 |
| Wagner: Das Rheingold - Deutsche Oper Berlin (Photo: Bernd Uhlig) |
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen; director: Stefan Herheim, conductor: Sir Donald Runnicles; Deutsche Oper Berlin
Reviewed by Tony Cooper (4 June 2026)
Auf wiedersehen! Following this Ring cycle, Sir Donald Runnicles bows out as General Music Director of Deutsche Oper Berlin, a position he has grandly held since 2009.
From my hotel on Bayreutherstraße just off Wittenbergplatz, Berlin’s most fashionable department store KaDeWe stares me straight in the face while a quick three-stop tube journey from Wittenbergplatz drops me right at the doorstep of Deutsche Oper situated at the junction of Bismarckstraße and Richard-Wagner-Straße located in the western part of the city in Charlottenburg.
 |
| Sir Donald Runnicles |
In fact, I fondly recall enjoying Meyerbeer’s two great masterpieces Les Huguenots and Le prophète at Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2016. Both operas were written at the peak of his career in 1836 and 1849 respectively and the finale of Le prophète - culminating in fire, destruction and death - closely mirrors the catastrophic ending of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung.
Obviously, my mind is furiously on fast rewind, therefore I also fondly recall the final performance of Götz Friedrich’s monumental (and well-loved) ‘Cold War’ Ring that ‘lived’ on Bismarckstraße for an astonishing amount of time: 33 years, in fact, from 1984 to 2017. A disciple of Götz Friedrich, multiple-award-winning Norwegian director, Stefan Herheim, studied under him at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg from 1994 to 1999.
Götz Friedrich crafted his ‘trade’ working as an assistant to the well-respected Austrian-born theatre/opera director, Walter Felsenstein, the iconic boss of East Berlin's Komische Oper in the early post-war years. His philosophy was that opera went beyond singing to encompass music-theatre: the intersections between music, sound and theatrical performance therefore Friedrich’s productions focused on pure dramatic and musical values which were thoroughly researched and, indeed, finely balanced.
Such philosophy as found in Friedrich’s productions defines in my humble opinion Stefan Herheim’s direction. He has certainly crafted a brilliant Ring from the ashes of Valhalla to keep the Wagner flame truly alight at Deutsche Oper. He pulls no punches either and pays full attention to detail often incorporating ideological and historical references in his work. For instance, his celebrated 2009 production of Parsifal at Bayreuth, which I greatly enjoyed, used Parsifal and the search for the Holy Grail as a metaphor for the development of Germany as a Christian nation.
He sparked controversy, though, when depicting the country under the absolute rule and order of the National Socialists. Strong and chilling stuff, maybe, but it was daring stuff nonetheless that showed his directorial style and prowess causing a few raised eyebrows here and there. However, I admire directors such as Herheim who push boundaries while challenging the status quo in opera especially when it comes down to works by Wagner.
Consequently, if Friedrich’s Ring focused on the big issue of his day, nuclear warfare, Herheim follows suit and his Ring focuses on the big issue of today, the refugee crisis, a subject hitting the headlines on a day-to-day basis.
Therefore, in Die Walküre, refugees find themselves at the forefront of the opening scene personified by a large contingent of weary travellers trekking slowly, silently and forbiddingly across a bare stage except for a full-size black grand piano bundled up a corner but soon to make its way to centre stage. Clutching an odd assortment of battered old suitcases, they could have been spinning stories about the legend and culture of the Ring or, perhaps, searching for their ‘golden’ opportunity in life. Who knows?
But watchful as ever and lurking in their midst and leading the tribe is none other than the great ‘Wanderer’ in life himself - Wotan. Breaking loose from the human chain, he edges towards the piano, knocks out a chord from the opening bars of Rheingold, the orchestra immediately takes over and the ‘Game of the Gods’ begins.
And the formidable role of Wotan, Game Master extraordinaire, boss of the whole damn shooting-match, fell to Scottish bass-baritone, Iain Paterson, perfectly fitting the part - vocally, visually and physically! He’s a natural performer and so relaxed on stage often adorned by a feathered-winged helmet so popular in Wagner’s day thereby offering a nice touch by Herheim in revisiting the past - something that he’s very fond of doing.
