on upper part 8 of the dancers.

Die Walküre, last act with Eva Johansson as Brühilde and Markus Marquardt as Wotan, note the house behind with The 8 sisters of Brünnhilde, and on upper part 8 of the dancers.

Again good scenography by Carl Friedrich Oberle, with three very difficult decorations who gave the audience the right feelings of what this was all about.

Die Walküre, Markus Marquardt (left) and Eva Johansson - Brünnhilde.

Die Walküre, Markus Marquardt (left) and Eva Johansson – Brünnhilde.

Last but not least about Die Wälküre: The masterly use of the dancers in the third act, their entrance, their filling up the scenography so it became living. And Ziv Frenkel with great stage presence as Grane.

SIEGFRIED

Siegfried Stefan Vinke, and the visual gracious Waldfougel  - Sandra Lommerzpheim, while Eun Yee You was the singing one.

Siegfried Stefan Vinke, and the visual gracious Waldfougel – Sandra Lommerzpheim, while Eun Yee You was the singing one.

With a splendid stage picture in the first act, with a Garden with grass, walls, looking like we could be inside in a garden and with Mime – Dan Karlström and Siegfried – Stefan Vinke in front, and helped by 12 dancers in the grass, as described in details below during Choreography, the success was assured.

Fafner - Rúni Brattaberg, in a talented costume by Nicola Reichert, surrounded by dancers.

Fafner – Rúni Brattaberg, in a talented costume by Nicola Reichert, surrounded by dancers.

Ending up by the fire around Brünnhilde, in a beautiful light by Michael Röger to the scenography by Carl Friedrich Oberle. It became magic. In the music we enjoyed demanding solo parts by Gundel Jannemann-Fischer at Englischhorn, and Ralf Getz at Horn, and Michael Johann Schwarzfischer as Tuba. Excellent.

Siegfried, last act. Brünnhilde - Elisabet Strid, and Siegfried Stefan Vinke.

Siegfried, last act. Brünnhilde – Elisabet Strid, and Siegfried Stefan Vinke.

Götterdämmerung

Oper Leipzig:  "Götterdämmerung". Foto: Tom Schulze.

Oper Leipzig: “Götterdämmerung”. Three Nornes: Karin Lovelius, Kathrin Göring, Lena Tokar.

The last of the four operas started with the three Nornes, as usual, spinning their yarn. As usual, this is the only of the Nibelungen Ring Operas, where a choire participates, in this case a male choire if app. 40 singers, with a good sound, in addition app. 16 female singers, mostly to accompaign the male.

The great male choire in Götterdämmerung, with Hagen - Rúni Brattaberg in the center, and behind Tuemas Pursie and Christiane Lieber as Gunther and Brünnhilde. Foto: Tom Schulze

The great male choire in Götterdämmerung, with Hagen – Rúni Brattaberg in the center, and behind Tuemas Pursie and Christiane Libor as Gunther and Brünnhilde.

Oper Leipzig  "Götterdämmerung"

Oper Leipzig “Götterdämmerung” Hagen – Rúni Battenberg and Albreich – Jochen Schmeckenbecher, (behind). 

We are now, in a way, back to the opening as Thomas Mohr, who was Loge in Das Rheingold now is back as a wonderful Siegfried.

Furthermore is Runi Brattaberg fantastic as Hagen, we met him as Hunding in Siegfried, where also we got very acquainted with the wonderful soprano Christiane Libor as Sieglinde, she is now back as Brünnhilde
. – A very good job.

Gunther is sung by the great Tuomas Pursio, who was Wotan in Rheingold. Marika Schönberg is Gutrune.

Waltraute is Karin Lovelius, that we also in first part enjoyed as 1. Norn, and earlier has seen and heard as Frick in Das Rheingold, and Grimgerde in Die Walküre.

Thomas Mohr and Christiane Liber are wonderful as Siegfried and Brünnhilde in The Leipzig Opera production of "Götterdämmerung". Brilliantly, musically and very well staged by Rosamund Gilmore. Foto Tom Schulze.

Thomas Mohr and Christiane Libor are wonderful as Siegfried and Brünnhilde in The Leipzig Opera production of “Götterdämmerung”. Brilliantly, musically and very well staged by Rosamund Gilmore. 

Beautiful picture nearly at the very end, before the big surprise for the audience, - I shall not tell how it ends. Go and have a look.

Beautiful picture nearly at the very end, before the big surprise for the audience, -“ I shall not tell how it ends. Go and have a look”.

Ulf Schirmer - the conductor on stage after his 15 hours in 4 days, conducting Der ring des Nibelungen in Leipzig. Bravo. applaus photo Henning Høholt, - sorry for the bad photo quality.

Ulf Schirmer – the conductor on stage, surrounded by all the soloists and the dancers, after his 15 hours during 4 days, conducting Der ring des Nibelungen in Leipzig. – Bravo. – applaus photo Henning Høholt, – sorry for the bad photo quality.

NEXT NIBELUNGEN RING at the Leipzig Opera:

28th June – 2. July 2016

This summer another Nibelungen Ring will start at the 28th June and run until 3nd. July, Happily, during this summer Ring there is put in one day of the 30th. June.  As  this 4 days May version, without a day of, was too tuff, not at least for the audience, with four days and nearly 19 hours of music (inclusive 4 hours of breaks). But of course for the whole ensemble, and at least for the conductor Ulf Schemer and his fantastic Gewandhaus orchestra, – one of the leading orchestra in the world to day. – I would have prefered a break day.

Furthermore this outstanding production will be back at the program in 2017 and 2018


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