Purists says Wagner should only be sung in German. I am not going to argue about this, but for me listening and learning my Wagner in English was the best thing I could have done. No matter how well one knows the stories and how often one sees the operas (and I have attended the Ring many times) the nuances in the language can pass you by. Having the words so clearly projected in this wonderful production enabled me to really understand what was going on and helped my future Wagner watching enormously. Some thirty years later, despite being so much more familiar with the Ring, I find the surtitles at the Royal Opera House hugely helpful and welcome their introduction.
There were many jewels in the Cycle's crown, Rita Hunter being one of them. She sang Brunhilde, looking like everyone's idea of an old fashioned opera diva (in other words, she was a very large lady), but oh my goodness what a voice. Not much in the way of acting, she was hampered for obvious reasons, but to listen to that glorious sound was enough. Alberto Remedios was her Siegfried with a rock solid technique and a strong heldentenor voice which, at times not quite so beautiful as one would like, was full of musicality and a discipline which enabled him to sing full voice right to the end of Twilight of the Gods (more than could be said of the Siegfried I unfortunately heard at the House a couple of years ago). Both he and Rita Hunter came from Liverpool and, being ardent football fans, used to have sotto voce conversations on stage about their football team when there was a gap and the orchestra were playing....
But, out of all these jewels, the one who shone the brightest, for me anyway, was Norman Bailey who sang the role of Wotan. Not only was his voice superb, but he portrayed the tortured, guilt ridden god with real humanity and warmth. The last act of The Valkyrie (Die Walkure) when he bids farewell to his beloved daughter, Brunhilde, is one of the most sublime passages of opera every written, and each time I saw him sing it at the Coliseum (some 12 times in all), he moved me to tears. I met Norman Bailey on a few occasions after performances when I lurked at the stage door and found him to be a delightful man, kind, patient and thoughtful. No diva like tantrums for him. In some ways, his personality got in the way of some of his more 'evil' parts, such as the governor of the prison in Fidelio. His underlying goodness came through in every part he sang.
This, of course, made him the perfect Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger in which I saw him sing, and which was one of those nights at the opera house which remain in one's mind for ever. It was on Midsummer's Eve, the same night on which the story of the Master singers is set and it was to be the last time Reginald Goodall conducted this particular opera.
Odd how sometimes a performance can take wing. I have heard several conductors talking about this phenomenon and they all agree that they never know beforehand whether it is going to happen, but the moment they pick up the baton, by some strange osmosis, everyone is aware that this is going to be one of those unforgettable nights. This was such an one and I remember the applause at the end carrying on for some 45 minutes, the feeling of happiness and bliss that I felt during this performance, and the shock of emerging into St Martin's Lane at the end of the opera and coming back to earth with the noise of London traffic bursting my bubble. I lived in London then and I remember walking home from the Coliseum back to my flat - about 40 minutes but it passed by in a flash and I felt as if I was about six feet off the ground, so glorious was the music that was filling my mind.
A couple of years ago, I saw Bryn Terfel as Wotan, a part I had been waiting for him to sing since seeing him as a very young man in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition when he electrified the audience with an aria from The Flying Dutchman. I knew then that he would sing in the Ring Cycle one day and that I would be there when he did. Well, I was and after hearing him essaying this role, I knew I had found a Wotan to equal Norma Bailey. All I needed was for him to sing Die Meistersinger to make my opera going complete as I am pretty darned sure that he will also be superb in this part.
So, delighted to report that June 2010 is in my diary. Bryn is singing in Die Meistersinger with the Welsh National opera and I have become a Friend of the Welsh National Opera in order to have first dibs on tickets. I will drive there, stay overnight and just wallow in what I know is going to be a wonderful experience in the opera house. If I ha\ve to live off baked beans for a week or two, then so be it.
My darling friend Cliff, who introduced me to Wagner, died in a road accident some years ago and I still miss him and every time I listen to Wagner he is in my mind. Oh, he would have loved to have heard Bryn but perhaps he is somewhere in a Valhalla of his own listening in. I would like to think so...
Recent Comments