From my standpoint, I like revisiting the past and I happily recall Paterson delivering a superb performance of Kurwenal in Katharina Wagner’s riveting and intelligent production of Tristan und Isolde at the 2015 Bayreuth Festival working alongside German mezzo-soprano, Christa Mayer, as Brangäne.
Also lurking within the refugee column (keeping a watchful eye on Wotan!) is the formidable trio of Rhinemaidens - Lea-ann Dunbar (Woglinde), Arianna Manganello (Wellgunde) and Karis Tucker (Floßhilde) - the true guardians of the golden hoard that the Rhine harbours.
A well-schooled team, they lovingly relate the legendary story of the magical properties of the Rhine’s gold in an impressive and tantalising performance and when carelessly gossiping about the forging of the ring and the power it bestows upon the owner, Alberich’s all eyes and ears.
Immediately renouncing love and cursing life - the wager of possessing riches beyond the dreams of avarice - he happily screams off with the gold leaving the Rhinemaidens screaming in agony - there’s a lot to scream and shout about in the unfolding story of the Ring.
In essence, no one screams and shouts more than Wotan’s long-suffering wife, Fricka (Goddess of marriage) who with her sister, Freia (Goddess of youth) arrive on the scene in a more eloquent way than her wayward husband. They graciously came from the bowls of the grand piano resembling a couple of finely-sculptured porcelain figurines on a five-tiered wedding cake.
Smartly attired in long-flowing white dresses, they were radiant in appearance as befitting their regal status with Fricka (standing) grooming her sister’s hair while Frei (seated) pampering herself in front of a vanity mirror. Wotan, however, head down, occupies a world of his own, completely ignoring his devoted wife and his rather erratic sister-in-law, busying himself at the keyboard checking and marking Wagner’s score punctuating the fact that all the characters of the Ring are bound by conventions, rules and outcomes as stated by the composer, a common practice throughout this production which at times I found a bit irritating.
Perhaps, Herheim’s making an historical reference here by highlighting the importance of the piano by reflecting upon Wagner’s days of exile living in Zürich. He settled in this German-speaking Swiss canton when fleeing from Germany following his dubious part in the bundled Dresden Uprising of 1848. Furiously working on the Ring, he reputedly gave a concert performance of it in Zürich with just piano accompaniment.
In fact, Herheim elevates the piano to the overall stage action making it the source of the Rhine, the entry not only to Valhalla but also to Nibelheim and everything else in between including the World Ash Tree, Mime’s smithy, Brünnhilde’s rock, Siegfried’s funeral pyre and, indeed, to the score itself.
Overall, a strong and formidable cast was assembled for this cycle that enjoys pace, bounce and consistency. But if there’s anything in opera equivalent to the ‘Man of the Match’ then the person who would get my vote is the German mezzo-soprano, Annika Schlicht, radiant in the role of Fricka while also taking on the role of Waltraute in Götterdämmerung. Harbouring a rich, clear, articulate voice, she delivered a stunning and commanding performance. In fact, one of the best interpretations I’ve ever encountered on this role. Brava!
Hot blooded and on edge, Schlicht’s feisty tête-à-tête with Wotan over the price and terms he bartered with the Giants for building Valhalla was a performance of strength and utter conviction. With fists flying she laid into him left, right and centre in a bruising and fiery ‘in-your-face’ confrontation that brought a round of applause from the contingent of refugees. Quietly, I was joining in.
By now they were finding their feet, finding their voice and getting into the stride of their newfound life. In fact, they had now become part of the audience enjoying the ongoing Game of the Gods. They pop up all over the show often bemused by the behaviour (mostly bad!) of the Gods while emphasising Herheim’s unique setting of the Ring as being a ‘play within a play’.
Not only did Herheim direct but he also had a big say in the set designs working in tandem with Silke Baue. They came up trumps all round with imaginative sets engineered mostly constructed from old suitcases whilst the employment of heavy-duty silk-like drapes (parachute material?) shaped themselves in a wide variety of configurations over, of course, a multitude of scenes. And to punctuate and identify a particular scene, visual images were flashed on to the drape tastefully created by video designer, Torge Møller, complemented by excellent pinpoint lighting effects conjured up by Ulrich Niepel.
