OVERNIGHT REVIEW: Los Angeles Opera's "Das Rheingold" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
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Los Angeles Opera: Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen — Das Rheingold
Saturday, May 29, 2010 • Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Next Ring performance: Die Walküre, Today; 6 p.m.
Next Das Rheingold performances: Tuesday, June 8; 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 18; 7:30 p.m.
Info: www.laoperaring.com
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Somewhat subsumed in all the kvetching about Achim Freyer’s admittedly controversial stage design for Los Angeles Opera’s production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is the fact that the four-opera cycle requires a major effort that only a handful of American companies can muster, one in which the staging is merely one element, and for many, including myself, not even the most important factor.

Over the past 18 months, LA Opera has mounted each of the four music dramas independently, gaining confidence and strength with each production. Last night, the company brought back Das Rheingold, the beginning of three cycles that will take place during the next four weeks at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center.

A successful Ring requires a stellar music director, a top-notch orchestra, a cast with dozens of singers capable of handling Wagner’s arduous demands, and a stage production that knits them all together as a cohesive unit. What we saw, for the most part, in the run-ups to these cycles was validated emphatically last night. Those who are choosing to stay away are missing something quite special.

When Das Rheingold was unveiled in the spring of 2009, most of the 83 orchestra members had never played the score before and Music Director James Conlon hadn’t conducted it in more than a decade. Nonetheless, Conlon’s direction and the orchestra’s playing have been among the highlights in the four individual performances and last night was easily their best work yet. Conlon’s pacing was spot-on in nearly every instance, he accompanied the singers with great care and the orchestra’s playing was both sensitive and powerful throughout the evening.

There just aren’t a plethora of Wagnerian singers these days and it’s to LA Opera’s credit that this cast was almost uniformly excellent. Moreover, unlike 18 months ago, this group knitted together wonderfully as an ensemble of singer-actors. Credit Conlon, Freyer and the cast for pulling that off.

The only new performer was Richard Paul Fink who proved to be formidable as Alberich, combining elements of evil, anger and comedy with stunning effect. Equally impressive was Dutch tenor Arnold Bezuyen who once again dominated the stage as Loge — he and Fink in the third scene were mesmerizing. Ukranian bass Vitalij Kowalijow again captured the tragedy and imperial majesty of Wotan, Michelle de Young poured out Fricka’s frustration and fear with great sensitivity, and Graham Clark was expert as the sniveling Mime.

However, what set this cast apart last night were the secondary characters, beginning with the three Rhine maidens — Stacey Tappan, Lauren McNeese and Ronnita Nicole Miller — who set a high standard for quality in the opening scene. Others included Morris Robinson and Eric Halfvarson as the giants (Robinson was particularly noteworthy as Fasolt, singing with both power and sensitivity), Jill Grove as Erda, Ellie Dehn as Freia, Wayne Tigges as Donner and Beau Gibson as Froh.

Whether it’s because it was my second time around with the design, the fact that I’ve read what Freyer wrote about this production or that everything just worked better, this Rheingold staging was superior to the first effort. Some quirky elements remain (someone is still going to have to explain the reason for the Sopwith Camel-style airplane) but the overall effect was often gripping. Moreover, I remain struck by how true to Wagner’s text and music Freyer’s concept is; even the funky pieces bear at least a resemblance to the elements they’re portraying (e.g., Wotan’s spear becomes a light saber in this production but everyone gets the idea easily). “Eurotrash” this most definitely is not.

The opening scene, set in the River Rhine, combined highly effective lighting (credited to Freyer and Brian Gale) with innovative stagecraft. The transition to the third scene (from the mountaintops to the bowels of the earth) was magical and the climactic scene again featured sensitive lighting, particularly for Erda’s appearance. It’s also worth noting that Freyer’s staging has a large number of humorous elements that add to the evening’s enjoyment.

Much has been made of Freyer’s use of masks and actor doubles but neither seemed as distracting as when this production was first mounted. There were just a couple of instances when having the singers in one spot and their actor-doubles somewhere else was noticeable. Moreover, these singer-actors have found a way to work through the mask issues, and their portrayals, both individually and as a unit, were riveting throughout the entire music drama (the four scenes are played without an intermission).

The steepness of the stage's rake, another point of contention in recent weeks, does not have appeared to have been lowered. At one point, Bezuyen as Loge took a tumble maneuvering upstage — however, he recovered so seamlessly that it might have been choreographed.

And so it’s on to Die Walküre tonight with Siegfried and Götterdämerung to follow later in the week. If they match the quality of last night’s performance, this will, indeed, be a Ring to remember, for all the right reasons.
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Hemidemisemiquavers:
• Freyer did not make an appearance during the tumultuous ovation that rained down on the singers, Conlon and the orchestra.
• During my reviews of the individual productions, I chided LAO on not having souvenirs to purchase. That has been rectified with, among other things, a large, colorful poster on archival paper and a nice slip cover for all four programs.
• Each program contains a large number of color photographs of the staging and reproductions of Freyer’s concept drawings, a nice touch for collectors.
• Tonight’s presentation of Die Walküre runs 4:51 and has two intermissions — the first is 45 minutes and the second is 25 minutes. Bring food.
• Conlon delivers a lecture beginning at 5 p.m. Tonight’s was given before an overflow audience but you can sit anywhere on the upper three levels and hear the proceedings.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.