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.

In Act II, bass-baritone Mark Delavan created a Wotan who started out joyful only to see his planning exposed and crumbled after a fateful visit from his long-suffering wife, Fricka (German mezzo soprano Janina Baechle, making her U.S. debut). Deploying a rich, focused sound, and done up rather like Margaret Dumont, she knows she has the upper hand in this conflict as the goddess of marriage, and she savors it.

Delavan relished every turn in the long monologue/scene that follows. His voice has the requisite richness and, when needed, power, but it’s essentially a bel canto sound. That’s perfect for this long scene in which he explains his dilemma to his favorite daughter, and despite her reluctance, he commands her to let Siegmund die in his confrontation with Hunding.

Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde) and Mark Delavan (Wotan)

Nina Stemme, singing Brünnhilde despite an announced bronchial infection, displayed no obvious effects of illness. In fact, she bounded around the stage without missing a note. Her opening salvo of ho-yo-to-ho’s might have had a bit more snap up top, but she drove the second scene of the act with impressively long singing lines. Her death-announcement scene with Siegmund felt true and affecting, as a stately parade of soldiers, holding photographs of the faces of actual U.S. servicemen who have perished in Iraq and Afghanistan, walked solemnly past in the background. Her decision to defy her father’s order and help Siegmund emerges naturally.

On the technical side, Siegmund’s sword actually broke in half on cue as Wotan pointed his spear at it. At the end of the act, in a telling dramatic choice, rather than disposing of Hunding with a flick of his wrist, as is often done, this Wotan walks up to him and twists his neck, another reference to 20th-cenruty warfare and an indication of how involved this god has become.

Scenically and musically, Act III brought the opera to a fitting climax. In a marvelous coup-de-theatre, the valkyries parachute in two or three at a time, and enter holding some of the photographs from the previous scene, indicating the warriors they were bringing to Valhalla. A ramp and stairs surround a circular rock center stage. The famous “Ride of the Valkyries” got an especially deft reading from Runnicles and the orchestra, as the singers distinguished themselves in both senses of the word. Delavan entered with barely controlled bluster, setting up a crackling final scene with Brünnhilde.

From an acting standpoint, there were several nice touches here. Once he decides how to punish her, Wotan sits on a step and Brünnhilde nestles against his lap in a picture-book father-daughter moment. This valkyrie, accepting her fate, walks to the rock on her own and lies upon it. Once Wotan puts her to sleep, he lifts her head and lovingly rests it on her backpack.

Musically, Stemme’s plea, with its a cappella phrases, was impeccably sung, and her entire scene felt movingly human. Although Delavan showed signs of flagging vocally, he tapped into some hidden reserve to deliver a full-bore, heart-rending “Leb wohl.” As the Magic Fire Music welled up, real fire sprang up around the stairs and ramps left, right and behind Brünnhilde’s rock. Finally, a scrim fell to show flames projected in front.

Media and public reaction to this production, which debuted June 10, has been ecstatic. The company presents three complete Ring cycles next June, with only Stemme and Delavan scheduled to reprise their roles from this cast.

Cast

Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme

Wotan: Mark Delavan

Sieglinde: Eva-Maria Westbroek

Siegmund: Christopher Ventris

Fricka: Janina Baechle

Hunding: Raymond Aceto

Ortlinde: Molly Fillmore

Schwertleite: Suzanne Hendrix

Waltraute: Daveda Karanas

Gerhilde: Wendy Bryn Harmer

Helmwige: Tamara Wapinsky

Siegrune: Maya Lahyani

Grimgerde: Pamela Dillard

Rossweise: Priti Gandhi

Production

Conductor: Donald Runnicles

Director: Francesca Zambello

Set Designer: Michael Yeargan

Costume Designer: Catherine Zuber

Lighting Designer: Mark McCullough

Projection Designer: Jan Hartley

Choreographer: Lawrence Pech