For instance, the dark and forbidden world of Nilbelheim was projected by a fiery red-flame wash as opposed to the brightness and heavenly-inspired white imagery reserved for Valhalla while the rainbow bridge, simplistic in its creation to the nth degree, skilfully used silks to create the peaks of Valhalla while a fusion of colourful lighting and a range of smoke-effect patterns offered Wotan and his godly entourage the perfect (and most romantic) ‘rainbow’ thoroughfare to paradise.
But if Annika Schlicht put in a stellar performance as Fricka so did German soprano, Martina Welschenbach as her sister, Freia. Attired in a low-neckline dress over-emphasising her cleavage to project two large golden balls they well represented the golden apples of keeping the Gods young, healthy and wise! Uta Heiseke certainly came up with the right costume to allow plenty of free movement where it mattered.
No stranger to Wagner, Texas-born baritone, Michael Sumuel, was extremely comfortable and relaxed as Alberich, a role he’s renowned for and interprets so well. After he makes off with the gold, he acts like a bloody madman prancing all over the show brandishing a golden trumpet as if enjoying a night on the town.
His timid-looking and subservient brother, Mime (coming by way of that piano, too) appears wrapped up in a massive flood of piercing white light and smoke in a fantastically engineered pyrotechnical display. He’s happy as Larry coming into view with the downtrodden Nibelung brigade slaving away at their anvils at thirteen to the dozen fashioning gold trinkets and crafting the Tarnhelm, the most magical helmet of all.
A surefire role, Thomas Blondelle finds good pace as Loge, a gift of a part, though, while American mezzo-soprano, Lauren Decker’s reading of Erda was paramount. She sang and acted the role with such delicacy and truthfulness in a performance of great magnitude and strength. But in his arrogant and carefree manner, Wotan didn’t want to know or digest any of her wise words.
Offering a great moment to the overall stage action of Rhinegold is the entry of the Giants especially as to how they represent themselves. In this case, Albert Pesendorfer (Fasolt - later taking on the role of Hagen in Götterdämmerung) and Tobias Kehrer (Fafner - later Hunding in Die Walküre) are turned out rugged looking, unkempt and unsavoury - what else! They are found working alongside a couple of giant carnival-inflated puppets constructed from the odd assortment of suitcases as if jumping from a children’s pop-up book. However, they made a fine deuce while playing their part in Wotan’s Game Show with a touch of panache.
Their hostage Freia found herself dumped in the piano, too, resting on a bed of golden-made objects as part of her ransom dictated by them while Fafner, after killing his brother Fasolt over the argument of his share of the golden bounty, soon takes his place in the piano basking in greed and wallowing in the ill-gotten gains bestowed upon him. Fricka, on the other hand, stands by looking quite forlorn and despairingly over Fasolt’s dead body - wondering! The first manifestation of the curse of the ring as bestowed to the holder by the poisoned, bitter and evil dwarf, Alberich.
A couple of characters I always enjoy in Rheingold that I associate with the minor roles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet are Donner and Froh. Their big moment kicks in at the end of the opera when the Gods are preparing for their heavenly journey to Valhalla. Thomas Lehman as Donner fitted his character the God of thunder to a tee while Kieran Carrel portrayed Froh (God of spring) in a most sincere and honest way.
 |
| Wagner: Die Walküre - Deutsche Oper Berlin (Photo: Bernd Uhlig) |
When the curtain goes up on the first act of Die Walküre one’s greeted by Sieglinde, the role so delicately sung by Norwegian soprano, Elisabeth Teige, resting in Hunding’s house (on that piano) against a stormy scenario. She welcomes to Hunding’s homestead of misery, motionless and inactivity the weary, burnt out, exhausted traveller, Siegmund, relaxingly sung and acted by American lyric tenor, Matthew Newlin.
Surprisingly, Herheim conjures up here a fourth character by introducing a young person with an intellectual disability who, curiously, turns out to be the son of Hunding and Sieglinde. However, the psychological implications surrounding this move completely evades me. Time will tell, I guess, and may give me the answer.
