Rattle's RHEINGOLD

By chance, I found a copy of Sir Simon Rattle's recording of DAS RHEINGOLD at the Library of the Performing Arts; since the cast included some singers I'm very fond of (such as Thomas Konieczny, Michael Volle, Christian Van Horn, and Peter Rose) I decided to give it a whirl.

I happened to wake up in a Wagner mood this morning, so I started my day with the Norn Scene from a 1951 Met Opera broadcast of GOTTERDAMMERUNG conducted by Fritz Stiedry, with Jean Madeira, Martha Lipton, and Margaret Harshaw as the three sisters, it's one of the best renderings of this favorite scene that I've ever heard. So I decided to make a Wagner-Day out of it and put on Sir Simon's RHEINGOLD, where I found much to enjoy.

The conductor's overall shaping of the opera felt fresh, and the Bayerischen Rundfunk Orchestra plays beautifully. The singers are all well-suited to their roles, with a sisterly and well-blended trio of Rhinemaidens (Mirella Hagen, Stefanie Iranyi, and Eva Vogel) getting things off to a fine start. Thomas Konieczny - who I've been bowled over by here in NYC as Kurwenal, Pizarro, Alberich, and Dutchman at The Met - and an astounding Jochanaan at Carnegie Hall - is simply perfect here as Alberich; he dominates the entire performance. To hear this singer move from mood to mood as the opera develops is truly mesmerizing. His dramatic outbursts and subtle asides are equally fascinating, whilst his cry of anguish when the ring is taken from him comes from deep in the soul. Later, after having placed a curse on the ring, his maniacal laughter as he rushes away hints of disasters still to come.

Michael Volle is a wonderful Wotan in every regard; having become a great admirer of this singer thru his recent string of Met triumphs - Scarpia, Hans Sachs, Falstaff, and Barak - his every note and word as Wotan held me under a spell. As Fricka, Elisabeth Kulman sings beautifully. Burkhard Ulrich is a characterful Loge, attentive to every nuance. Christian Van Horn's Donner is truly impressive in his summoning of the thunder-clouds; Benjamin Bruns sings lyrically as his brother, Froh. The giants are sturdily sung by Peter Rose and Eric Halfvarson. 

Two portrayals I found extremely absorbing were Herwig Pecoraro's Mime and Janina Baechle's Erda. The former makes much of the miserable dwarf, his singing vividly (even harrowingly) springs from the words. Ms. Baechle remarkable as the Earth Goddess: she tends to eschew a deep, over-done chest register and instead made her warning almost alluring: her gorgeously soft phrasing of "...meide den Ring!" ends with a sustained piano that fades away. It seems this lures Wotan to her; she will eventually bear his daughter, Brunnhilde.

~ Oberon