Review: Opera in Cinema's 2008 Valencia Siegfried

From the Opera in Cinema website:

"In the words of the prestigious German weekly "Die Zeit," the stage production of Wagner's "Rheingold" and "Walküre" by La Fura dels Baus "quite possibly shows us the path that musical theater will be taking in the future." There's no doubt about it: the city of Valencia is setting new accents in 21^st-century opera not only with its spectacular new theater designed by Santiago Calatrava, but also with its visually transfixing production of Wagner's "Ring" staged by Carlos Padrissa and his theater group La Fura dels Baus. The Barcelona-based Fura blends music, dance, acrobatics and technology into unforgettable stage events of sometimes raw but always captivating power."

Photos: © Tato Baeza

Siegfried Visits Beaubourg

or Verfremdungseffekt vs. Gesamtkunstwerk

Larry and I were able to see the 2008 Valencia Siegfried during a recent screening of Opera in Cinema's season last weekend (2/14) in Cleveland. I left the theater less than overwhelmed, but further reflection has led to some insights -- and greater appreciation -- for what the director (Carlus Padrissa) may have attempted. Not having seen this cycle's Rheingold or Walküre is a distinct disadvantage in trying to figure out a meaningful arc to the Valencia Ring, but any one opera in the tetralogy should be able to stand alone well enough to stand at all. So, let's blame the initial confusion on the cinematography (for now).

The cast was universally strong -- particularly Lance Ryan (Siegfried), Juha Uusitalo (Wanderer), and Stephen Milling (Fafner). Franz-Josef Kappellmann (Alberich) and Jennifer Wilson (Brünnhilde) were also effective. Gerhard Siegel's Mime, however, may provide the key to the production -- less the buffoon than is often the case and genuinely overwhelmed and frustrated by his task. But, it was Siegfried's night, and Lance Ryan was superb, looking as though he could manage another hour or so by the time he had seduced Brünnhilde.

On face value, the production, however, just did not come across as anything but a mess -- at least the way it was filmed. Much of the "action" took place on huge, multiple, and very busy projections against a rear screen which was very close to the actors. This placement compressed the very broad "stage" into a very shallow space on which to act. A highly polished black floor surface reflected the backdrop screening, increasing the motion enveloping the singers. Dancers doubled as stage hands who moved the sets around, became props (a bench for Siegfried, forest debris), and in act one even mopped the floor.

In pure Brechtian terms, the mechanics of production were all visible and became part of the performance -- from Fafner's hydraulics linking a skin of movable triangular plates; Erda's "cherry picker" seat thrust out from a crack in the filmed earth; a recreation of the Giant machines, one controlled by the Wanderer; Wotan's spear with its clearly visible break-away mechanism; projection screens opening to reveal reverse-side framework; a mobile forest of hinged, highly-polished chrome boxes. These mobiles ended in small round platforms on which Wotan and Alberich confronted each other, rising and falling, swaying side to side as light and dark vied for command of the argument. The skeleton structure is no longer invisible but takes center stage.

The design concept is similar to those employed by Renzo Piano et. al. for the Pompidou Center (Paris, 1977) where all the structural elements are not only fully exposed but also color-coded to indicate the various mechanical systems normally hidden behind interior walls. Padrissa's conception strips away all artifice, exposing the power struggles residing at the heart of the Ring story. It is also primarily a struggle for the right to tell a story that is larger than any single, unified vision of truth.

The filming, however -- with its heavy emphasis on close-up shots -- undercut much (dare I say "most"?) of the overall effect one would have had in the theater where the audience could experience the entire project as a whole. The close ups significantly reduced the perception of the singer/actors overwhelmed by the activities swirling around them, a key component of the production. On stage, the singers would have appeared as only one aspect of the theatrical presentation rather than the center where tradition -- and the filming -- placed them. On the other hand, one might safely claim that the act of cinematic montage further fragmented what Brecht might have called the constructed reality of the work itself and, consequently, enhanced the defamiliarization effect on the audience. In terms Penn and Teller would appreciate (and thanks to Larry's analogy), Padrissa and his creative team created a new illusion by stripping away all illusion.