Acted by Eric Naumann, the boy’s incessantly crouching and crawling about the place craving for love and attention and highly suspicious of the stranger in his midst. Nonetheless, he takes in all that Siegmund has to say when relating his woeful story about his disturbing and emotional past.
Portraying the beastly character of Hunding, the bane of Sieglinde and Sigmund’s life, is German bass, Tobias Kehrer, whose strength and accuracy of performance marks his card as a Wagnerian of note. As he steps foot into his house, the atmosphere and tension bites immediately and increases beyond measure just by his presence.
As Sieglinde relates the story of her forced wedding to Hunding while confessing to Siegmund about her unhappy and loveless marriage, the boy’s annoyingly hopping round them brandishing a blade. For what reason? When she plucks up the courage to address Siegmund asking if his father’s name was ‘Wälse’, gently but in a nervous manner, she immediately recognises him as her long-lost twin brother.
As the opera moves slowly towards its romantic, ecstatic and incestuous end, a striking visual presence of a video incarnation of a wolf’s face is flashed on to the World Ash Tree which dramatically ‘grows’ out of the piano in which Brünnhilde arises from, too, in a stunning scene in Glorious Technicolor ready for her mighty charge in the Ride of the Valkyries which together with the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin is one of Wagner’s best-known pieces.
Standing stiff, upright and proud, she comes dressed in the style of the helmeted British female warrior Britannia protected by her breastplate and shield (ironically, etched with a smiling face) and the silver-tipped spears of her Valkyrie sisters, Wotan’s immortal daughters. Really, Monty Python didn’t seem too far away.
With wild determination, grit and stamina, the role of Brünnhilde was admirably sung and acted by Danish soprano, Trine Møller, who was firmly in control of that famous ‘Ride’ rampaging and chanting her famous battle-cry Hoyotoho! in a well-choreographed sequence performed by an excellent team of Valkyries who found themselves in full flight and in full voice, too, adorned by feathered-winged helmets and other such paraphernalia with Donald Runnicles in the pit leading his charges to an exciting climatic ending.
But if the Valkyrie’s were found to be in full flight so were the ‘Ghosts’ of the Fallen Heroes surprisingly having the time of their lives pinning the girls to the floor in a flood of erotic behaviour while similar (and more graphic) sexual antics were seen in abundance in Rheingold and Siegfried - shades of David Freeman’s The Fiery Angel flashed through my mind.
However, great reverence is shown when Wotan banishes Brünnhilde to her burning rock against a red-draped flaming backdrop conjured up by a brilliant and impressive lighting scenario by Ulrich Niepel. As the flames catch hold, the refugee contingent - some now firmly established in their new environment and married with kids in tow therefore forming part of the wider community - form a large circle over a rugged rock-filled landscape (more suitcases!) as if witnessing a ritual sacrifice while gracefully bowing at the exact moment when Wotan abandons her.
As Walküre draws to a close, Herheim delivers yet another big surprise showing Sieglinde giving birth to Siegfried while a Wagner ‘lookalike’ acts as a ‘midwife’. However, weary and dying, he takes the child from his mother’s arms.
 |
| Wagner: Siegfried - Deutsche Oper Berlin (Photo: Bernd Uhlig) |
Therefore, in the first act of Siegfried, it’s Mime’s show, Mime’s game. The person taking on this smarmy and unprincipled character, Taiwanise tenor, Ya-Chung Huang - adorned by a floppy black velvet beret as Wagner often wore - delivered an excellent account of the role playing the good and faithful ‘parent’ of the Young Hero in a loving and tender way trying to dupe him to gain the ring of power.
But the gallant and most formidable role of Siegfried, heroically sung and acted by American heldentenor, Clay Hilley, turns the tables on him. With flowing long blonde hair, Hilley looks the radiant all-conquering hero possessing a good stature and roughly dressed as a hunter with a hunting-horn tied to his waist while acting in that naïve, youthful and uncertain manner that the role demands.
