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Placido Domingo shines in Lyric Opera's 'Die Walkure'
Mark Kanny can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7877.
Tenor Placido Domingo, whose astonishing career has been extended by excursion into Wagnerian repertoire, was in magnificent voice as Siegmund. The curtain rises to a storm as Siegmund seeks refuge after his clan has been defeated in battle. Romantic sparks fly when he encounters Sieglinde, who was magisterially performed by Michelle DeYoung.
Siegmund has picked the wrong place of refuge, however, as Sieglinde is the wife of his enemy, Hunding. Eric Halfvarson's fabulous bass voice was the perfect foil for Domingo -- whose tenor always had a baritonal richness that is the best foundation for Wagnerian tenors. Hunding is a physically abusive husband. When love blossoms between Siegmund and Sieglinde and he finds a magic sword embedded in a tree trunk, they run off together as the curtain falls to extremely exciting music.
The consequences of the new love found in the first act dominate the rest of the opera. Larissa Diadkova's portrayal of Wotan's wife Fricka was again, as in "Das Rheingold," nagging at its best, as she berates Wotan for not condemning the violation of marital vows -- not that Wotan the Wanderer himself observes this propriety. By force of argument, she compels Wotan to abandon his own instincts and condemn the lovers -- with superb singing and acting by James Morris in a nicely tailored grey topcoat.
The Valkyrie of the opera's title is Brunnhilde, one of Wotan's many offspring, who appears for the first time in Act II. Jane Eaglen -- who will perform with Pittsburgh Opera next season -- was fabulous as Brunnhilde, singing with stentorian brilliance and interacting very well with other characters. But when at the end of the act she attempts to aide Siegmund in his fight with Hunding, Wotan intercedes and the hero of act I dies.
The third act of "Die Walkure" opens with "The Ride of the Valkyries" as Brunnhilde's warrior sisters gather to protect her from Wotan's wrath. The production had several of the Valkyries bouncing around on trampolines, which was so brief and at the back of the stage that the silliness didn't matter much.
Some of the most memorable moments in the "Ring" occur in the third act, when Wotan punishes Brunnhilde by making her a mortal and condemning her to sleep on a rock until whatever man comes along to wake her and take her as his wife.
Wotan's ego can't abide Brunnhilde's defiance, but her pleading breaks through to his deep love. His farewell to his favorite child is a moment of intense emotion, on the broadest scale, granting her a wall of fire so that only the bravest of heroes may awaken her.
Chicago Lyric's production of the third act was especially disappointing, as passe white neon lighting frames the little pyramid of rocks that represent Brunnhilde's resting place. Instead of a ring of fire, a red neon circle and straight line descend but never actually encircle the mound of rocks. But with such glorious waves of sound as Morris and Eaglen produce, the staging was only an annoyance.
Andrew Davis led an exceptionally decisive performance -- sensitively paced and drawing glorious Wagnerian sonorities from the superb Lyric Opera orchestra.
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