Staatskapelle Weimar - Gotterdammerung [Blu-ray]

What have Michael Schulz, Renee Listerdal and Dirk Becker done? I had high hopes for a modernized staging of the end of the Ring Cycle, since I have only the Met's wonderful production from years ago on DVD. This set and costumes visually turns the opera into the equivalent of a cheap, low-budget, hole in the wall production. Fortunately, the orchestra under Carl St. Clair plays very well and most singers, particularly the three leads, are very good (many of the secondary singers are not up to par). The efforts of the leading singers, however, are nearly lost to this short-sighted concept. Modern opera directors often have brilliant ideas, but there were none here. Sorry, guys, this was a design and direction failure, not a good recipe for a DVD.

If you close your eyes, it's not a bad Gotterdammerung. But then, why not buy an audio CD? Why do new productions of the Ring always have to have a novel "interpretation?" Are opera lovers so immature that they can't understand metaphors? While I have nothing against fellatio and copulation, do we need simulated sex to gain an understanding of Wagner? Run, don't walk to the nearest exit.

This review is about the DVD version which is of course available. I am also not happy with how this product is listed. Starring should be Catherine Foster (Brunnhilde) and Renatus Meszar (Hagen) to whom this performance owes its success. Director is Michael Schultz. I find the increasing sloppiness in listing classical music just indicates that people on Amazon just don't know what they are doing.Similar, but not identical review is published on The Wholenote Magazine website (by myself) and under Copyright The WholeNote media 2010.The last, cataclysmic installment of Wagner's monumental Ring from Weimar is very much a vision of the director, Michael Schultz. His strong philosophy is most manifest here where his pessimistic views are aided by the apocalyptic story. "There are tears in the world/as though God had died..." The grief is never ending.To the cruelty and murder so prevalent in the drama the director adds his own issues: cruelty to women and even to defenseless animals. The 2nd act turns into a pandemonium of mass rape by the Gibichung thugs (reminding us of British soccer hooligans). Brunnhilde's horse, Grane is portrayed by a wonderful pantomime actress with flowing white hair much abused throughout by Hagen and the adolescents also added to the production. The Director believes that children of the world are cast out, helpless therefore alienated and aggressive. They witness all major turn of events but unable to participate and move around in curiosity, with blood-stained hands.Difficult to describe this theatrical experience with words, one really has to see how powerfully it's handled by sparse visual means. . Stage background is black throughout; there are virtually no sets and lighting pays a prominent role. So memorable to see Siegfried tenderly mourned by Grane, the long suffering horse and at the final scene water is cascading from above over the abused women, who are reborn & cleansed by Brunnhilde's self sacrifice and redemption. I recommend for anyone to read the very intelligent and detailed program notes where Schultz explains his viewpoint for the production.Young American conductor, St. Clair keeps tight control and never lets the tension sag . The cast is very strong. Renatus Meszar as Hagen, is a formidable presence and even more formidable voice .English Soprano Catherine Foster easily conquers the endurance test of Brunnhilde's role.(It's interesting to note that she started out her career as a nurse in Birmingham!) Siegfried, Norbert Schmittberg, is treated as vulnerable, somewhat naïve plaything for the evil Gibichungs, a fine choice for not being the typical beefcake Wagner tenor. Gunther, portrayed as weak and somewhat tragicomical, sung and acted wonderfully by Mario Hoff.Great theatre, a moving production that will give you food for thought. .

Similar, but not identical review is published on The Wholenote Magazine website, [...] (by myself) and under Copyright The WholeNote media 2010.The last, cataclysmic installment of Wagner's monumental Ring from Weimar is very much a vision of the director, Michael Schultz. His strong philosophy is most manifest here where his pessimistic views are aided by the apocalyptic story. "There are tears in the world/as though God had died..." The grief is never ending.To the cruelty and murder so prevalent in the drama the director adds his own issues: cruelty to women and even to defenseless animals. The 2nd act turns into a pandemonium of mass rape by the Gibichung thugs (reminding us of British soccer hooligans). Brunnhilde's horse, Grane is portrayed by a wonderful pantomime actress with flowing white hair much abused throughout by Hagen and the adolescents also added to the production. The Director believes that children of the world are cast out, helpless therefore alienated and aggressive. They witness all major turn of events but unable to participate and move around in curiosity, with blood-stained hands.Difficult to describe this theatrical experience with words, one really has to see how powerfully it's handled by sparse visual means. . Stage background is black throughout; there are virtually no sets and lighting pays a prominent role. So memorable to see Siegfried tenderly mourned by Grane, the long suffering horse and at the final scene water is cascading from above over the abused women, who are reborn & cleansed by Brunnhilde's self sacrifice and redemption. I recommend for anyone to read the very intelligent and detailed program notes where Schultz explains his viewpoint for the production.Young American conductor, St. Clair keeps tight control and never lets the tension sag . The cast is very strong. Renatus Meszar as Hagen, is a formidable presence and even more formidable voice .English Soprano Catherine Foster easily conquers the endurance test of Brunnhilde's role.(It's interesting to note that she started out her career as a nurse in Birmingham!) Siegfried, Norbert Schmittberg, is treated as vulnerable, somewhat naïve plaything for the evil Gibichungs, a fine choice for not being the typical beefcake Wagner tenor. Gunther, portrayed as weak and somewhat tragicomical, sung and acted wonderfully by Mario Hoff.Great theatre, a moving production that will give you food for thought. .