Even the costumes support a re-reading of the characters. Siegfried is no untutored adolescent but a primitive wild man -- complete with leather and fur skins -- confused by an alien world.Mime, in white lab coat, is more a chemist (alchemist) than a mechanic overwhelmed by his need to create the impossible -- carbuncle clusters showing his laboratory experiments to have physically attacked him. The act one "dancers" -- fully protected by masks, gloves, and foot covers -- function like a haz-mat cleaning crew having to cope with modernism gone wild.Other costuming decisions directly confront expectations. If you want a real bird, then I'll give you a bird -- complete with flapping wings -- but one that is heavily strapped into her very visible flying harness. You want a traditional breast plate for Brünnhilde, then I'll give Jennifer Wilson a breast plate -- but one fit for Natalie Dessay. In a complete reversal, it is Siegfried who strips away his clothes to reveal a very virile young man. Fortunately, Brünnhilde gets rid of her confining breast plate, but only to reveal an aging woman who remains bound in a corset of bulky straps like those used at an electrocution or in a straight jacket.

I now believe -- and am more than ready to test my theory in Valencia -- that the Valencia Ringis a deliberate confrontation between modernist realism and the illusion of romantic wholeness. Brecht's theories of theater face down those of Wagner. Throughout this performance, a new, stark realism contends with previously accepted -- and still anticipated -- familiarity. The familiar "realism" of the theater is challenged and stripped away, leaving only Wagner's music as the central "reality." If, like the Wanderer and Albrecht, the conflicting theories contend for supremacy, which wins depends on the degree of alienation experienced by the viewer.

When we left the movie, I felt I learned nothing new about Siegfried from this production -- and learning something is a key element of any new experience for me. But, like the LehnhoffParisfal which initially left me angry, the Valencia Siegfried has haunted me all week. What WAS Carlus Padrissa thinking? What new was he trying to say about Siegfried, about the Ring?If we grant that Padrissa -- or Achim Freyer in LA or Francesca Zambello in SF -- is an artistwith something significant to say, then it is incumbent upon me as a viewer to work with that new idea toward understanding and, only then, judge its success or failure on its own terms rather than on a 19th century theory which can no longer claim to be the final "truth."Unfortunately, I have no idea how the initially illusive signals were developed from Rheingoldthrough Walküre to Siegfried, and I don't know how they will be resolved inGötterdämmerung. But, I am willing to bet that what left me pondering in the Cedar Lee Theater will leave me overwhelmed in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia.

Sandra Molyneaux -- from snowy Columbus, OH

February 17, 2010

http://www.operaincinema.com/

And here are a few photos from Rheingold and Walküre:

Deutsche Oper Berlin reviews - Part Zwei

Here are the rest of the Berlin reviews. Please note

that the reviewers submitted their opinions in the

form of complete essays, and I extracted paragraphs

pertaining to individual operas for compare-and-contrast

purposes. So if anything seems stilted or out of context,

that's my fault and not the reviewers'.

Photos © Bettina Stöß, 2008

Lohengrin

Jean Scarr:

I was in Berlin February 5-6-7 for the Wagner Festival at the Deutsche Oper. I saw Die Meistersinger, Lohengrin and Rienzi. The casting was strong throughout. Of particular note was the superb chorus, which serves as a vital ingredient in all three works and especially in Lohengrin and Rienzi.

The twenty-year old Götz Friedrich production was pleasure to see after dealing with Robert Wilson’s Met performances a few years ago. Recently, I was in Houston for their production, which takes place in a ruined library during the 1930's. There may have been no physical swan in Berlin, but its presence was there, especially in the first scene of Act III - a bed and floor runner covered with swan feathers and a huge circular picture of a swan in the background. I would classify the production as traditional with an aura of abstraction hovering about. It will be scrapped after this run. Conducted by Michael Schenwandt and strongly cast (Ben Heppner, Ricarda Merbeth, Waltraud Meier, Eike Wilm Schulte, Anton Keremidtchiev, and Hans-Peter König), this was a musically magical evening.

