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Director: Brian Large
Conductor: James Levine
First performance at Munich, June 26, 1870
Time: mythological
Place: Germany
Per Simon (100 Great Operas), this takes place a generation later, with Wotan having sired 9 Valkyries with a goddess (not his wife) and a pair of twins (Siegmund & Sieglinde) by a mortal. The twins are separated in youth, and meet now in her home; she's married, he's a wandering wounded warrior. Brace yourself: bro & sis fall in love, and despite determining their kinship, also call each other bride & groom. She gets pregnant.
Fricka, Wotan's wife, is highly displeased by this, so she convinces Wotan to withdraw his protection from Siegmund (a magic sword pulled from a tree), and Wotan has to pass along this promise to Brunnhilde, his favorite daughter. But when she meets the twins, and learns Sieglinde is pregnant, she chooses to revert to her normal duties of aiding her kin. So Siegmund is successful in killing Sieglinde's husband in battle. But when Wotan discovers this, he kills Siegmund himself. Brunnhilde hightails it outta there with Sieglinde in tow, off to the hangout of the Valkyrie sisters. From there she sends Sieglinde off to the forest guarded by the giant Fafner (holder of the Ring) in his guise as dragon.
Wotan chases after Brunnhilde, and devised her punishment as sleep until a man wakes her. She pleads to make it perilous to wake her, so her husband will at least be a brave man, so Wotan surrounds her by a ring of fire.
Somewhere the hint was dropped (maybe by Simon) that Sieglinde's son will be Siegfried, the title of the next opera.
I do not understand why such stories are attractive to anyone, especially the adulterous incest. Wotan was actually happy to hear they'd gotten together, and hoped their "race" would continue as a result. Yuck.
The music is familiar and good, since this is the home of the big Hoyotoho song and the Magic Flame theme.
HB is splendid as Brunnhilde, playing youthful and brave. She has the Hoyotoho solo in act 2, and it seemed like you could go off key pretty easily projecting that so loudly, but she didn't. Later, in act 3, all the Valkyries are singing it, which makes it safer.
JN is also excellent as Sieglinde. She has an extra quality in her voice that sets her apart.
Only JM & CL (Wotan & Fricka) were characters in both operas, and I grew to appreciate JM since he performed a lot here. JM, JN, HB & the conductor had the final bow in the curtain calls.
Cast:
WOTAN, ruler of the gods Bass-baritone : James Morris
his children
. SIEGMUND Tenor : Gary Lakes
. SIEGLINDE Soprano : Jessye Norman
FRICKA, his wife Mezzo-soprano : Christa Ludwig
HÜNDING, Sieglinde’s husband Bass : Kurt Moll
BRÜNNHILDE, a Valkyrie Soprano : Hildegard Behrens
other Valkyries Sopranos and Mezzo-sopranos
. GERHILDE : Pyramid Sellers
. ORTLINDE : Martha Thigpen
. WALTRAUTE : Joyce Castle
. SCHWERTLEITE : Sondra Kelly
. HELMWIGE : Katarina Ikonomu
. SIEGRUNE : Diane Kesling
. GRIMGERDE : Wendy Hillhouse
. ROSSWEISSE : Jacalyn Bower
Met Opera, cond. Levine; 8