When he took to the slaying of Fafner, I felt the scene had a touch of Broadway fizz about it as the beast was represented by a working team of 12 Supernumaries clothed head-to-toe in tight-fitting super white costumes each one equipped by a large golden trumpet forming the spine of the dragon. Impressive stuff and visually attractive, too.
The point when Yours Truly overcomes fear and kills the beast, the dragon team break loose gyrating in one big choreographic mess until the bitter end. Tobias Kehrer as the ‘not-long-to-live’ Fafner knows the game well and played it to his advantage while engaging in some good old-fashioned slapstick with Alberich and Mime for one last time!
However, in keeping with Wagner’s instructions, the Woodbird’s sung by a boy treble in this case Master Cornelius Park, a member of the Knabenchores der Chorakademie Dortmund. He delivered a lovely and tender performance truly capturing the spirit and movement of a bird in full flight.
The role of Erda was admirably sung by American mezzo, Lauren Decker, who also took the role in Rheingold. And when Wotan interrupts her sleep, he’s wandering and dithering all over the show in his crowded and confused mind seeking worldly advice from the one who sees and knows all. Arrogant and feisty, though, Wotan angrily disregards her advice and consigns her to everlasting sleep putting her ‘below stairs’ in a fit of temper - something that she really wanted, anyway!
An understatement, I know, but the highlight of the opera, Brünnhilde's big awakening scene in which she greets Siegfried as the world’s glorious hero in ‘Heil dir, Sonne! Heil dir, Licht!’ found Elisabeth Teige on terrific form with Clay Hilley, a perfect partner, offering so much energy in performance. He had to navigate some tricky stage movements, though, to get to her. For instance, he climbs on and off the piano at whim, addresses the refugees, sits down at the keyboard and even has a ‘read-through’ of his part of the score seated beside Brünnhilde in full voice.
Irritatingly, edging towards the final bars, the stage suddenly becomes dwarfed by copulating couples which, really, I thought was out of kilter and too intrusive to the overall beauty and sereness of such a glorious piece. Herheim was generous, though, regarding their sexual orientation as the orgy depicted boy-upon-boy, girl-upon-girl and mixed company whatever the case maybe.
 |
| Wagner: Götterdämmerung - Deutsche Oper Berlin (Photo: Bernd Uhlig) |
The setting for the opening scene of Götterdämmerung became a replica of the main reception area of Deutsche Oper with its massive emblematic cloud sculpture dominating the stage witnessing the three Norns (Lauren Decker, Karis Tucker and Felicia Moore) daughters of Erda the Earth-Mother spinning the rope of destiny singing of the past, present and the future recalling the great days of Wotan’s reign while predicting the fall of Valhalla. Cleverly representing the rope were the Supers who gracefully moved round the stage in balletic form before the Norns, losing their supernatural powers and their prediction foretold, descend back into Mother-Earth.
An odd departure conjured up by Herheim occurred in the scene when Waltraute comes to warn Brünnhilde to return the ring to the Rhinemaidens to end the dreaded curse. She doesn’t gallantly arrive on her steed as stated in the libretto but comes from a front-row seat in the stalls which, strangely enough, then became occupied by Hagen.
Nonetheless, a beautiful and rewarding scene (one of my favourites in the whole of the Ring) with Annika Schlicht superb as Waltraute carrying the role off so well, without a hitch, in fact - and with so much dignity and thought to her performance. But Brünnhilde, stubborn and irritated, dismisses her plea. The ring is a token of pure love from Siegfried therefore she brushes Waltraute, her favourite Valkyrie aside, who leaves in utter despair by the same path as on her arrival.
Acting strong and forcible in the brutal and bullish role of Hagen found Austrian bass, Albert Pesendorfer, menacingly appealing. By now he’s firmly in the director’s chair in the confines of Gibichung Hall exercising controlling behaviour over Gunther and Gutrune, the roles so effectively and nervously played by Thomas Lehman and Felicia Moore.
A sort of Bill Sykes’ character, Hagen chills the air just by his presence let alone by his actions conjuring up the evilness that befits a man possessed by greed and envy. At the epicentre of Götterdämmerung, he personifies evil touched with a wry and subtle irony but riding for a fall.
