Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Preconceptions Part 1

Tonight begins my first Ring cycle at the opera house. I've seen the Otto Schenk production on DVD, and the Live in HD performances of the Robert Lepage production in the theaters. I thought them both fantastic productions. The former was much beloved by New York's operavores. The latter has been universally panned. It is that latter production that I will be seeing live.

Criticisms mostly center around the set, dubbed "the machine". Robert Lepage is responsible for the Cirque du Soleil show, , in Las Vegas, and he brings his high-tech artistry here. The machine is a dynamic backdrop consisting of 24 independently rotatable planks that can turn from a simple flat screen to stair steps to the trees of the forest and more. The machine has been called loud, distracting, alienating, shallow. My impressions from the theaters were rather opposite. I found the use of the machine highly creative and visually stunning. I thought it in keeping with Wagner's ideal of the unified gesamtkunstwerk.

But I am well aware that the experience at the hall can differ significantly, so I won't yet criticize the critics. For now, my opinions are as follows:

The Otto Schenk production is about as traditional a staging as you'll find. This is not a bad thing. Compare to productions out of LA, SF, Valencia, or the Mecca for ring-heads: Bayreuth (pronounced bye-royt). There are so many subtexts that one could project onto the Ring that many argue the most enduring productions are the ones that do not confine the interpretation in any way. A post-industrial American setting is novel, but it restricts the message. By keeping the setting in an ambiguous time and allowing the gods godliness, the opera is free to communicate in whatever ways the viewer/listener is receptive. Schenk's sets and costumes are stirring, the music and singing superb. I love this production as well as anyone else.

My viewing of the Gelb production seemed just as traditional. We are still talking about gods and heroes. In some ways I gather that it is even truer to the text. Some of Wagner's stage directions have been ignored for technical reasons, but Gelb manages to adhere (sometimes to ironic complaints of adding unnecessary details). The costumes and singing are just as breathtaking. For my non-opera-going friends, the Lepage production is the one I would introduce first.

I am being intentionally vague since I'm trying to keep an open mind. The rest of my impressions will have to come later. For now, my feelings toward the new production are very positive. I will let you know in a couple weeks whether the criticisms deserve merit or are merely meretricious.

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