Terry Quinn:

This was one of the best Lohengrin productions I have seen in a long time, maybe ever. It was beautifully staged with no guessing games on the meanings behind the visual analogies. This 20-year old Götz Friedrich production was a straightforward piece of storytelling with no "improvements’" to what Wagner wanted to say and with beautiful sets and some nice directorial touches. There were two standouts for me. Waltraud Meier as Ortrud, a role that she now owns, and the Deutsche Oper chorus who approached Bayreuth quality with great beauty in the soft passages and spine-tingling glory in the climaxes.

Elsa was sung very well by Ricarda Merbeth, a new name to me, and Ben Heppner was an excellent Lohengrin. They deserved better recognition but were eclipsed by the amazing Meier who is not only a top drawer singer, but a brilliant actress and a master of the evil look.

Terri Stuart:

I can't agree with the others about Heppner's performance. I was in the 1st Rang dead center and Ben gave the most careful, effortful performances I've ever sat through. I was a nervous wreck at the end. The voice was often at the edge of breaking but he'd rein it in. I've seen him a number of times and even twice in recital and gone was the full sound and open voice. Eike Wilm Schulte was about the least effective Telramund I've ever watched the singing just so-so. The costume did him no favors, tight leather pants and an open to the navel black shirt. The women were a triumph - Ricarda Merbeth and the luminous Waltraud Meier. Also noted Kristin Sigmundsson (whom I adore) was indisposed and was replaced by the always wonderful Hans Peter Konig.

* * *

Photos © Bettina Stöß, 2008

Meistersinger

Terri Stuart:

I am also back from Berlin and while there met up with two other WSNC members. I have to state my own opinion because I differ in my opinions about the works we all saw - 3 were the same performances.

I saw Tannhäuser (last 2 acts), Dutchman, Lohengrin, Meistersinger and Rienzi.

First - the two Götz Friedrich productions (Meistersinger and Lohengrin) are the last death rattle of those productions. Good. While I love that Meistersinger on DVD, much of the kitsch and excess was removed for filming. In real time the Meadow Scene was so cluttered and there were enough supers on stage waving banners to create gale winds. The fire juggler nearly incinerated the wig of a super. It was pretty much the same for the Lohengrin. Moths and dust flew all over! Chorus - excellent and on par with the chorus in Bayreuth - possibly they share some of the singers.

Jean Scarr:

Götz Friedrich's Die Meistersinger was the Friday night opus. Again, we have a sane approach to this masterpiece, which is framed by the skyline of Nuremberg, but with the WWII bombed out Nuremberg in the background. (The production is on DVD). James Johnson headed the cast as Sachs. His was a credible portrayal - a youngish looking cobbler who managed to survive the rigors and demands of this role. His second act was truly remarkable, especially during the scene with Beckmesser (Markus Brück). Herr Brück was a marvel with an especially endearing voice for this role. After all, he was a mastersinger! Klaus Florian Vogt sang Walter with clarion voice, seemingly tireless as he progressed through all those "Prize Song" refrains. The Eva of Michaela Kaune; the Magdalena of Ulrike Hetzel; and the David of Paul Kaufmann were all stellar. Donald Runnicles conducted, but unfortunately some of the audience greeted him with boos. Why, I don't know.

* * *

Photos © Matthias Horn, 2008

Dutchman

Terry Quinn:

There was no ship, the action took place in what looked like a stock exchange. There were two Sentas, only one of whom sang and not all that well, especially at the beginning. Instead of sewing machines the women combed and recombed their hair. Senta cuts Eric’s throat and then her own. The knife was then passed down the line and as the curtain fell the chorus were taking it in turns to use the knife on themselves. This triggered sustained booing from all parts of the house. I for one did not disagree. Enough said.

