Popular Demand? Wagner and Schubert from Ö1

Two of my more obscurer posts seem to have attracted a lot of attention, most likely due to some spamming a few weeks ago. But attention breeds attention, so these two posts have jumped to the top of my "most viewed" list. See over there to your right?

Well, those Ö1 posts are pretty time-sensitive. They're only held in archive for a week. But sometimes, some enterprising music fan captures these broadcasts. Just sayin'...

So...here, in order of popularity, are those two broadcasts:

Three Hours of the 2013 Bayreuth Ring on Ö1 Radio

Die Schöne Mullerin Sing-off – Nine Tenors in 90 Minutes

Happy Listening!

Neuenfels’ Lohengrin: No Escape from the Rat Race (A Pre-Review)

Note to self:  next time don't ask
Ortrud to be Maid of Honor. 

And, speaking of Lohengrin...

I've been viewing and re-viewing Neuenfels' Lohengrin from Bayreuth. It's the one I mentioned when discussing curtain calls and scene changes. It's not nearly as complex a staging as Herrheim's  Parsifal, but there is still a lot to absorb. The other  Lohengrin I've seen (for comparison) is the Konwitschny  production  from Spain. While I loved Emily Magee as Elsa, I was disappointed with Ortrud and the titular tenor.

Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer – 1985 Bayreuth (Part 2: I Never Sang for my Father)

I would call this production of Der Fliegende Holländer ur-Regie. It doesn’t look like what we think of as regie, with its detailed period costumes and décor; but there is definitely a firm director’s hand guiding the plot. Harry Kupfer has a strong point of view that does not coincide exactly with Wagner’s original ideas. However, he makes a convincing case for his interpretation.  And he clearly worked closely with the singers on their characters. Each one (including each member of the chorus) has a strong character and an individual take on the action. Kupfer also choreographs many of the actors’ movements to coincide with musical gestures. It’s effective and not obvious or clichéd—I didn’t really notice the synchronization until the second or third viewing. In addition to the versatile set, the lighting enhances the action well.  The three acts are played without a break, per Wagner’s original intention.* 

Lisbeth Balslev has a bright, full, and clear voice. She sings with warmth (and an occasional appropriate chill); and fortunately, she lacks that stereotypical Wagnerian wobble that puts so many people off opera. She is a superb actor, too, and does “neurotic” well. I read recently that she studied nursing before starting her opera career. She apparently drew on her experience working in a psychiatric ward for her gripping portrayal. Senta is hunted, haunted, and obsessed. I just wanted to hug her and comfort her.

Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer – 1985 Bayreuth (Part 1: I Love You for Senta-mental Reasons)

Der Fliegende Holländer is fairly early Wagner. He is still using traditional operatic forms: Recitative and Aria, Duet, etc., and the duet of the Dutchman and Daland has a distinct Verdian flavor to it.  Maybe this is why I find DFH to be the most approachable of Wagner’s operas; it has musical landmarks and punctuation that make it easier than some of his later dramas to follow. I remember learning about the overture in general music class way back in Jr. High; about how the overture tells the story and introduces the main music themes that reappear throughout the opera, making the whole opera seem familiar even on first or second hearing.

Harry Kupfer, who directed this Bayreuth production, is probably the first to tell the story through Senta’s eyes—as hallucinations; but it’s a jumping off point for many productions that followed. Only Senta sees and hears the Dutchman; when others are around, he lurks in the background in his ship. The production moves smoothly from Senta’s hallucinations to real life and back again; but even the real life scenes seem to be tainted by her psychosis.