At least 2 European reviewers reported having unreadable discs. I have the same problem on my North American bluray player. They are having manufacturing issues. Avoid!

Die Weimarer Produktion des kompletten Rings gipfelt in einer spannenden, aber auch provokanten Götterdämmerung. Szenisch und orchestral ist dieser Ring gerundet wie kaum eine mir bekannte Produktion. Musikalische Leitmotive werden gespiegelt durch szenische Leitmotive. Das Drama der Kinder findet seine schlüssige Lösung. Die gedemütigten Frauen baden nach dem Untergang der macht- und geldgierigen Männerwelt im erlösenden Regen - ein sicher plakativer, dennoch schöner Abschluss eines an vielen starken Szenen reichen Opernabends. Ich will dazu garnicht viel an dieser Stelle verraten.Meine Rezension steht unter dem noch unmittelbarem Eindruck der Götterdämmerung in Bayreuth. Ohne nun die Bayreuther Aufführung rezensieren zu wollen macht es mir dieser direkte Vergleich leicht, eine Lanze für die viel packendere Götterdämmerung aus Weimar zu brechen und vor allem auch die musikalische Seite herauszustellen:Catherine Foster in Weimar beeindruckt als Brünnhilde stimmlich und schauspielerisch mit voller Hingabe und einer schönen, vollen Stimme gepaart mit auch - relativer - Textverständlichkeit. Ich bleibe dabei: Seit Birgit Nilsson hat mich keine Brünnhilde so beeindruckt. Wer denn auch: Helga Dernesch hart und kalt bei Karajan, Gwyneth Jones gilfend und wabernd bei Boulez, Eva Marton -singing in the pain ( um Kesting zu zitieren), die Behrens? Und das in einer ungeschnittenen Liveversion! In Bayreuth waberte uns nun über Stunden eine völlig unberührt herumstehende Linda Watson an ("uweigt ueuers jammers uwall"), sicher laut, um ausgerechnet bei der Stelle: "Vollbringt Brünnhildes Wunsch" zu patzen. Ähnlich unstrukturiert waberte mir Thielemanns hochgelobtes Dirigat entgegen, keine Akzente, nur Schwellklänge. Wir werden hören, wie das dann auf der angekündigten CD klingen wird - ich werde es nicht brauchen. Dagegen spielt die Staatskapelle Weimar unter Carl St. Clair einen äußerst präzisen, manchmal harten, durchhörbaren Wagner, legt viele Details offen ohne aber so trocken und spröde wie Boulez zu klingen. Den schwelgerisch "brucknerischen" Schluss lässt sich St.Clair denn auch nicht entgehen.Auch Renatus Meszar als Hagen und Nadine Weissmann als Waltraute und 2.Norn bieten "festspielwürdige" Leistungen (fairerweise muss ich dann aber Hans-Peter Königs Bayreuther Hagen erwähnen: kolossal!). Norbert Schmittberg schlägt sich mit metalischem Tenor in der undankbaren Partie nicht schlechter als sein Kollege Christian Franz in Bayreuth. Mario Hoff macht aus dem Gunther ein Kabinettstück - wie immer in diesem Ring ohne Karikatur, gewinnt man fast Mitleid mit diesem Schwächling.Das soll aber nicht heißen, dass diese Götterdämmerung im Vergleich mit einem vielleicht schwachen anderen Abend besteht. Ihre Stärke ist das Zusammenspiel von Schauspiel und Musik, eine packende Personenführung und eine Bildregie, die einen oft ganz nah an die Personen führt. Der Klang ist ebenfalls gut eingefangen, die Staatskapelle Weimar spielt die Morgendämmerung, Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt und den Trauermarsch kraftvoll und direkt. Ein kleiner Wehrmutstropfen ist, dass man wohl aus Finanzgründen keine Nachproduktion kleinerer Fehler oder Sängerhänger machen konnte. Eine ganze Götterdämmerung ohne kleinere Fehler an einem Stück ist wohl nicht möglich. Andererseits zeigt es, dass diese Aufführung unmanipuliert und in einem Zug aufgenommen wurde.Für mich ist dieser Ring zum Bayreuther Kupfer/Barenboim-Ring eine faszinierende Alternative: Wagners Drama aktuell und menschlich wie nie zuvor. Ein grandioser Leistungsbeweis eines mittelgroßen deutschen Theaters.

This allegedly "all region" disc will not play on either of my two Blu Ray players. So this is a rating of the disc, not of its content.

Mon lecteur à refusé de lire ce disque ?