As we commented on leaving our third Wagner opera of the week, two out of three ain’t bad.

Terri Stuart:

The Flying Dutchman was extremely well sung but the production was just a disaster, in my view. It opened in a commodities trading floor, segued to a theatre back-stage make-up room (I guess the spinning meant rolling up hair on curling irons?) and the finale was a mass-suicide zombie cocktail party with Senta stabbing Erik with scissors, slashing her throat, and handing the scissors to the rest of the women who sequentially slashed their throats as the Dutchman walked away. All of this to the revised redemptive ending - harps plucking away. For whatever reason they stinted on the off-stage chorus for the ghost sailors and they were barely audible. UGH

* * *

Photos © Matthias Horn, 2008

Tannhäuser

Terri Stuart:

My train was delayed and so I missed the 1st Act of Tannhäuser so I can't speak to the dramatic arc, but what I saw was pretty good. I couldn't work out the Elizabeth/Venus reincarnation - but not having seen Act 1, I won't discount what the director did. Stephen Gould continues to amaze for his stamina combined with technique that results in glorious singing. It is so wonderful to hear a lieder singer in the role of Wolfram and Dietrich Henschel delivered the goods. Petra Maria Schnitzer was the Elizabeth/Venus - I'm not a fan but apparently she is highly regarded in Berlin. I loved the cold hard, shining but hollow suits of armor which created the basis of this production.

Terry Quinn:

We are now 3 and 1 and, for a while anyway, Eurotrash is taking a back seat. This was an excellent production with no weird gimmicks but imaginative use of the Deutsche Oper’s stage technology. The first two acts were performed on an essentially empty stage with plain drapes at the sides and back. The visual magic was in the extensive use of flying techniques and the multi-level stage lifts. The stage frequently dropped out of sight of those of us in the orchestra seats to reappear populated with Bacchanalian dancers, noblemen and women, Landgraf Herrmann and his knights on horses wheeled around by attendants, and, of course, pilgrims. The flying figures were mostly the Langraf’s knights and the departing demons when Tannhäuser decides to abandon Venus. When the final scene rises into view the stage is filled with hospital beds occupied by pilgrims, presumably recovering from their journey from Rome.

American tenor Stephen Gould sang the title role, Nadja Michael had a powerful voice for one so slim. (I wonder if she will ever manage Brünnhilde?) Reinhard Hagen was convincing as the Landgraf and Dietrich Henschel was Wolfram von Eschenbach. His more lyric tenor voice contrasted well with the other lead singers. Was it his voice or the well acted, tender sympathy shown to the dying Elizabeth that made me more sympathetic to Wolfram than to Tannhäuser?

Once again, the chorus was a standout for me. In place of the more usual off-stage introduction of the Pilgrim’s Chorus, the singers sang or so softly while lying on their beds. But when they sat up for the final chorus, the stepped stage resulted in an amazing wall of sound hitting the audience.

Director Kirsten Harms created a Tannhäuser without irrelevant creativity yet was satisfying to the ear, eye and intellect. I hope that he will take aside his colleague who directed the weird Dutchman and tell her, ‘Now look here, Tatjana…’

Thanks to all the reviewers. It's always fun to see how much folks can disagree on a production!

Stay tuned for Sandra's review of the high-def broadcast of the 2008 Valencia Siegfried.

Deutsche Oper Berlin reviews - Part 1

Several stalwart WSNC members bundled up and braved the frigid Baltic temperatures last month to attend Deutsche Oper Berlin's big Wagner fest: WAGNER-WOCHEN — A WINTER FESTIVAL OF WAGNER. With January-February productions of Rienzi, Lohengrin, Holländer, Tannhäuser, and Meistersinger, it culminates in April with two RING Cycles. Here are some reviews of the productions. As I said in the February E-Notes, diversity of opinion abounds!

