What a splendid plan by De Nationale Opera to program Die Walküre under the direction of Pierre Audi once more. Pierre Audi took his leave from De Nationale Opera in September 2018 after thirty years as artistic director, and it would now absolutely be the very last time that this favorite part of the Ring is to be seen in this justly legendary staging. An opportunity not to be missed!
For his production of Der Ring des Nibelungen, which was presented as a complete cycle in 1999, Pierre Audi collaborated with George Tsypin on the set design. It is an unforgettable concept, consisting of a huge circular ring made of strips of raw wood. In the seams of the rings, fire can burst out spectacularly, like a sea of flames at the beginning of the second act, for example. But that is the only spectacle in the production. In the wooden structure there is an armpit-shaped recess that provides space for the orchestra. So it is not in the orchestra pit, but visibly forms part of the set. Let us also immediately point out that the unity between what is depicted in the scenes ideally coincides with the orchestrated music. Could we call it an aspect of Wagner's Gesamtkunst? Apart from that striking scene design, the set is pure simplicity. Here too, a parallel can be drawn with the simple, yet so powerful eloquence in the character direction. Hunding's hut is a barrack standing at a certain angle – just four walls and a roof – which disappears after the first act. Essential, of course, is the ash tree. It is nothing more than a pointed wooden plank, in which the sword sits that Siegmund pulls out of it. Sober but clear. Another attribute in the set that is continuously present, but only stands out where necessary, is Wotan's spear.
Well-thought-out character direction
It is simply delightful to see an opera without far-fetched extra gadgets or time-juggling. The costumes cleverly and eloquently become part of the characterization of the characters. Wotan looks like a mythological god: stately with a magnificent red cloak, partially armored hand and arm and obligatory eye patch. Fricka is distantly elegant in white and enters with two walking sticks with ram's heads as a sign of her stubborn narrow-mindedness. Siegmund walks in rags, while Sieglinde wears a simple gray dress. Hunding wears a macho black leather jacket, which immediately gives him a brutal appearance. The Valkyries are dressed in black asymmetrically hemmed dresses that look magnificent. They wear a black helmet and especially a striking yet beautiful pair of shiny metal wings, which they move as a fitting illusion of rapid movement in their task of gathering fallen heroes. Moreover, the back-and-forth swaying wings create a beautiful play of light.
From scene to scene, the character direction is so well thought-out and at the same time simple that every emotion, every confrontation becomes a touching element in a whole that captivates from beginning to end. The sincere and spontaneous way in which Siegmund and Sieglinde meet at the beginning immediately makes one feel that something is about to happen between the two of them. Immediately the music, with the delightful lyrical cello sounds, conveys the affection between the two. The hard and relentless attitude of Hunding and the decisiveness of Fricka, who gradually gets Wotan to give in to her demand: these are scenes that repeatedly tell the given story with clarity and depth. The absolute highlight is of course the beautiful duet in which Wotan takes leave of his favorite daughter Brünnhilde, whom he punishes because she protected Siegmund against his command. That scene alone makes this opera my favorite part of the Ring, together with that beautiful aria of Siegmund (Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond) and the love scene between Siegmund and Sieglinde in the second act.
Never obtrusive, always recognizable
The singers that De Nationale Opera has cast for this final revival contribute to a pure homage to director Pierre Audi. Each singer performs his part with convincing commitment and great vocal artistry. Both the deep bass of Stephen Milling as Hunding, which accentuates his rough character and uncouth behavior towards Sieglinde, and the beautiful lyrical and nuanced-sounding voice of Eva-Maria Westbroek as a touching Sieglinde: each singer contributes to a successful whole. Iain Paterson is an impressive Wotan, who is authoritative but also dares to show his doubting side. Right at the end he sounds slightly weary, but how well that suits the broken father figure he is at that moment. Martina Serafin sings Brünnhilde with a strong soprano and an equally heroic interpretation. And this while she too gives full scope to the sensitive side of the character, as support for the couple in love and as a punished daughter. Simply delightful!
Marc Albrecht guides the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest flawlessly and transparently through the score. Each passage is supported by the orchestra with the right nuance – here and there also announcing. Leitmotifs come across beautifully and clearly without being enlarged: the motif of Wotan, for example, or that of Alberich in the second act where he is mentioned. Never obtrusive, but always recognizable and precisely played. English horn, oboe and bassoon, horn and tuba play their passages superbly. The strings are compelling. Albrecht equally dispenses overwhelming sounds and refinement.
A long performance, but when you leave the hall at the end, you have the feeling that there could be a third intermission for another piece … It says enough about how brilliantly the production is done. It confirms that the theater is right when it states that thanks to Audi's groundbreaking work De Nationale Opera belongs internationally to the most leading opera houses.
- WHAT: Richard Wagner (1813-1883) || Die Walküre
- DIRECTION: Pierre Audi
- VOICES: Michael König, Stephen Milling, Iain Paterson, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Martina Serafin, Okka von der Dammerau
- ORCHESTRA: Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest conducted by Marc Albrecht
- WHERE: De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam
- WHEN: Saturday 16 November 2019 (premiere) – performances until 8 December 2019
- PHOTOS: © Ruth Walz
