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Editorial Reviews
Fanfare, Andrew Quint, Jan-Feb 2010
The first two dramas of the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar's Ring, filmed in 2008, were covered in Fanfare 33:2 by this reviewer and I was not smitten. My negative impression holds with Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. It's not the singing--there are some good performances and merely serviceable ones--and it's certainly not Carl St. Clair's stylish leadership from the pit. It's not the splendid high-resolution picture and realistic sonics (with the Blu-ray version) that eclipse any other video release to date. Rather, as with the earlier installments, it's the director's vision of the mega-work that ultimately sinks it as a serious competitor--unless, of course, what matters most to you is picture quality and sound. As before, the operas are available on both the Blu-ray and standard DVD formats. With Blu-ray, even The Twilight of the Gods fits on a single piece of plastic. As with Rheingold and Walküre, there's distracting, willfully disagreeable stage business. This is particularly evident during transitional orchestral passages--composed, of course, to allow scene changes, but also to give an audience member a chance to pause and consider the meaning of the action. Two examples, believe it or not, involve cruelty to animals; ironic, as Wagner was an active anti-vivisectionist. During the glorious music accompanying the hero's scaling of Brünnhilde's rock in Siegfried, we witness the murder of the Forest Bird, and Grane, played by an actress with a serious countenance and flowing white hair, is abused by Hagen's men between scenes 2 and 3 of Götterdämmerung's first act. There's some pretty appalling sexual violence as well. When the Gibichung men appear in response to Hagen's summons, they arrive shoving disheveled, cowering women, whom they eventually get around to raping. There's apparently a rationale for this. Arthaus Musik's liner notes inform us that "the Ring Cycle is many things--often repeated anew--including a story of abused women who rise up in silent reproach in order to live on, forgetting nothing." Fair enough. But to repeatedly brutalize the viewer, as director Michael Schulz does, detracts from the musico-dramatic continuity of Wagner's massive construction, and may even undermine any feminist message. Schulz is also big on extra characters on stage, as if Wagner with just one or two singers to look at is automatically going to be boring. We're all used to young Hagens at the outset of Siegfried act II, but all the Valkyries join Waltraute for her expedition to Brünnhilde's domicile, and Erda makes an unauthorized appearance in Götterdämmerung. This sort of thing works best in Siegfried, dark comedy that it is. At the end of act I, everyone seems to show up--Donner, Froh, a giant; even the damn bear is onstage by the time Siegfried is ready to give Nothung a swing. There's a goofiness to the proceedings that almost works. We are treated to some fine performances. For Siegfried, Tomas Möwes (Wanderer) and Mario Hoff (Alberich) have exchanged the roles they played in Das Rheingold with good results, even if Möwes has a vibrato wide enough to drive a Mercedes Kassbohrer through. Hoff's Alberich is compellingly bitter at the start of Siegfried act II, and he returns as one of the best Gunthers in memory for Götterdämmerung. Another very strong performance is Renatus Mészár's brutish, sadistic Hagen, a role he seems far better suited for than Wotan, which he presented unremarkably in Walküre. Top marks also to Frieder Aurich, back as Mime. The two Siegfrieds are satisfactory, especially Norbert Schmittberg, whose sufficiently sized Heldentenor has a slightly reedy texture that wears well. Catherine Foster, the Brünnhilde in all three operas that she's required for, turns in two more strong performances, showing up to render the Immolation Scene in a black recital dress, as if she were a soloist in Beethoven's Ninth. Hidekazu Tsumaya, an excellent Hunding earlier in the Weimar cycle, is a very effective Fafner. No complaints with the Norns or Rhinemaidens; Nadine Weissmann (Erda and Waltraute) and Marietta Zumbült (Gutrune) are unobjectionable in their roles. So, for a complete Der Ring des Nibelungen on Blu-ray, Arthaus Musik's discs are the only show in town. From a technical standpoint, the releases are outstanding. But for a more meaningful video Ring experience, you're much better off with any or all of the other available options, including Barenboim/Bayreuth, Levine/Met, or the fascinating 2006 Copenhagen cycle.
Product Description
WAGNER:GOTTERDAMMERUNG - Blu-Ray Movie
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy conclusion of brilliant, thought provoking Ring.,
By Janos Gardonyi "jgarch2002" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gotterdammerung (DVD)
Similar, but not identical review is published on The Wholenote Magazine website, [...] (by myself) and under Copyright The WholeNote media 2010.
The last, cataclysmic installment of Wagner's monumental Ring from Weimar is very much a vision of the director, Michael Schultz. His strong philosophy is most manifest here where his pessimistic views are aided by the apocalyptic story. "There are tears in the world/as though God had died..." The grief is never ending. To the cruelty and murder so prevalent in the drama the director adds his own issues: cruelty to women and even to defenseless animals. The 2nd act turns into a pandemonium of mass rape by the Gibichung thugs (reminding us of British soccer hooligans). Brunnhilde's horse, Grane is portrayed by a wonderful pantomime actress with flowing white hair much abused throughout by Hagen and the adolescents also added to the production. The Director believes that children of the world are cast out, helpless therefore alienated and aggressive. They witness all major turn of events but unable to participate and move around in curiosity, with blood-stained hands. Difficult to describe this theatrical experience with words, one really has to see how powerfully it's handled by sparse visual means. . Stage background is black throughout; there are virtually no sets and lighting pays a prominent role. So memorable to see Siegfried tenderly mourned by Grane, the long suffering horse and at the final scene water is cascading from above over the abused women, who are reborn & cleansed by Brunnhilde's self sacrifice and redemption. I recommend for anyone to read the very intelligent and detailed program notes where Schultz explains his viewpoint for the production. Young American conductor, St. Clair keeps tight control and never lets the tension sag . The cast is very strong. Renatus Meszar as Hagen, is a formidable presence and even more formidable voice .English Soprano Catherine Foster easily conquers the endurance test of Brunnhilde's role.(It's interesting to note that she started out her career as a nurse in Birmingham!) Siegfried, Norbert Schmittberg, is treated as vulnerable, somewhat naïve plaything for the evil Gibichungs, a fine choice for not being the typical beefcake Wagner tenor. Gunther, portrayed as weak and somewhat tragicomical, sung and acted wonderfully by Mario Hoff. Great theatre, a moving production that will give you food for thought. .
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy conclusion of Weimar's thought provoking Ring,
By Janos Gardonyi "jgarch2002" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gotterdammerung [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
This review is about the DVD version which is of course available. I am also not happy with how this product is listed. Starring should be Catherine Foster (Brunnhilde) and Renatus Meszar (Hagen) to whom this performance owes its success. Director is Michael Schultz. I find the increasing sloppiness in listing classical music just indicates that people on Amazon just don't know what they are doing.
Similar, but not identical review is published on The Wholenote Magazine website (by myself) and under Copyright The WholeNote media 2010. The last, cataclysmic installment of Wagner's monumental Ring from Weimar is very much a vision of the director, Michael Schultz. His strong philosophy is most manifest here where his pessimistic views are aided by the apocalyptic story. "There are tears in the world/as though God had died..." The grief is never ending. To the cruelty and murder so prevalent in the drama the director adds his own issues: cruelty to women and even to defenseless animals. The 2nd act turns into a pandemonium of mass rape by the Gibichung thugs (reminding us of British soccer hooligans). Brunnhilde's horse, Grane is portrayed by a wonderful pantomime actress with flowing white hair much abused throughout by Hagen and the adolescents also added to the production. The Director believes that children of the world are cast out, helpless therefore alienated and aggressive. They witness all major turn of events but unable to participate and move around in curiosity, with blood-stained hands. Difficult to describe this theatrical experience with words, one really has to see how powerfully it's handled by sparse visual means. . Stage background is black throughout; there are virtually no sets and lighting pays a prominent role. So memorable to see Siegfried tenderly mourned by Grane, the long suffering horse and at the final scene water is cascading from above over the abused women, who are reborn & cleansed by Brunnhilde's self sacrifice and redemption. I recommend for anyone to read the very intelligent and detailed program notes where Schultz explains his viewpoint for the production. Young American conductor, St. Clair keeps tight control and never lets the tension sag . The cast is very strong. Renatus Meszar as Hagen, is a formidable presence and even more formidable voice .English Soprano Catherine Foster easily conquers the endurance test of Brunnhilde's role.(It's interesting to note that she started out her career as a nurse in Birmingham!) Siegfried, Norbert Schmittberg, is treated as vulnerable, somewhat naïve plaything for the evil Gibichungs, a fine choice for not being the typical beefcake Wagner tenor. Gunther, portrayed as weak and somewhat tragicomical, sung and acted wonderfully by Mario Hoff. Great theatre, a moving production that will give you food for thought. .
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