First, let's start with the 500 lb. gorilla in the room:

RIENZI

Production photos credit: Bettina Stöß, 2010

From Jean Scarr in Ohio:

February 7

This was my first live Rienzi. I hated the concept, but loved the music. Sebastian Lang-Lessing conducted; Philipp Stötzl was the stage director. Wagner’s score was cut to 160 minutes, performed in two acts. According to the director, they did not cut any of the tenor's music. The cast was once again very strong with Torsten Kerl managing to excite and to conquer the role as the 14th century Tribune, Rienzi. His sister, Irene, was sung by Camilla Nylund, but her character was destroyed in the concept. Also, Wagner does not give her a starring role. Miss Nylund, a beautiful woman, did the best she could under the circumstances. Not only was she an aggressor in the incestuous relationship with her brother, but she basically was a common slut. The real star was Kate Aldrich as Adriano (Irene's lover) - a trouser role. Miss Aldrich has a commanding and powerful voice. Hopefully, the operatic world can hear much more from her.

Scenically, we watched a replay of German history from the end of WWI thru to the conclusion of WWII - the decadent Weimar Republic era to the rise of Hitler and his eventual demise. It was an eerie reminder of what can happen to a society when a charismatic leader can control the populace. The text was about Rome, but the visual was of Hitler's mountain retreat, Albert Speer's architecture, and the final days in Hitler's bunker. There was a Rienzi salute; a Rienzi flag (a big R); a citizenry of uniformed men and women, marching to the beat of Wagner's music. Adolf Hitler apparently loved this opera. During the overture we see "him" (Rienzi) at his mountain retreat looking out at the Alps. He is seen conducting; doing handstands and cartwheels and gyrating to the music. (It was performed by a super - not the tenor.) I enjoyed all the music from this Rienzi, but I would have preferred that it had been set in Rome, where it belongs.

* * *

From Terry Quinn in the UK:

10 February

Most Wagnerians remember their first Wagner opera and sometimes envy the journey of discovery facing those attending their first production. For most of those present in Berlin in February, this was an opportunity to see Rienzi for the first time but to be honest, we did not expect much because we knew that the original was very, very long and apart from the overture, much of the music was unmemorable. However, most of us were pleasantly surprised.

The production qualities were very high with imaginative, well thought out sets and a cast that sang and acted very well. Rienzi, sung by Torsten Kerl, was portrayed as somewhat eccentric at the beginning and a progressively nuttier failed leader as the climax approached. The curtains opened at the beginning of the overture and a hyperactive Rienzi strode, cartwheeled and lay on his desk while he played at conducting the orchestra.

Some of us were distinctly uncomfortable with the director’s thinly disguised Nazi theme with Rienzi’s supporters wearing uniforms and waving banners carrying a stylised K. This was probably the cause of some isolated booing at the end of both the first and second acts.

The story is long and complicated and some of us had failed to find an English libretto before making the trip. I found it impossible to resist the urge to look up at the supertitles for help but found none because they were in German only. However, they did serve one useful purpose, they helped to identify the main characters.

The second act used an effective split-screen technique. On the upper stage, a large rebellious crowd overcame Rienzi’s forces while below, Rienzi and his sister Irene (Camilla Nylund) were surrounded by smartly uniformed officers poring over campaign maps. Again, the connection with an earlier failed leader in his bunker was uncomfortable.

The standout singer in this production was American Kate Aldrich who sang the male role of Adriano. She was warmly applauded by the predominantly German audience who even interrupted the flow by applauding two of her major ‘arias.’ Once again, the Deutsche Oper chorus led by Washington DC born William Spaulding were outstanding and it was nice to see the principals insist on the chorus stepping forward with them for the final curtain calls.

Now we know why Rienzi is so rarely performed. Interminable recitative with very little memorable music. Fortunately the original five acts have been drastically cut and this new Deutsche Oper production was presented in two acts but the long sequences of recitative, chord, recitative, chord, became wearying. I have no wish to see Rienzi again but I am glad I was there. After 50 years of being a Wagner nut, it was a novel experience.

