Monday 20 February 2023

A huge amount to admire: Richard Jones' production of Wagner's The Rhinegold debuts at ENO

Wagner: The Rhinegold - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)

Wagner: The Rhinegold; John Relyea, Frederick Ballentine, Leigh Melrose, dir: Richard Jones, cond: Martyn Brabbins; English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Reviewed by Florence Anna Maunders, 18 February 2023

Second instalment of Jones's second London Ring was visually inconsistent but dramatically striking & musically excellent

Not many directors are invited to create a Ring cycle, but, following his controversial 1990's staging at Covent Garden, Richard Jones is now halfway through his second London cycle. Presented out of sequence, due to COVID-related postponements, English National Opera are now presenting the first of Wagner's colossal music-dramas, The Rhinegold.

Richard Jones' production of The Rhinegold opened at the London Coliseum on 18 February 2023, conducted by Martyn Brabbins with John Relyea as Wotan, Frederick Ballentine as Loge, and Leigh Melrose as Alberich, plus Madeleine Shaw (Fricka), Katie Lowe (Freia), Christine Rice (Erda), John Findon (Mime), James Creswell (Fafner), Simon Bailey (Fasolt), Blake Denson (Donner), Julian Hubbard (Froh), Eleanor Dennis (Woglinde), Idunnu Münch (Wellgunde) and Katie Stevenson (Flosshilde).

Not many directors are invited to create a Ring cycle, but, following his controversial 1990's staging at Covent Garden, Richard Jones is now halfway through his second London cycle. Presented out of sequence, due to COVID-related postponements, English National Opera are now presenting the first of Wagner's colossal music-dramas, The Rhinegold.

Wagner: The Rhinegold - Leigh Melrose - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - Leigh Melrose - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
There's no such thing as a perfect Rhinegold – it's over 160 minutes of continuous music, with an extensive cast, complex drama and the need for each production to seek its own interpretation of the piece, and its place as the opening chapter of Wagner's epic tetralogy – and this was no exception to that rule.

Comparisons are inevitably going to be made with Jones's previous staging of this work, as well as the extremely well received recent Birmingham Rhinegold from the sadly missed director Graham Vick. Of course, this is 2023, so contemporary dress is pretty much a given, but the minimal staging gives very little hint of time or place – thrusting the visual focus almost entirely onto the performers. The set's sparkling curtains of 80's disco-esque silver ribbons seem to be the same as used in Jones's 2021 production of The Valkyrie with this company, so clearly there is an intention to create a continuity as ENO works towards a complete Ring cycle over the next few seasons.

Beginning with a silent pantomime, featuring a naked John Relyea, presenting a kind of "Wotan's origin story" it was immediately clear that, in this production, there would be no sacred cows.

The opening scene presented Eleanor Dennis, Idunnu Münch and Katie Stevenson as a trio of frolicking, flirtatious and sportswear-clad Rhinemaidens, accompanied by a stream of mysteriously unidentified black-garbed and masked actors – possibly a representation of the dark waters of the Rhine, or maybe the invisible hands that move and control the fates of the players? With Jones at the helm, who knows? But whatever they were, they were certainly visually and acoustically noisy, with a distracting thunder of feet on staging during some of the most limpid of Wagner's instrumental passages. From the very first notes of the prelude, the subterranean E flat which starts the whole cycle, the orchestral quality was luxurious, and the trio of nixies matched this with sublimely legato and beautifully projected lines right from the start.

Wagner: The Rhinegold - Leigh Melrose, Frederick Ballentine  - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - Leigh Melrose, Frederick Ballentine  - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)

Emerging from a trapdoor in the centre of the practically bare stage, Leigh Melrose immediately focused all attention on himself, fully inhabiting the role of the dwarf Alberich. Both vocally and dramatically, he dominated the stage whenever he appeared throughout the evening, displaying a vast emotional range from sly and cunning, through boastful pride, to enraged curses in defeat. The teasing Alberich got from the Rhinemaidens seemed well deserved, as he stumbled and ranted around the stage, John Deathridge's new English translation providing him with some wonderfully evocative lines.

Three substantial geometrical cloudshapes, supported on sturdy struts formed the set for the first scene, as the action moved from the depths of the Rhine to the realm of the gods, led with gravitas by John Relyea's Wotan, who's unflagging and powerful bass is ideally suited to this role. His performance was a consistent delight from start to finish, whether facing down the demands of the giants, lecturing a defeated Alberich or intervening to protect Loge, his characterisation of Wotan's tortured decision making, as he tries to escape the problems he has created for himself, was enthralling, both vocally and in his physical depiction. In fact, this was a sustained thread through the whole production – each character was clearly defined, even in the minor roles such as Blake Denson's aggressive Donner (brilliant casting – his hugely powerful bass boomed across the stage exactly as you'd expect from the god of thunder) and the golden voice and flowing locks of Julian Hubbard's hot-headed but ineffective Froh.

Another great casting decision was the pairing of James Creswell and Simon Bailey as the giants Fafner and Fasolt. So similar in appearance, vocally well matched, and with identical boilersuits, it would be easy to confuse them on stage. Due to their wonderfully distinct characterisations, however, this was never in danger of happening – one idealist and romantic, the other bluffly pragmatic, the two brothers are clearly distinguished.

