I hated the stage design. There, I said it. It's a really famous stage designer, and he sounds very convincing in the interviews I read, but I was bored stiff by the whole visual part of the Götterdämmerung. And damn it, I have been dreaming about going to this opera for two nights in a row that I can remember, I was looking forward to it so much. But there was not a thing to see. Offices and computers and ties and suits for crying out loud. Enough to drain all the passion out of the overdramatic storyline. And yes, I did close my eyes every now and again, great music, great singing! I liked Brünhilde best in Act III, Scene 3: Wie Sonne lauter strahlt mir sein Licht, track 21 on this website. And sung today by Susan Bullock, beautiful, beautiful. And of course, let's not forget the third clarinet, it was fabulous. And the new opera house, let's not forget that either, I don't know, the building really has a very nice feel to it, I felt at home right away. And so so clean and new, open and spacious. Round rows of balconies just like they always used to have in old opera houses. We didn't have the best of seats, and the usher advised us to just take better ones, since the house wasn't full. So we took a box with it's own little private room with little cupboards and a mirror and coat hooks. Neat. And loose chairs, so you can position them in any way you want. Comfortable too, five-and-a-half hours, no problem at all. Were it not for the costume & stage design...
Glad you enjoyed the music and the new house, but the Toronto Ring designs are indeed derivative and not very interesting-its been seen and done before.
Well, that is really a pity. I was thinking about going too, but now the door has closed on that idea. I guess I will totally be disapointed since I saw and heard the whole Ring in the one and only place it should be seen, and that is at the Bayreuth Festspiele
http://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/
I know I was very lucky to see it there...
Wow, Wendy, Bayreuth, really heh? But about Toronto, it may be me, it may be Canada. This thing is so over-important for Canada now, nobody dares say anything negative it seems. I have only read the National Post (sorry), and heard the radio, but everybody is just orgastic. And me. Well for example. I have nothing against the size of opera singers. But in an overly romantic declaration of love at first sight, do you picture a 200+ pound woman in a skintight business suit sitting on an office chair having this guy kneel in front of her? I don't know. And really, I don't have anything against contemporary stage design. But I do think the stage design should fit the story, and I also think temporary doesn't have to be boring. You have to look at some of these scenes for over an hour!