* * *

From Terri Stuart in CA:

I just loved Rienzi. Having seen a fuller, but still cut version in Leipzig with Stephan Vinke in the lead, I'm all for the cuts. The role of Rienzi is simply punishment for a tenor. The cuts also served to tighten the action. I thought it was riveting in Part 1 and also Part 2. If I want to see an "Animal House" toga party - I'll rent the DVD. Adriano was turned into the hero who finally got the cojones to take action against the inept leadership of Rienzi - a puppet Facist dictator. I loved that the final scene split into the reality of the people Rienzi urges to "be free" above and the bunker below, from which Rienzi made his freedom pronouncements. The use of stage cameras to project faux live newsreel footage of Rienzi was just brilliant. Torsten Kerl must have sat watching old silent films to make some of those grimaces. From the bunker - Irene served as a Leni Riefenstahl filming her brother as the messages were transmitted to the square above. And while maybe the historic Rienzi was stabbed thousands of times by an angry mob, this Rienzi was bludgeoned to death (in Leipzig they were stoned) and Irene was done in by jack booted soldiers' rifle butts. Kate Aldrich, Camilla Nylund and Torsten Kerl were all fantastic in their roles - Aldrich clearly the audience favorite.

There was a lot of disagreement about the ending and I concluded that the facist overlay worked, except at the end. Wagner's Rienzi was weak, vain and inept. He had no message and provided no leadership. The Facists who were used as the outline for the production absolutely did have their own insane ideas and were disasterously effective in carrying them out. So it didn't quite fit but it was still riveting theatre. I'm glad that this will be released on DVD.

* * *

And from Stephen Charitan in Ohio:

Heil Rienzi! or Springtime for Rienzi

I have always been curious about Rienzi even more so after experiencing a very stage worthy production of Das Liebesverbot a few summers ago in Cooperstown. First and foremost, any opera by a composer of Wagner's stature is worth attention, but I was also drawn by the three excerpts that occasionally cropped up - that magnificent overture, Rienzi's prayer, and Adriano's "Gerechter Gott" sung by the likes of Schumann-Heink or Frida Leider. I finally satisfied that curiosity through a rare performance of the work at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. More of the production later, but witnessed live with a strong chorus, an intense Adriano, and a clarion Rienzi it made for a thrilling, visceral evening of music theatre. Much of the choral writing matches the swagger of the overture, and very stirring it all is. Having heard the Deutsche Oper chorus in Lohengrin and Meistersinger the two days before, here they outdid themselves. Perhaps it was the excitement and newness of music seldom performed, spiced by that aforementioned swagger but the group came together as a "character" in the drama, just as important as any of the protagonists. Some of the choruses foreshadow what was to come in Tannhäuser and Lohengrin in their otherworldly, ethereal beauty - the chorus of Peace Envoy's from Act 1 stays in the mind. The most fully developed character in the opera and the one that leaves the theatre with you is Adriano, torn between his family ties to a corrupt nobility and his conscience which leads him to trust Rienzi as hero and savior of the people. There is more than a little of Sesto from La Clemenza di Tito in his self struggle and, like Sesto, it is a meaty role for the right mezzo. In bygone days, I could have easily envisioned the late, great Tatiana Troyanos in the part, but young Kate Aldrich seized her moment and exposed the heart of this character with her rich, large scale voice, almost out of proportion to her small stature. She captured the audience from the start and won the biggest ovation of the evening. As Rienzi, Torsten Kerl had the heft and thrust to serve the public face of the character which is the one most on display throughout the opera. He lacked the poetry and beauty of tone for the famous prayer which went for very little vocally. He also wasn't helped by the concept which reached a dead end when it came to staging this critical, self revealing moment for the title character. Irene, Rienzi's sister, is one of Wagner's least developed characters. She has no major solo scene and seems to exist only to "duet" with Adriano or Rienzi or fill out the top line in ensembles. She does have some wicked coloratura in her final duet with Rienzi that caused the otherwise lovely Camilla Nylund to shake and muddle through as best she could.

