The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has given the country one of the great performances of the century with their season of Die Walkure, which has already toured Wellington and Christchurch and last Saturday was in Auckland.
Die Walkure by Richard Wagner
Simon O'Neill, Edith Haller, Christine Goerke, John Wegner, Jonathan Lemalu, Margaret Medlyn
The Valkyries: Morag Atchison, Amanda Atlas, Sarah Castle, Kristin Darragh, Wendy Doyle, Lisa Harper-Brown, Anna Pierard, Kate Spence
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pietari Inkinen
Auckland Town Hall
July 28
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has given the country one of the great performances of the century with their season of Die Walkure, which has already toured Wellington and Christchurch and last Saturday was in Auckland.
The second of the Ring Cycle operas, it is a combination of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, with forces of good and evil, complicated family relationships and apocalyptic events.
It is also the most human in its scale, showing Wagner’s insight into human motivation involving the quest for power and sensual and filial love, as well as courage and pride.
Not only do the earthbound characters display these emotions, but the gods too.
For the opera to be successful it needs singers who can create genuine characters who portray such emotions, and for this production the NZSO assembled a group of seasoned performers with the experience and quality of voice worthy of any major opera house in the world.
The audience was entranced by a spell cast by Wotan and the various earthlings, gods and Walkure and their emotionally charged dramatic singing and acting.
Simon O’Neil was compelling as Siegmund. Not only is a he a great Wagnerian singer, he also looks like a Wagnerian hero, creating a sense of the conflicts besetting a mortal who must chose between love and destiny.
As his sister Sieglinde, Edith Haller gave a captivating performance and her first and second acts were unbelievably rich and touching. In the third her poignant singing, notably her final aria, Du hehrstes Wunder! Herrliche Maid (Glorious wonder, valorous maid), was a true cry from the heart.
Christine Goerke as Brunhilde was captivating, particularly in her singing with Wotan. Her powerful voice created a rich tapestry of emotion around the notions of filial love, duty and honour.
John Wegener (Wotan) may have been less restrained than might be expected of a Wagnerian god as he was suffering from a throat infection. But this restraint gave his character even more power, as though he was holding back on his lethal fury.
His nervous strutting and edgy posturing gave the character a flawed, god-like demeanor – one suffering from human emotions.
Margaret Medlyn was effortless as Wotan's sharp-tongued wife. Her acerbic singing and sharp, steely appearance gave her ruthless intimidation of her husband a searing realism.
Hunding was powerfully sung by Jonathan Lemalu in a portrayal which gave the character a menacing quality hinting at a darkness which pervades much of the Ring.
The singers who provided the eight Valkyrie had stirring perfomances which fully utilised their range of singing styles and acting.
The orchestra under Pietari Inkinen was magnificent, and he controlled the huge soundscape with seemingly little effortless. His understanding of the opera and the music – with its great drama flecked with moments of lightness – transformed the orchestra into a heavenly band of players.
The soloists, notably the woodwinds, were exceptional, as were the horns in the stirring Ride of the Valkyries.
