In the words of Opern Welt, Sinopoli “conjures up sounds of exquisite beauty and compelling poignancy.” Wolfgang Wagner’s production emphasizes the celebratory character of the libretto, which harmonizes superbly with Sinopoli’s insistence on the poetry and mystery of the music. A major role in the staging is played by the lighting, which is used to create stunning effects such as the diffuse play of light and shadow at the illumination of the Holy Grail. One of the production’s most striking moments occurs when the director has Kundry unveil the Grail instead of dying. She thus takes full part in the Grail ceremony, displaying a feminism which, in the Bayreuth context, is truly revolutionary.
The Colón Ring – Wagner in Buenos Aires
Is it really possible to stage Wagner’s Ring on a single day? The composer’s great-granddaughter, Katharina Wagner, who now runs the Bayreuth Festival, was keen to stage Cord Garben‘s abridged version of the cycle at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, but in the event things turned out rather differently. When she and her team arrived at the Colón, they found that the rehearsal conditions were not what they were expecting, and so she decided that the task should be entrusted to a different director. Valentina Carrasco took over at short notice and together with the singers and the set and costume designers she staged the Ring in a seven-hour version never previously seen – and all
on a single day! The present documentary provides a thrilling and visually memorable account of the long journey taken by this version from its inception to the first night.
Der Ring des Nibelungen in 7 hours
Is it possible to stage Wagner’s Ring on a single day? After a difficult production process, the Teatro Colón has triumphantly succeeded in bringing to life and to the stage the abridged version by pianist and conductor Cord Garben – clocking in at just under seven hours. With the help of a superlative cast of Wagner singers, director Valentina Carrasco, famous for her work with La Fura dels Baus, has transposed the plot into the 1970s – the period of Argentina’s military dictatorship. However, the music remains pure and majestic Wagner, skilfully and faithfully condensed into a revolutionary format. The documentary included provides a thrilling account of the epic creative journey that took
the Colón Ring from its inception to the opening night.
“Linda Watson‘s Brünnhilde outshines everything.” FAZ
“In the end the Wagner venture in Buenos Aires succeeded after all.” Die Welt
Parsifal
A timelessly classical Parsifal from the 1998 Bayreuth Festival in a mystically poetic staging that exerts an unbroken fascination not least as a result of its expressive lighting effects. Under the direction of the great Wagner conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli, the four main roles are taken by Poul Elming, Linda Watson, Falk Struckmann and Hans Sotin – one of the strongest line-ups in Bayreuth´s more recent history. “Giuseppe Sinopoli coaxed an outstanding performance from the Festival Orchestra and Chorus, throwing light on the elaborate score from an agreeable distance and investing the music with a meditatively flowing quality rather than the usual bombast” (Opernglas)
Elektra
Richard Strauss’s “Elektra” is an Expressionist masterpiece that shakes the listener to the core with its powerfully expressive chords, spooky waltzes and mad dance of triumph. The orchestra is so rich that only the finest orchestras can do full justice to this work, such as the Münchner Philharmoniker here under Christian Thielemann, in a production by Herbert Wernicke recorded at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Topping the superb cast are Linda Watson in the title role, Jane Henschel, Manuela Uhl, Albert Dohmen and René Kollo.