Das Rheingold (DVD): Bech Holten, Schønwandt, Johan Reuter, Randi Stene, Sten Byriel, Michael Kristensen, Bengt-Ola Morgny, Stephen Milling
Stage director Kasper Bech Holten
Conductor Michael Schønwandt
Wotan Johan
Reuter
Donner Hans Lawaetz
Froh Johnny van Hal
Loge Michael Kristensen
Fasolt Stephen Milling
Fafner Christian
Christiansen
Alberich Sten Byriel
Mime Bengt-Ola Morgny
Fricka Randi Stene
Freia Anne Margrethe Dahl
Erda Susanne Resmark
Woglinde Djina Mai-Mai
Wellgunde Ylva Kihlberg
Flosshilde Hanne Fischer
Also appearing in silent parts: Iréne Theorin (Brünnhilde searching the library to find out what went wrong) and Danny Olsen (the swimming man representing the Rhinegold)
Set and Costume Designers Marie í Dali and Steffen
Aarfing
Lighting Designer Jesper Kongshaug
Dramaturgy Henrik Engelbrecht
Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen
Comments on the Copenhagen Ring: Das Rheingold
This exciting Regietheater production of Rheingold from Copenhagen is partly destroyed by bad filming and unbelievably bad video editing. If, however, you are able to overlook the video shortcomings and you are open for a "modern" approach, you are in some some great music theatre moments that hopefully will trigger some thought processes.
Kasper Bech Holten humanizes the myths to make a story of a family and its downfall. In this process he - in some scenes - unfortunately misses the emotional impact inherent in the work. For instance when Erda (Susanne Resmark) is characterized as Wotan's mistress, the whole scene falls apart. (But in Siegfried the Erda scene is great because Holten brilliantly makes it a scene about death and dying, and desperation). Even worse than reducing Erda to a mere mistress, is making Alberich (Sten Byriel) an alcoholic. This undermines the whole tragedy of the Alberich character. This is the starting point of the series of tragic events to follow. I don't mind producers making down to earth realism of the Rheingold characters, but I do mind being left in an emotional vacuum.
Holten's portrayal of Wotan (Johan Reuter) is undoubtly the most successful on this DVD, closely followed by the delightful Loge (Michael Kristensen). Holten sees Fricka (Randi Stene) as little more than a hysterical, nagging housewife, which I find rather problematic. Fasolt (Stephen Milling) is here the one-dimensional, but sincere working class man, and Fafner (Christian Christiansen) the rich businessman, partly invalide.
The singers and the orchestra under Michael Schønwandt (who conducted Meistersinger at Bayreuth in 1987 and 1988) are all great. It is very unusual that you experience the Wagner minor parts at this level when played in a "provincial" opera house.
The imagery is inspired by modern horror movies. Mutilation and disintegrating bodies are important throughout the Copenhagen Ring. Wotan is torturing Alberich in a torture chamber and cuts off Alberich's arm to get the ring. Alberich later obviously is making some sort of medical experiments with quartered bodies stored in large vertical containers. The Rheingold is maybe seen by Kasper Bech Holten as mankind's human and "true" side, that is how we are before greed and lust for power interferes. Anyway, the stealing of the gold is done by tearing a heart out of a young man swimming in a pool. It is very graphic and very disturbing - not for children. It is a very interesting move by Holten. What is man without a heart? What are we if we can't feel anything with our hearts and nothing is heartfelt? This made sense to me, although I don't know if this was Holten's idea. At least it is a good starting point for a discussion.
Speaking of hearts: I wish the producers had used more heart and less brain. This Rheingold (as well as the other music dramas in the Copenhagen Ring) is seldom moving. Reduction is a dangerous thing. How and with what do you replace the pathos? The Stuttgart Rheingold is actually more interesting because the stage direction and the details creates more tension and drama, at least for me.
(I have not seen this production on stage.)
Das Rheingold is sold as part of the complete cycle of Der Ring des
Nibelungen.
More on The Copenhagen Ring here.
Search for The Copenhagen Ring on Amazon
Reviews etc.
Mostly Opera: "The
production is highly entertaining with plenty interesting points, such
as: Wotan's
slaying of Loge, who has seen too much. Fasolt's
tender relationship with Freia (though not a new idea, still interesting).
Wotan cutting off Alberich's arm to get the gold in a torture scene
worthy of Dr. Mengele. The Nibelheim scene is (for once) well done, with
Alberich entering a rotating metal cylinder reappearing as a toad and dragon,
respectively. Wotan's eye is not covered, but mutilated."
From a review and in-depth report on Mostly Opera: The Copenhagen Ring -
Rheingold
Review of the Copenhagen Ring production (in Norwegian) on Wagneropera.no
Search for The Copenhagen Ring on Amazon