When I read the advance write up on this new production I had a pretty good idea that there would be allusions made to Rienzi as a fascist demagogue. What I was not prepared for was a full scale operatic biography of Adolf Hitler shoehorned into Wagner's music and libretto. Some of it was very clever and I must admit I could not take my eyes off the stage for a minute. When the curtain rose at the start of the overture we were in a unit set that looked like one of the audience chambers in Albert Speer's new Reich Chancellery. At the back of the stage was a large picture window looking out over snow covered mountain tops - the Berghof perhaps? Sitting at a large desk with his back to the audience was a uniformed figure whose hand lazily started to "conduct" the overture along with the maestro - wasn't "Rienzi" one of Hitler's favorite works in the Wagner canon? As the music builds the uniformed figure begins to dance, pirouette, and then do multiple cartwheels across the stage - not as subtle as Charlie Chaplin's Adenoid Hinkel doing a pas de deux with the globe, but a reasonable facsimile thereof. Incidentally this was not Torsten Kerl, but a dancer plumped up to resemble the singer.

At the end of the overture sets fly in looking like the "modern" city seen in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis". It is this Weimar world with the chorus dressed like George Grosz characters that Rienzi and his black leather coated SS men come to change. During one of Wagner's most rousing choruses the people show their acceptance of the Fuehrer by shedding their colorful individual eccentricities and donning black and white uniforms emblazoned with the letter "R." Whether supported by music or libretto it was nonetheless a brilliant "coup de theatre" and made director Philipp Stölzl's point in one sharp stroke. All in all I would say the first act was both provocative and successful from a production standpoint. In Act 2 (5 Acts compressed to 2) "The Concept" started taking on water. At curtain rise the stage is split with the top being a war torn city and the area below a concrete bunker hung with military maps. The bunker also contains architectural models of an "ideal" city including a large dome like structure looking suspiciously like the one Hitler planned to erect in his New Berlin. When Rienzi makes his appearance in the Bunker he is seen hunched over and walking with a cane. His other hand is held behind his back shaking with palsy. This sort of attention to biographical literalness leads you to expect that the director will continue to find direct parallels between Hitler's life and Rienzi's life as the opera works to its conclusion. One of his biggest stumbling blocks comes in the famous prayer. If you look at the words alone Rienzi's hubris is fairly evident - he credits the deity with endowing him with exceptional powers - a divine right to rule. However, there is no guile, pride, or cynicism that I can hear in the sublime music accompanying those words. In this production Rienzi begins to toy with those architectural models as he sings to his "Almighty Father" upending the buildings and piling them on top of one another helter skelter as if playing a capricious god himself. Perhaps the young Wagner thought his Rienzi a noble character after all if the music is to be trusted. The question for director Stölzl is how do you find a side to Hitler that would justify such spiritually uplifting music at such a critical moment in the character's musical development? Of course he couldn't and chose to play for irony, ultimately sacrificing Wagner's sound world for a bit of clever business to fit the concept. At the end of the opera, Rienzi does not take his own life in the Bunker but is killed by the mob - again a jarring note given Stölzl's fascination with literal detail. I hope to see the opera Rienzi again, in fact I will seek it out. I would enjoy hearing this cast again, particularly Ms. Aldrich who I believe is a talent to watch. The "tricks" in this production are all pretty much on the surface and though I was engaged in piecing them all together in the moment, I've done that now and don't think it would gain much by repetition.

Thanks to the reviewers for their insights on this seldom-seen opera. I'm happy to know that it will be out on DVD for those of us who missed it. Love it or hate it, it looks provocative!

The reviews of the other four operas will be in the next posting. For more dazzling photos of the productions, visit the DOB web site: http://deutscheoperberlin.de/