Opera Review: The Helsinki Ring Cycle
Helsinki in spring is beautiful. To arrive on a crisp sunny day with
all the trees in new leaf, lilacs in full bloom and spring flowers
and bulbs everywhere augured well for our visit to see the Ring Cycle.
The Opera house is relatively new, all white with a glass wall that
overlooks a broad green meadow down to a narrow arm of the harbour
which makes an idyllic setting.
The production by Gotz Freidrich was very modern with minimal scenery
and many interesting features. Perhaps the overriding impression of
the production was of sexuality including deviance in most of the
close relationships. Incest was apparent between Wotan and Brünnhilde
and Gunther and Gutrune while the Valkyries seemed to be lesbians
given to necrophilia with the dead heroes. Wotan's amputation of Alberich's
hand to gain the ring was a rather extreme touch.
In Das Rheingold the raised stage was used to great effect
in the Rhine and Nibelungen scenes. The Rhine Maidens sang well and
were extremely seductive, enticing Alberich with occasionally exposed
breasts quickly concealed on his approach. The dressing was eclectic.
The Giants looked like space men and Alberich a rather seedy businessman.
Fricka and Wotan were formally dressed in long cream coats, while
Donner was a boxer ready for the ring and Froh, wearing a long organza
coat over a white business suit, looked ready for a gay mardi gras.
Mette Ejsing's Erda was wonderfully sung.
Die Walküre was most enjoyable and the singing was generally
excellent. Raimo Sirkia as Siegmund, and Taina Piira as Sieglinde
were excellent and Jukka Ryhanen as Hunding was outstanding. Hunding's
fellow hunters were rather disconcerting with their electric torches
which were used in a very menacing manner but which really added nothing
to the scene. Brünnhilde, Susan Maire Pierson, was very good and I
doubt if I shall ever see Die Walküre again without remembering
the pelvic thrusts which accompanied her 'hojotohos'. Wotan, Jukka
Rasilainen, good in Das Rheingold, was even better and the
scene with Fricka, Eeva-Liisa Saarinen, most convincing. The Valkyries,
dressed in overalls with exposed leather bodices, were rather butch
but sang well. Wotan's farewell to Brünnhilde was beautifully sung
and most moving and concluded with the entire stage surrounded by
most impressive real fire.
Siegfried again was very good but with some strange quirks.
There was no bear just a skin, Mime had a red umbrella for reasons
which escape me and five scantily clad Woodbirds appeared from behind
trees to sing their forest murmurs. The dragon was a huge blowup which
almost filled the stage and deflated as it died. Again, the singing
was very good.
Götterdämmerung opened well with excellent Norns, though Brünnhilde's
appearance before the conclusion of the scene to break the rope was
somewhat disconcerting. Hagen, Matti Salminen, was very good and the
chorus of Gibichings was excellent. The difficult scene changes and
the destruction of the Gibiching hall and Valhalla were very well
managed. The recovery of the ring and Hagen's drowning were most realistic.
Brünnhilde's reappearance at the end in contemplative pose suggested
hope for the future and a new order.
The one disappointment was the orchestra under Lief Segerstam which
was large but included many young players whose enthusiasm did not
equate with experience with the result that at times the music was
unable to match the excellent singing. This notwithstanding, it was
a most enjoyable Ring.
Barbara McNulty
August 2000.
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10-Mar-2004
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