Ring Cycle - ROH 2018

They've released more tickets for all cycles. Just booked!

Well done vabbian - I'm going to the cycle starting 26th October. I've lost track of how many cycles I've attended - think this will be my 6th. I hope you enjoy it, my first one absolutely blew me away, it really is one of the great music experiences, if not the ultimate.

One regular at the ballet always takes in her own folding stool (the sort people take fishing!) and she seems to get away with it.

Good luck getting a job at The Garden.

I am Cycle 3! Stalls circle!
Saw Das Rheingold last night, was fab!

Have seen countless productions at ROH, but I don't remember seeing set design or staging as grand and complex as this.
Truly a spectacle.

Lise Davidsen was divine as Freia, despite having a small singing part,
Aalan Oke as Loge was also a standout due to his charisma.

Im with you David on this but cannot wait. More worried about 2hrs 40 straight through to be honest.

Will add a face pic shortly. Say hi if see me

I'm now wondering about how to spend a 75 or 80 minute interval. Guess I have to think about it as being like a break between two shows rather than an interval in the middle of one and head off to get some dinner. We decided to splash out for dinner at the ROH for Gotterdamerung but for the previous two I'm not entirely sure how to deal with the long interval. Suppose we should head out for a quick dinner somewhere as drinking in the Floral Hall for that length of time is probably not helpful to understanding the following acts...

Saw Die Incest Walkure last night, start time 4:30pm, end time 10:10pm

Despite having standing tickets, I am not finding the length too bad actually,
I think with the intervals it is very manageable.

I just went to pret and got a coffee and read for the 80 min interval


If I have one nitpick with the production so far, it is the costuming.
I am sure the intent was to keep it minimalist/modern in line with the set,
but I would love some more eleganza extravaganza moments.
Especially for the gods!!

I was unimpressed when the valkyries came out looking like basic bitches,
but again, I am sure that was the intent

Das Rheingold

This was musically good rather than outstanding last night. The main problem is John Lundgren's Wotan. I've probably been spoilt by hearing Bryn Terkel and John Tomlinson in the role (not to mention Donald McIntyre and Norman Bailey decades ago) but he is not in that league. He produces a very pleasant tone but lacks charisma and, worryingly ran out of steam before the end. Maybe he's tired, this being the final cycle, but this does not bode well for his big sing in tomorrow night's Die Walkure. Also, it pains me to say, I found Pappano's conducting a bit lightweight. It started with an amazingly atmospheric prelude, the best ever at The Garden, but then he rather breezed through it and key musical moments were not given their due gravitas.The best singing came from Lisa Davidson as Freida, Sarah Connolly as Fricka and Alan Oke as Loge - his was the most satisfying performance of the evening.

I also think the production is not wearing that well. Parts of it this time reminded me of The Mighty Boosh and the Rubik's cube like tarnhelm is pathetic. Lots of money has been chucked at the various set designs but far cheaper productions have achieved much more. The 1980s WNO production is a case in point where there was little actual design as such, just imaginative lighting and faith in Wagner's superb music producing epic results. At the end, last night, The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla was a massive let down, with most of the gods feebly climbing some ladders and Wotan jumping into a hole ih the ground.

I'm hoping things pick up tomorrow with Nina Stemme's Brunnhilde.

Thanks for your interesting post tmesis - I am a Ring newbie but did not find Das Rheingold as enjoyable as I had hoped, I too thought Wotan was a bit underpowered and was not as involved in the music as I had expected.

Nonetheless I know that Das Rheingold is a "preliminary evening" and so I am looking forward to things getting into their stride tonight. I'd be very interested in what you think after seeing Die Walküre.

Halfway though the Ring Cycle is certainly a moment to reflect in the enormity of the experience and also to share my comments with you.  

Das Rheingold
I adore Keith Warner's highly symbolic and visually colourful production, but despite being a very engaging start to the cycle there were vocal as well as staging inconsistencies which marred a perfect prologue.

There were certainly gremlins (and not Niebelungens!) haunting this performance. The most noticeable was the black curtain almost got stuck before the rise to scene 4 which snagged then rose with a clanging noise which resulted in a team of concerned crew members flashing torches up into the flies to see if it was safe! John Lundren's Wotan had complications upon his first entrance and didn't manage to fully hide his World Ash Tree branch beneath the set before exchanging it for his spear, you could see the branch poking out throughout the whole performance. The spear also wanted to roll away from him at many moments. Another amusing incident occurred when Markus Eiche's Donner threw something into the cupboard in scene 4 only for it to bounce back off the wall straight back at him. The best of the evening had to be scene 3 where Alberich performed his transformations and John Lundgren managed to cut off one of Alberich's fingers (from a prop hand I have to add)! After a few audience tiggers the severed finger was thrown hastily into the wings!

I saw Bryn Terfel in the 2012 revival and in comparison John Lundgren is a masterful, highly engaging and authoritative Wotan. I felt Bryn lacking in vocal power required, although his acting was very good. Further accolades this time go to Sarah Connolly reprising her moody Fricka as well as Brindley Sherratt who was a devilishly devious Fafner. Johannes Martin Kränzle displayed great depth of understanding as Alberich and it will be great to see what he can conjure in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung.

The vocal weakness came from Lise Davidsen who was misscast as Freia, too much vocal power and not any hint of the seductive beauty of the Gods. Nevertheless a very engaging evening.

Die Walküre
This performance was of the highest quality, the sets behaved themselves but a few cast were ill at ease. The undisputed star of the evening was Stuart Skelton making a smashing ROH debut. He has a beautiful lyric line and great expression to his voice, hopefully he will be seen back in the not too distant future. John Lundgren excelled as Wotan really reaching emotional depths into the role and displaying so much power. Nina Stemme's first UK Brünnhilde was impressive, but the wobble of her voice occasionally took away the expression (notably on her first entrance), but I feel she will be truly exceptional in the remaining operas where Brünnhilde undergoes her transformation into a woman. 

Emily Magee was disappointing. Her acting was strong, but vocally she was not assured as Sieglinde. In Act 3 she pushed her voice too much and cracked a few times. She later plays Gutrune in the cycle which I expect to be a better fit for her voice. Ain Anger was also not commanding or scary enough as Sieglinde's husband.


On both occasions the ROH orchestra were on true form with Pappano masterfully leading the way.

2 more to go

Not quite.

www.bbc.co.uk/events/eddn3d 

I saw the 2nd cycle and she impressed throughout.  Although somehow she seemed even better 5 years ago.



Re others comments. I always look forward to Papano conducting, but agian Barenboim seemed to have more sweep and magic. 


None the less I was very pleased with my first exposure in the Opera house. Have now registerred with Bayreuth and will make efforts to see a Ring Cycle every 5 years or so.

Wish I could be there for final two nights.