And in the final act, raging with anger and fury, he decapitates the head of Siegfried whom he had already slain. Siegfried’s funeral pyre then becomes laden with worldly gifts in an act of redemption from the assembled crowd who witnessed the execution while a remorseful Gutrune is seen cradling the severed head of Siegfried in her arms echoing Salome’s erotic dance round the decapitated head of John the Baptist.
And that great Wagnerian Grande Dame, English-born soprano, Catherine Foster, who reigned supreme at Bayreuth in the role of Brünnhilde for 13 years from making her début in Frank Castorf's bicentennial Ring production in 2013 to Valentin Schwarz’ production of 2025, offered a stunning account of Brünnhilde singing and acting the part in a grand and flowing Wagnerian manner thereby delivering a joyous and masterful performance which manifests itself in the brilliant finale in Götterdämmerung, the well-loved Immolation scene. At this pertinent point of the opera Brünnhilde realises the consequences of lust, greed and corruption that lies at the very heart of the Ring is completely and utterly worthless.
In demand the world over, Ms Foster recently performed Brünnhilde in Katharina Wagner’s production of Die Walküre as part of the ‘Bayreuth in Shanghai’ opera project spanning three years - 2025-27. Therefore, last year, the Bayreuth Festival travelled to Shanghai with Roland Schwab's production of Tristan und Isolde and next year will present Tannhäuser in a production from the 1989 Bayreuth Festival directed by Wolfgang Wagner.
And Ms Foster returns to Bayreuth this year taking part in a newly commissioned work entitled ‘Brünnhilde brennt’ at the Friedrichsforum Bayreuth under the musical direction of Jonathan Stockhammer in a production marking the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival.
However, as Siegfried’s funeral pyre is set alight simple but effective staging kicks in with the Supers seemingly on fire, too, with their arms and fingers at full stretch collectively representing the flames while circling the funeral pyre before it makes its long Rhine journey.
The End Game of the Gods and a breaking new dawn beckons. The Game’s up! Hagen wanders about looking shocked and forlorn, Alberich’s nowhere to be seen (which is not usually the case) while Deutsche Oper’s house cleaner walks across a bare stage save for that black grand piano still stuck in the middle of it clearing up a god-awful unholy mess!
At curtain call the audience erupted with wild applause but when Deutsche Oper’s General Music Director, Scottish conductor, Sir Donald Runnicles - making his final bow with the company - whom I rate as one of the finest Wagnerians around today, took to the stage along with the members of his fine orchestra, the audience erupted even more emphasising that the work done in the pit equals to the work done on the stage. It was standing room only. Deservedly so!
The Ring fitted Wagner’s mood and personality like a glove. His ideas were always adventurous and larger than life and in a matter-of-fact sort of way he specifically knew how he wanted his productions to shape up. In recent years Ring directors have been just as adventurous. Their productions have been light years away from Wagner’s original intentions to the annoyance of the Wagner Traditionalist Brigade!
I remind myself of George Bernard Shaw’s waspish remarks saying that the best way to enjoy the Ring ‘is to relax at the back of the theatre with your feet up, eyes closed and just listen to the music’. He was just as cantankerous as the Wagnerian ‘Old Guard’ is today. But give it a thought. Just think of what you would miss.
I think it’s fair to say that Herheim’s realisation of the Ring keeps the work firmly on track to engage with forward-thinking audiences. Like any director, he harbours strict and definite ideas on how he wants his Ring to shape up - some you got, some you didn’t, but it was that sort of production but a production that made you think.
Under the tenure of Sir Donald Runnicles who has been at the helm of Deutsche Oper since August 2009 the company has thrived like no other and I think it’s also fair to say that Runnicles fostered a close relationship with the orchestra and chorus thus ensuring he leaves everything in ship shape and Bristol fashion for the incoming management team.
