Delany to Hitchcock to Wagner (oh my)

[randy_byers]

The past week has been quite a dose of culture. Last Tuesday Samuel R. Delany gave a reading at the downtown Seattle Public Library as part of this summer's Clarion West festivities. Delany is a terrific reader, and he was in fine form for this. He read from his latest novel, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, and he also read from Phallos

Comments

[kalimac]

"there's too much declaiming of exposition, as the characters explain things to each other at great length."

That is exactly what you're going to get more of if you see the remaining two operas in the Ring, so be prepared. There are those magic moments, though, but since in that regard I consider Act 3 the best part of Walküre, and you found that the least interesting, I'm not sure how to advise you. Maybe you got tired out. If logistics permitted, I'd recommend Otto Friedrich's suggestion for seeing inexpensive productions of Wagner (and they'd have to be inexpensive): buy tickets for two successive nights; see the first half on the first night and go out for a late dinner; then the next night, have an early dinner and come to the theater for the second half

[randy_byers]

I've already heard that Siefried can be pretty dire, so maybe I'll give up after that (if I even make it to that one).

I was actually far more tired for Das Rheingold than I was for Die Walküre, so I don't think that was the problem for act three of the latter. The basic problem I had was that after the exciting opening in which we get to see all the Valkyries scurrying around doing their Valkyrie cries, it turns into a long conversation between Wotan and Brünnhilde. Now, I actually thought Wagner did a great job of exploring the philosophical and emotional conflict between them in a smart, dialectical way. But for me it was too much of the less interesting kind of singing, and too much of one character sitting around brooding while the other one declaimed. That said, the ring of fire Wotan created around Brünnhilde in the end was another spectacular moment.

[kalimac]

Yes, Act 3 has a great beginning and a great ending, but while the part in between is tremendously boring, I don't find it any more boring than the rest.

On that account you might well like Götterdämmerung better than Siegfried - it has more highlights - but by the same token you may find that it has more let downs, but though it's longer than Walküre I don't find it quite so tedious, though the opening can generate a deep sinking feeling about that.

[randy_byers]

I'm finding these things fascinating as spectacle, if nothing else (and there's plenty else), so Siegfried seems necessary just to see how they do the dragon. One thing that helped with Die Walküre was getting two intermissions.

[holyoutlaw]

I'm going to strongly encourage you to see the other two. Doug Faunt stayed at our house in Wallingford when he came up for the series in ... 2003 or 4 or whenever. He raved about it every night.

I mean, here you have free tickets to the dress rehearsal. Tickets for the performance will start above $100 and go up from there. Other Bay Area fans have considered it worth the trip: Lisa Hirsch, Janet Lafler, Matt Austern.

Sounds like a great weekend.

[randy_byers]

Yep, I think I'm in. Well, we'll see how I feel after Siegfried tomorrow.

[mcjulie]

I've wanted to see the Ring cycle ever since I was about fifteen. I participated in this church-related thing called The Bible Bowl, where our youth group was running scores back and forth and doing other support work. I don't know why I did it -- I think I pictured something more exciting, somehow, but it was deathly dull. Anyway, it took place somewhere in the Seattle Center, which involved us being able to cut through the Seattle Opera stage, with its incredibly elaborate sets for the Ring already up. The sets were the coolest thing I'd ever seen. They were almost worth the experience, right there.

[randy_byers]

I would love to be able to go backstage and look at the sets. I can't imagine how they pack them all in and are able to substitute one huge, intricate set for another within minutes. You can hear them rumble as they move around behind the curtain, and then presto, a tangled forest appears.

[jimtrash]

I've always promised myself that one day I will watch/listen to the entire ring cycle. I'm listening to the BBC radio 3 Proms performance of Die Walkure at the moment and am blown away the sheer epic feel of the piece. I'm drinking a gin martini, eating poppadums with raita and listening to Wagner. My senses are assaulted by wonderfulness.

[randy_byers]

Is that a live broadcast? I seem to recall reading that the Proms are going on right now.

The music is pretty epic in scale too, as you say. Big, big sound. I've really been enjoying the orchestra's performance, but also for the subtle moments where it's just an oboe under a solo voice. Gorgeous stuff.

Also, I've noticed that gin martinis are a favorite pre-opera beverage at the opera house! Maybe I'll have to have one this evening.

[jimtrash]

An incredibly wide variation for the soprano - must be damned hard work.
The proms Wagner Ring Cycle has now finished. Gotterdamerung was last Sunday. I don't know if you can get them there but all performances are available on BBC Iplayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01d6jqq

[randy_byers]

Another thing that has impressed me is how physically demanding some of the roles are. There's quite a bit of running around the stage, Alberich was leaping and tumbling all over the place in Das Rheingold, and of the course the Rhine maidens had to mimic swimming the whole time they were in the air. All while singing this very demanding music. The training must be intense!