Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner Seattle Opera August 3,4,6,8 1991; Seattle Opera House August 6, before going to see Siegfried: I hesitate to start these Ring reflections halfway through the cycle, because I have already noticed that the story seems to be growing as it progresses, the sum being far greater than the parts. By the end of the long Die Walküre Sunday night, I was deeply enmeshed in the story and the characters and longing for the next installment-almost resentful that it would have to wait a day, until the Siegfried performance tonight. It is clear that the story here is the star attraction, and that the players and the staging only augment that. I want to save any overall reflections until I've seen the whole cycle -- but I also want to record some impressions now, before they fade, so this entry will serve for just that. We arrived for the opening Das Rheingold unsure in many ways what to expect. The performance moved quickly, despite being 2 1/2 hours without a break. I thought the orchestral eloquence eclipsed the vocal; I wonder if I have trouble hearing the subtleties in the singing or if I simply don't recognize them. I can certainly make subtle distinctions about tone and color and power, but seem far less able to register other distinctions I have seen written about. Perhaps that comes with experience. This is my first experience with Wagner on stage. I keep listening for the lycricism I am used to in romantic opera and of course that broad, easy form is missing here. There are moments of vocal beauty and of course many more of surpassing power, but the thrill is distinctly different than that felt when Nessun Dorma's final chord is resolved, or at the high C sung in di Quella Pira. Again, it seems, the power is more evident in the whole than in the parts. In Das Rheingold, I found Diane Kesling's Freia the most compelling vocalization: a beautiful, full, round tone that easily filled the house. Kevin Bell as Fasolt also was very effective, a great full voice and easy unforced singing style that let him explore other nuances of the role. I am sorry not to have him reappear. Kenneth Riegel's Loge was easily the dominant performance of the evening. The role itself doesn't dominate, of course, but his vigorous characterization, combined with a fine voice, made him the clear center of attention whenever he wanted to be. He played Loge more as a wily old con man than a merry prankster (as I had imagined him) but it worked well for me. Riegel, after all, is no youngster and this may be the best approach available for him. I found Julian Patrick's Alberich strong as well, and most of the others undistinguished-save Roger Roloff's Wotan, which was weak to the point of distraction. That was even more pronounced Sunday night in Die Walküre. This Wotan looks like a cross between Abe Lincoln and Brigham Young and moves with such stiffness that you worry about pieces of him breaking off and falling to the stage. He plays the role (to the degree he plays at all) with excessive timidity-Wotan not as tortured and conflicted but simply weak and wimpy. When the Walküres announce that "father is arriving in a rage," Roloff's subsequent appearance is laughable. I was surprised the audience didn't boo him. Perhaps the rest of the Walküre scene had simply enchanted us into a forgiving mood, for it was wonderful. The graceful flying horses are only the most obvious of many wonderful components in this famous scene. I was especially taken by the way the Walküres characterization included a strong feminist component-powerful, proud women warriors. This was accomplished by presence and attitude, not overt demonstration, and I found it powerful and enthralling. Their's was (as I recall) the first real ensemble singing since the Rhinemaiden's, and it was splendid. Additional notes: Brünnhilde (Gudrun Vokert) made a great first impression on me. Her ho jo to ho departure scene was easily the most potent vocal display of the opera thus far: bright, powerful, confident, vigorous. The material for her in the rest of Die Walküre wasn't a great showcase, but her voice seemed only to get better. I can't wait for more of her singing. Warren Ellsworth was a beautiful Siegmund, not heroic but lyrical and emotional, and good actor and fine presence as well as beautiful tenor. Likewise, Ellen Shade's Seglinde was sung with great power and full, beautiful tone. Later: It's over. Götterdämmerung. The world of the gods has collapsed in a fierce blaze and given way to the enveloping, billowing curtain of the Rhine. The "Ring" story has concluded just like the young fan I spoke with earlier satirically suggested: "Someone steals the Rhinemaiden s' gold. Seventeen hours later, they get it back." What a seventeen hours it has been. I understand the power of this drama now in a way I cannot yet articulate. Yes, there were silly moments: wooden Wotan's mincing dance step, the aging William Johns' Siegfried pretending to a youth his years belied, the fire extinguishers needed to control the theatrical flames at the climax. But none of that mattered in the totality of this epic. For four long, glorious nights I was willing to suspend disbelief not only when the staging was adequate, but even when it wasn't. The overall power of the drama carried me along through tiresome recetitives, through quirky staging, through costuming that didn't fit the story for me. All of that was washed away by the majesty of the story. What's it about? About love and loss and death and change. About one world dying that another may be born. About weakness and strength. About complicated motives and inadequacies in even the best of characters. About the ultimate uncertainty of all plans-even the plans of the most powerful. About mortals surpassing immortals. Siegfried was perhaps the strongest single opera of this cycle for me. Johns is a genuine heldentenor, and despite his preening style and the fact that he is too obviously a middleaged man and not a glorious youth, he had moments of surpassing power. The scene at the forge seemed prototypical of the genre: the blonde heldentenor working the bellows as smoke wafts up and the powerful song bursts forth. Mime (Thomas Harper) also had a strong night in Siegfried, especially in the second act. His acting ability far surpassed almost any other character, and he was a strong presence whenever he appeared. Best performance overall had to go to Gabor Andrasy, who sang Hunding, Hagen and Fafner. He brought power and authority to all the roles and acted with great credibility and coherence. His voice worked well in all the roles, as well, never seeming to press his limits. Gudrun Volkert continued to satisfy as Brünnhilde. Although her physical presence didn't impress me, she sang the role with steady power, at times the crusading warrior maiden, at times the aching lover. Hers is a clear case of the voice carrying the rest of her performance, but it was sufficient voice to do so credibly. The Rhinemaiden s were particularly effective in latter scenes-saucy, spicy wenches who were quite convincing as they tempted Siegfried and later reclaimed their gold. Their ensemble singing, along with the Walküres, was always a high point for me. I miss The Ring. Non-music notes: The Seattle Opera store was a treat this week. Lots of Ring paraphernalia-from the obvious (tee-shirts and coffee mugs) to the obscure (gingersnaps named for the bear). Best tee-shirt: clearly the simple grey model with the words "Fasolt & Fafner, general contractors. Fees negotiable." Also at the store was the display from George Herget Books, a rare book dealer from New Orleans who brought a collection of Wagneria to sell. He had a four-volume set of the Oliver Huckel translations that tempted me ($75) but I decided to wait and see if I still wanted them after seeing the whole cycle. I did, but didn't get back to buy them. (I was very impressed by the difference between the libretto translation-intended to be sung-and these more literary, infinitely more beautiful verses. I do want to read the Huckel someday.) George Herget Books 3109 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70115 891-5595