And that new team will act as a ‘collective’ with Titus Engel, conductor-in-residence, working in partnership with principal guest conductors, Maxime Pascal and Michele Spotti. They’ll develop productions and symphonic concerts in conjunction with the artistic director, Aviel Cahn, who hails from the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Following his departure from Deutsche Oper, Maestro Runnicles jumps from the pit to the stage as he has taken on the role of Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic but returns to Deutsche Oper as a Guest Conductor next June for Britten’s War Requiem featuring the Chor und Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin and Das Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin in a production by English National Opera starring the renowned Scottish operatic tenor, Nicky Spence. He will also continue as Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival, an eight-week summer festival held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he has been running the show since 2005. Bravo!
Conductor: Sir Donald Runnicles
Director: Stefan Herheim
Set designer: Stefan Herheim / Silke Bauer
Costume designer: Uta Heiseke
Video designer: Torge Møller (Die Walküre / Siegfried / Götterdämmerung); William Duke, Dan Trenchard (Die Walkure)
Lighting designer: Ulrich Niepel
Dramaturgy: Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach, Jörg Königsdorf
Des Chor und der Extra-Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin: Götterdämmerung (chorus director: Jeremy Bines).
Das Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Das Rheinold
Wotan: Iain Paterson
Donner: Thomas Lehman
Froh: Kieran Carrel
Loge: Thomas Blondelle
Alberich: Michael Sumuel
Mime: Ya-Chung Huang
Fasolt: Albert Pesendorfer
Fafner: Tobias Kehrer
Fricka: Annika Schlicht
Freia: Martina Welschenbach
Erda: Lauren Decker
Woglinde: Lea-ann Dunbar
Wellgunde: Arianna Manganello
Flosshilde: Karis Tucker
Die Walküre
Siegmund: Matthew Newlin
Hunding: Tobias Kehrer
Wotan: Jordan Shanahan
Sieglinde: Elisabeth Teige
Fricka: Annika Schlicht
Brünnhilde: Trine Møller
Helmwige: Martina Welschenbach
Gerhilde: Felicia Moore
Ortlinde: Maria Motolygina
Waltraute: Aleksandra Meteleva
Siegrune: Arianna Manganello
Roßweiße: Karis Tucker
Grimgerde: Nicole Piccolomini
Schwertleite: Lauren Decker
Hundingling: Eric Naumann (non-singing role)
SIEGFRIED
Siegfried: Clay Hilley
Mime: Ya-Chung Huang
Der Wanderer: Iain Paterson
Alberich: Michael Sumuel
Fafner: Tobias Kehrer
Erda: Lauren Decker
Brünnhilde: Elisabeth Teige
Ein Waldvogel: Master Cornelius Park, a member of the Knabenchores der Chorakademie Dortmund
Götterdämmerung
Siegfried: Clay Hilley
Gunther: Thomas Lehman
Alberich: Michael Sumuel
Hagen: Albert Pesendorfer
Brünnhilde: Catherine Foster
Gutrune: Felicia Moore
Waltraute: Annika Schlicht
Erste Norn: Lauren Decker
Zweite Norn: Karis Tucker
Dritte Norn: Felicia Moore
Woglinde: Nina Solodovnikova
Wellgunde: Karis Tucker
Floßhilde: Stephanie Wake-Edwards
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
- Strauss & Korngold: little known works by well-known composers in passionate performances from Francesca Dego & Alessandro Taverna at Conway Hall - concert review
- A remarkable combination of headlong energy with care & attention: Igor Levit & Leonkoro Quartet in Schumann's Piano Quintet at Wigmore Hall's 125 Anniversary Festival - concert review
- Relishing the challenge: during rehearsals for their forthcoming production of The Marriage of Figaro I chat to Orlando Jopling about Wild Arts' ambitious touring plans - interview
- What fun, what larks: musical quality & deft comic action in Opera Holland Park's 1960s package deal holiday Cosi fan tutte - opera review
- A mix of melodrama & sentiment, yet unashamedly enjoyable: Opera Holland Park open the season in terrific form with Puccini's La fanciulla del West - opera review
- Memorable concerts in this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival with Britten Sinfonia & Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus - concert review
- Capella Edina: how Luis Schmidt, a young conductor from Munich, came to found Edinburgh's first professional philharmonic orchestra in almost ninety years - interview
- Each song a story to be told: James Newby & Malcolm Martineau's Shipping Forecast at SongEasel in Elephant & Castle - concert review
- Home
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment