Ring Cycle Tonight !

[mikey4444]

Das Rheingold, on BBC Four, at 19:00 tonight

[1581960]

This is the other one. Thanks for the nod, I'll put it on.

[joggerjayne]

Evening, Mikey ... x

Thank you for the heads up. I'd been out, and I would've missed it had I not looked in on AB and seen this thread.

J x

[DTCwordfan]

Didn't know that you were in the buff as to opera, Jayne.....

[jourdain2]

Listening to it now. About forty years ago there was a televised production from Beyreuth (spelling?) which I watched avidly all the way through (days) - Welsh soprano as Brunhilde, trying to remember her name, she was superb. If you don't know the basics, you might be a bit lost by this production as broadcast. Still very enjoyable.

[joggerjayne]

Hi, DT

I kind of like Wagner. I have three copies of The Ring ... the Karajan, the Solti, and (my favourite, because it's the only surviving recording in which Kirsten Flagstad sings Brunhilde all through) the Furtwangler. This is the Furtwangler from Scala in 1950, not the Rome recording. The sound quality is not the best, but the singing is unbelievable. Kirsten Flagstad's performance is simply jaw dropping.

[mikey4444]

Gwyneth Jones was the Brunhilde ! I saw her at Covent Garden 10 years later.

Wales have produced their fair share of Wagnerian sopranos, and Anne Evans is my personal favourite over the years. I met her backstage here in Swansea a few years ago, in her retirement years actually, although we didn't know that at the time.

[mikey4444]

Joggerjane....someone gave me the DVDs of the new Robert Lepage Met Ring last year..........with Bryn !....enjoy ::

[mikey4444]

Sorry....wrong link !

[joggerjayne]

Other composers just didn't write stuff like that.

[jourdain2]

Gwyneth Jones! Of course, thanks mikey. She was wonderful.

[jourdain2]

Just watched your (correct) link, mikey----- Wow!, ----just---- WOW!
Thank you very much. Have alerted Mr. J2 -he'll have a look after the news.

[OldBather]

I was very disappointed.I had expected (given that it's Opera North) that we would be seeing a fully staged production.What did we get,a semi staged (modern costumed) production,with gimmicky televisuals.The only redeeming factor was the excellent singing.
BTW,if you want to see the succeeding 3 parts you had better be quick.For some unknown reason Rheingold is on TV,and the other parts are being transmitted(now,after Rheingold) on BBC iPlayer.
So much for BBC interest in opera.

[OldBather]

Sorry,should have made clear Die Walkure and onwards are ONLY on iPlayer.

[mikey4444]

I too found it a little lacklustre I suppose. It was almost entirely staged. although that won't bother committed Wagnerians like myself too much. It sounded marvellous, which is the most important aspect.

I didn't mind the televisuals....everybody is using them nowadays, even Robert Lepage at the Met ! We mustn't forget this wasn't a BBC Ring, but a filmed version of the ON ring, and for a Ring to be performed "oop north" must have been a treat for lots of people.

But a staged Ring is better than no Ring at all, by a long chalk.