And so, it begins. Richard Wagner’s epic 15-hour opera The Ring Cycle is “the Everest of opera” and audiences have begun the slow trek to the summit in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC.
Friday night, December 1, marked the beginning with Das Rheingold, the first opera in the four-opera series that constitutes this epic work.
Das Rheingold is a doddle at just two and a half hours long (with no interval), but there is more to come over the next few weeks with several full cycles to be performed in this extraordinary Opera Australia production.
We are talking about 45 hours of performance with more than 350 cast, musicians and support crew behind the staging.
I say it’s extraordinary on the strength of seeing (and hearing) only the first tranche of Cycle 1. After hundreds of hours of rehearsal, costume and wig-making, scenery and props construction and digital content creation this ambitious production is here.
It will only get better, my son assures me. He has spent months listening to and researching The Ring Cycle to prepare for this spectacle.
Director Chen Shi-Zheng must be thrilled because opening night was seamless. The crowd roared its approval as the cast took their bows and he got up and took one too. We couldn’t see the orchestra taking their bows but Queensland Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of guest conductor Philippe Augin, was spectacular. Ach Mein Gott! They played so beautifully.
Wagner’s music is the foundation of this mythological epic. Some think Wagner is all bluster but not at all. His music is poetry … sometimes highly emotive, at times just plainly beautiful, also heroic and inspiring. With lots of horns. Love the horns.
But, of course, you need good singing too and the voices of the cast were amazing, starting with the exquisite sounds of the Rhine maidens – Lorina Gore, Jane Ede and Dominica Matthews. Watching them swim into the air and frolic in front of the vast LED screens evoking the river Rhine was spectacular.
This is the first fully digital version of The Ring Cycle and it’s the brainchild of former artistic director of Opera Australia, Lyndon Terracini, who was there on opening night to see his idea come to fruition. Terracini is a former artistic director of Queensland Music Festival and Brisbane Festival. He loves Queensland and chose Brisbane for this masterpiece.
He pitched the idea to Shi-Zheng a few years back, announced it in Brisbane and then Covid intervened. It was postponed twice but the company hung in there and now it is finally here as we begin our journey with a stellar cast accompanied by dancers from Opera Australia and Dancenorth Australia. The dancing added zest.
Shi-Zheng has mined world mythology as well as the European tradition that inspired Wagner for his production.
The oriental influences are subtle at times, obvious at others – such as the moment when the stars are seated like Buddhas flanked by temple lions.
This foundation opera establishes the story of the golden ring, made from Rheingold stolen by the dwarf Alberich – Warwick Fyfe, who is brilliant in the role. He is both tragic and funny.
Hubert Francis as the half-divine Loge is also funny and quite the heavenly court jester at times.
Daniel Sumegi’s bass tones are booming and he has real gravitas as chief God Wotan who is building a little retreat by the name of Valhalla. You’ve heard of it?
Deborah Humble is Fricka, wife of Wotan and Marian Hong is Freia, her sister, who is kidnapped by the giants Fasolt and Fafner, played by David Parkin and Andrea Silverstrelli. These guys rock!
It’s all in German, of course, but the subtitles tell the story (although maybe do a bit of reading before you go to get up to speed. But not too much).
It’s not a university course, it’s an opera. When I interviewed Daniel Sumegi a few weeks ago he advised me not to overthink the whole thing – just enjoy it. There is plenty of time later to read more about Wagner and The Ring Cycle. In fact, there is a whole library full of books on the subject in case you are interested.
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This production is visually staggering and the digital effects are mind-blowing a times – sometimes complex, sometimes powerfully simple.
As Opera Australia’s CEO Fiona Allan says: “Shi-Zheng and his team have created something quite unique. I can unequivocally claim that this is the most stunning production of The Ring Cycle ever staged.”
Allan should know. For me, well, I’m a first timer. The Chinese say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So, I’m on my way. Wish me luck.
The Ring Cycle plays the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, until December 21
opera.org.au.
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