![]() Blythe’s Fricka is steely and by no means a pushover, but the warmth of her voice and approach to the role goes a long way to making this most shrewish of characters not just sympathetic, but human. ![]() One doesn’t usually invest in fourteen hours of opera for this minor role, but, if the exception were ever to be made, it could excusably be done for this performance. On the plus side vocally, the most remarkable contribution to this Ring is probably Stephanie Blythe’s magnificent Fricka. Throughout these four operas, Fisch demonstrates not only a good sense of tempos, but also a strong understanding of how Wagnerian melody needs to be paced in order to unfold naturally and forcefully. Balances are sometimes problematic – the low brass tend to swamp everything, including the full string section playing fortissimo, at big climaxes – but these seem less matters of conducting oversights or bad interpretative decisions than the results of imperfect microphone placement and the vagaries of recording live performances. In many ways the highlight of this set is that orchestra (made up primarily of members of the Seattle Symphony) that, despite patches of sour intonation, turns in a performance that never fails to impress with its energy and color. And, when the competition in Ring Cycles includes the likes of Keilberth’s, Böhm’s, Krauss’s, Solti’s, Karajan’s, Boulez’s, Barenboim’s, and Thielemann’s and their attendant excellent casts, that’s a big problem. ![]() But the singing, especially in key roles, often comes up short. Conductor Asher Fisch keeps everything moving along tautly and intelligently. So what does Seattle Opera’s recent release of their acclaimed “green Ring” (so called because of the focus on nature and the environment that is at the core of the production) add to the mix? In musical terms, it turns out, not so much. There is no shortage of Ring Cycles already on the market, including a dozen or so live accounts. Seattle Opera, 14-CD box set, digital download, and for online streaming from Avie Records. What one really wishes is that the Seattle Opera’s Ring Cycle had been released as a DVD, so that the compelling staging could be a part of the listening experience.ĭer Ring des Nibelungen, Wagner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |