Class 10: Embracing the Epic

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10. Embracing the Epic. Wagner's Ring of the Nibelungs, that four-evening cycle of long operas about the founding of the modern world, has become a kind of Everest+K2 for opera directors, the ultimate test of skill. One talks about "the Chéreau Ring," or "the Lepage Ring," or "the Castorf Ring" as though they were separate entities—which in effect they are, each with its own look and philosophy.

The challenge of staging the Ring has two components that are often in opposition. One is to respond to the epic scale and mythic resonance of a score that is very much an organic unit, shifting shape and gaining depth even as you listen. The other is to find ways of taking a story born of a particular time and culture—Germany in the 19th Century—and making it relevant to modern audiences.

It is obviously impossible to cover the entire work in a 75-minute class, so we shall take three celebrated passages—the "Ride of the Valkyries" in the second opera, Die Walküre; the opening of the first one, Das Rheingold; and the very end of the last one, Götterdämmerung—to see how they have been handled by some of the leading directors of our day.

I can suggest three ways of familiarizing yourself with the story in advance. The Handout probably tells you all you actually need. If you want a more complete context, see my profusely-illustrated nine-page summary of the entire cycle, What's the Ring? Alternatively, since almost all my examples come from the first two operas, you could look at the narrated video summary of the story-to-date Previously on the Ring, made in conjunction with the current production in London—only be aware that the staging by Barrie Kosky is not exactly the plain-vanilla approach. rb.

The script, videos, and images will be posted immediately after class.

Handout Class Script

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VIDEO LINKS

Everything played in class is available on YouTube at the links below, all *asterisked; not all have titles and you may have to poke around to find those that have. I uploaded two of my own videos, although I did not include my opening section title (striking but irrelevant), and replaced the comparison of "Va tacito e nascosto" as sung by various voice-types with the full versions of the performances from which my clips were taken (plus two extras).

I added a fair number of extra things. There are four other complete performances of Giulio Cesare, three with countertenors in the title role and one with a contralto (as was the Glyndebourne production that we watched). I also put in other versions of Cleopatra's arias: I'd call your attention to three in particular: the very beautiful "Piangerò" by Natalie Dessay (who virtually recomposes the da capo in expressive bel canto style), the stunning "Da tempeste" by Sabine Devieilhe (who treats the aria as post-traumatic meltdown rather than a victory celebration, and produces the most amazing coloratura I have ever heard, ever) and the outrageous camp of the snatch of the same aria sung by Maayan Licht, a mustachioed male soprano!

The Zurich Orlando is available complete, though unfortunately without titles. The other complete options include the Bejun Mehta stage production from Bruges, and the rather dark Claus Guth staging in Madrid, set apparently in an underground garage, as you will have glimpsed in my title montage. I put in a trailer from the 2025 "museum" production from Nancy that also appeared in the montage, plus two numbers from a 2019 production in San Francisco that follows the Zurich idea of setting the action in a military hospital (although WW2 rather than WW1); neither of these arias were in the sections played in class. On a similar priciple, I include versions of Orlando's celebrated mad scene with both interpreters of the leading role: Marijana Mijanovic and Bejun Mehta. Also Mijanovic's Zurich performance of "Fammi combattere," that I had intended to show in class but had to cut; the staging is a bit repetitive towards the end, but it is fascinating to hear what her low contralto voice can do.

Finally, since all the video productions of both operas are updated to some degree, I attach an 8½-minute promo from a group in Britain that were mounting Orlando just as it would have been in Handel's time; alas, there are no clips of their actual performance.

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IMAGES
The thumbnails below cover the slides shown in class, though there may be a few small discrepancies. Click the thumbnail to see a larger image. Click on the right or left of the larger picture to go forward or back, or outside it to close.