Inevitably, reviewing Götterdämmerung shades into a cumulative account of a Ring production as a whole, so intense is the weight of the past, both musically and dramatically, layering everything in the final part of the tetralogy. We revisit characters (Waltraute, the Rhinemaidens) and scenes (Brünnhilde’s rock, the Rhine) from earlier parts, although Leigh Sachwitz and her digital team take this still further by overlaying the final symphonic culmination with a speed-run through all the virtual backdrops of the production in reverse order, ending with a gold disc in the waves of the Rhine. Although undeniably mesmeric, I personally would have rather had a continuation of the flames and water, so as not to be distracted from the towering instrumental culmination of the cycle.
There are new characters and scenes aplenty in this final part, of course. In a rare misstep by costume-designer Anita Yavich, the Norns were clad in ugly dome-shaped dresses, wound around with the thread of fate. Initially singing with just their heads poking out from the stage, all three acquitted themselves well, with the clarion-voiced Olivia Cranwell as third Norn the pick of the bunch (her Sieglinde in the third cycle is something to look forward to). Singing with an authority belying his weak character, Luke Gabbedy turned easily persuadable Gunther into an almost sympathetic character, while Maija Kovalevska brought charm and deviousness to her portrayal of his sister Gutrune.
Chen Shi-Zheng’s conception of the Ring assigned a season to each part, with Götterdämmerung taking place in a wintry world of ice and flecks of snow, with its denizens wearing fur-lined grey and blue costumes inspired by the Inuit peoples as channelled through Avatar: The Last Airbender. The residence of the Gibichung siblings was one of the best sets of the entire production: an ice-palace, with dark digital geometric shapes for walls, and a stone table in the centre continuing the presence of white artefacts in each opera.
If Siegfried marked a slight dip in the form of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, it was clear from the first notes of the dawn motif that the players were very much up for the challenges of the final drama, with the brass in particular demonstrating a gorgeous, fulsome sound. Philippe Auguin’s account of the score has been steady rather than interpretatively very individual, but his control of the sound and the balance he achieved between pit and stage was impressive, so that the singers were virtually never inaudible.
As Waltraute, Deborah Humble excelled once again and her lengthy narrative was entirely compelling. Having played Fricka earlier in the cycle, she is a contender alongsideAndrea Silvestrelli for the MVP of multiple characters. The latter was again outstanding as the villainous Hagen, with his rousing call to the vassals thrilling in its sheer sonic barbarity. As a plotter, he was not above anxiety, despite his assurances to his father, Alberich (Warwick Fyfe typically impressive); chewed nails were a common sight, and after murdering Siegfried he had to face down his men, who were thinking about a violent response. We have to wait until Act 2 for the first appearance of a chorus in the Ring, but the men’s full-throated bellows of approval for the forthcoming celebrations was worth it.
Stefan Vinke as Siegfried showed some minor signs of strain at times, but before one could worry for him, he would bellow out a ringing top A or C, and all was right with the world. His blood-brotherhood duet with Gabbedy was as testosterone-filled as one could wish for, and his death scene was honestly affecting. The funeral march saw Siegfried’s body transferred via a sheet to a sled, which was hauled off by the dancers.
The ending belongs, of course, to Brünnhilde, and Lise Lindstrom delivered her big number with emotional depth and vocal panache. With the puppet phoenix (aka Grane the horse) splayed on one side of a ziggurat of cylinders, she ascended to the top of the structure and disappeared through a trapdoor as the lighting effects went rampant (no real flames this time, unlike Die Walküre), but not before a Rhinemaiden aerialist took the ring from her outstretched hand.
So what impressions will this Ring cycle leave behind? As a comparatively straightforward production of Wagner’s drama rather than a strong Regieoper reading, the focus was on storytelling of a fairly traditional sort, although the means were technologically advanced. The digital backdrops, at times abstract and at times highly figurative, brought various scenes to life in novel ways. Perhaps the incessant movement reveals a lack of confidence in Wagner’s music being enough to hold our attention, but a few questionable decisions aside, it was a colourful realisation of this mythic world, with a slew of strong performances cementing its success.
David's travel to Brisbane was funded by Opera Australia