Wagner: The Rhinegold - Blake Denson, John Relyea, Julian Hubbard - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - Blake Denson, John Relyea, Julian Hubbard - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)

The arrival of tenor Frederick Ballentine, in his debut as Loge, brought another layer of interaction to the stage. His sweet-toned tenor was full of impish humour and his pacing and phrasing emphasised his youthful, burning energy. Sly, scheming Loges are commonplace enough, but Ballentine's Loge was here for a good time.

The outstanding young British tenor John Findon, who seems to be becoming an ENO regular, enjoyed his role as Alberich's unfortunate brother, the smith Mime in the second scene, where the stage was transformed into a Nieblung-powered factory production line, with Alberich as the sadistic supervisor. Armed with truncheon and in a uniform not unlike that that of an American police officer, there were clearly some parallels being drawn here – particularly forcefully drawn when (magically multiplied by a enchanted helmet) a whole mob of Alberichs brutally beat Mime. With his clear, plaintive and expressive voice and likeable character, Findon presented Mime extremely sympathetically.

The three magical transformations in this scene present a difficult challenge for directors. The first transformation, to multiple (invisible) Alberichs was wonderfully managed, with use of concealed microphones and identically clad and masked actors. The second transformation, to a hideous, scaled dragon, was done in stages, with mixed success, while the third, to a toad, was deliberately comical. It's unsure what the aim here was – we can assume the inconsistency of the approaches was deliberate, but it wasn't clear why. The extended duet between Alberich and Ballentine's Loge, as the two tricksters try to outwit each other, contained such fabulously characterful singing and acting, that it more than carried the scene over the potholes of the practical effects.

Wagner: The Rhinegold - Christine Rice, John Relyea - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - Christine Rice, John Relyea - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)

The closing scene of the opera contained a series of wonderful moments – Wotan taunting the captive Alberich, the summoned Niebelung horde screaming in terror, the return of the giants in a truck and the dramatic intervention of Christine Rice as a pyjama-clothed Erda – luxury casting of this superstar voice in a cameo role.

The most memorable moment of the whole production, however, was right at the end. The back wall of the stage emerged from behind the "disco curtains" forming an armoured bunker interior which moved inexorably forwards. While the orchestra thundered out the gods' glorious procession into Valhalla, our quartet of onstage gods slammed closed metal shutters and screwed tight vault doors as the space seemed to compress around them. The triumph of the ending was brilliantly undermined by the production – the gods' fortress become their prison.

The directorial decisions aside, there was a huge amount to admire in this production. The cast were uniformly vocally strong, and in fact mostly superb – in particular the trio of Loge, Wotan and Alberich, who between them carry the bulk of the singing – but also well supported by excellent vocals across the whole cast. The huge orchestra, too large to fit in the pit, and spilling harps out to one box and percussion to another, deservedly received the biggest applause of the evening – their performance under the vastly experienced Martyn Brabbins was nothing short of remarkable. While many critics found Brabbins 2021 Valkyrie to have wallowed and sagged, particularly in the first act, there was no trace of that this evening. This was fleeting, transparent and mercurial, with sumptuous strings, incisive woodwinds and thrilling climaxes – but at no point did this enormous body of musicians prevent the English text from being heard and comprehended. Light-footed and fast-paced throughout, but without becoming rushed (perhaps a little breathless when required though) this Rhinegold was less than 160 minutes from curtain up to final chord.

Wagner: The Rhinegold - Frederick Ballentine, Leigh Melrose - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)
Wagner: The Rhinegold - Frederick Ballentine, Leigh Melrose - English National Opera (Photo: Mark Brenner)

Director Richard Jones is now halfway through his new Ring with English National Opera, and it's becoming clear which direction these productions will take. The focus on character is admirable and effective, and the minimal sets throw these characterisations into focus. The gimmickry is hit-and-miss. When it works, it's an effective device to emphasise aspects of the story, its context and its message, but sometimes it seems a distraction. Let's wait to see what Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods bring in the next couple of seasons.

Reviewed by Florence Anna Maunders








Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

  • Music from the African Continent & Diaspora: I chat to Samantha Ege about her latest disc, Homage - interview
  • NYCGB Young Composers 4NMC's annual collaborations with NYCGB results in an anthology disc of eight striking and challenging new works in superb performances by the young singers - record review
  • Seductive and magical moments: Sam Cave's exploration of music for the contemporary guitar enchants and intrigues  - concert review
  • Pianist Clélia Iruzun is the focus of this new disc of music by Nimrod Borenstein featuring his Concerto written for her - record review
  • The Golden Road to Samarkand: the Britten Sinfonia brings together two very different musical explorations of the Middle East - record review
  • From Paderewski to Edmund Finnis: Le piano symphonique's daring double-concert in Lucerne - concert review
  • New music should not be seen as extra-terrestrial, it should not generate fear: I chat to composer Ana Sokolovic, artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec - interview
  • Fluidity and intimacy: Martha Argerich in Schumann's Piano Concerto at Le Piano Symphonique festival in Lucerne - concert review
  • Unexpected creativity: cellist Margaret Maria and soprano Donna Brown talk about the joys of collaboration on the words and music of their album Between Worlds - interview
  • Galina Grigorjeva: Music for Male-Voice Choir record review
  • Peter Grimes in Paris: a powerful performance from Allan Clayton as he leads the Paris revival of Deborah Warner's striking production - opera review
  • Home

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts this month