Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a magisterial new production of DAS RHEINGOLD

• By drediman
• October 12, 2016
• No Comments

Eric Owens and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner in “Das Rheingold” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its 2016-2017 season in sensational fashion with a magisterial new production of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold helmed by respected British director David Pountney. The new mounting marks the first step in the Lyric’s endeavor to mount a new Ring Cycle, which replaces the uneven August Everding productions from the 1990s.

Mr. Pountney ingeniously sets his Ring Cycle – or at least this Das Rheingold – in a crumbling theater. His gods are played by performers in what appears to be an “opera within an opera” of sorts. As such, the fantastical elements of the story retain a Brechtian sensibility, showing the audience the mechanics behind the stage magic. In a move that makes complete sense and yet I don’t think has been staged before, he introduces us to the Norns as an active weaver of the gods destiny in this first opera; indeed, they are the initial figures you see as the curtain rises and the undulating Rhine leitmotif swells. Interestingly, this pseudo-meta approach lines up with Wagner’s original intention to create a total illusion for his audiences. Mr. Poutney’s vision of Valhalla is the auditorium of the Lyric Opera itself, as if the production is acknowledging this opera’s reputation as the prologue of the cycle. At the opera’s conclusion, the gods cross the rainbow bridge to towards the mini-proscenium en route to Mr. Poutney’s Die Walküre. In sum, this is one of the most stimulating and theatrical Das Rheingold’s I’ve seen, which bodes well for the rest of the cycle (culminating in a performance of the entire Ring in April 2020).

The musical performances were mostly superior. I’ve long longed to see and hear Eric Owens perform Wotan. At least on opening night, he seemed a bit tight in both his singing (unfortunately a bit underpowered) and acting, as if he were a bit nervous. I suspect he’ll loosen up as the run progresses. Standouts include Samuel Youn’s tremendously sung and acted Alberich and Stefan Margita’s playfully manipulative and robust-sounding Loge (Mr. Margita is a veteran in this role, having sung it to great acclaim in major opera houses around the world). Kudos also to the women in the cast, particularly Tanja Ariane Baumgartner’s Fricka, Laura Wilde’s Freia, and Okka von der Damerau’s Erda – each sounded bright and present on opening night. Last but not least, the Lyric orchestra played the elemental score with great energy and muscularity, thanks to Sir Andrew Davis’s inspired conducting.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DAS RHEINGOLD
Opera
Lyric Opera of Chicago
2 hours, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through October 22