From Seen and Heard International
By: Harvey Steiman; Pictures © Cory Weaver
Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists, chorus and orchestra, Donald Runnicles, conductor. San Francisco Opera, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco. 22.6.2010 (HS)

Valkyries parachuting down in aviatrix garb, warriors dressed in World War I uniforms, Wotan as a three-piece-suited captain of industry, and Valhalla as a vaguely Art Deco high-rise overlooking a Gothan-like city set San Francisco Opera’s newest installment of Wagner’s Die Walküre firmly in the first half of the 20th century. It was a time of conflicts between good and evil that made it seem as if the world could come to an end, which is more or less what Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is all about, and why this co-production with Washington Opera, updated in several details since its debut in 2007 there, works on many levels.
Michael Yeargan’s set designs remain sketchy enough to integrate with the overall thrust of Wagner’s drama, in which Wotan’s optimism that he can sort out his problems and save the world are shot down, only to find a glimmer of hope that a yet-unborn Siegfried could save the game in the next two chapters. Francesca Zambello’s direction focuses tightly on the personal interactions of the characters, right down to a brilliant team of eight valkyries that not only sang spectacularly well but created unmistakably individual characters.
All that would matter little if the music did not come through. Conductor Donald Runnicles, who led complete Ring cycles in 1990 and 1999 when he was music director of this company, shaped a muscular, vital, no-holds-barred performance from the orchestra. Nearly note-perfect, the pace and phrasing propelled the action nicely and inspired some superb singing.

Eva-Maria Westbroek (Sieglinde) and Christopher Ventris (Siegmund)
Act I belonged to Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, in her house debut. Her Sieglinde, which she has sung at both Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, oozed vulnerability even as she made the melodic lines gleam. As a Siegmund just a few decibels short of heroic, English tenor Christopher Ventris still managed to create a believable character and ride the musical lines effortlessly. His “Winterstürme” had a beautiful arc, and the final duet melded well with Westbroek.
From the first moments, this production made effective use of moving images, starting with a mad run through the forest seen from Siegmund’s eyes, projected onto a forward scrim. Changing sky views on the rear scrim added to the visual richness. In Act I the walls of Hunding’s hut open to reveal a gigantic moon rising against a dark blue sky, followed by red and orange pre-dawn skies.
As Hunding, bass Raymond Aceto manhandled Sieglinde, aptly demonstrating and why she wants out. His dark voice carried plenty of menace.
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