Care to take the plunge?

[Constantin]

Have you ever considered taking the plunge and watching an opera?

On Feb 11th, "Live From the Met in HD" will be broadcasting a live performance of Richard Wagner's Gotterdammerung.

Mahler was not only influenced very much by the operas of Wagner;  he was also considered one of the greatest ever conductors of Wagner.  From his formative years and later, Mahler tried to find the essential truth or best public presentation he could make of each opera he directed.

The first three works of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung have been splendid, and Gotterdammerung promises to be the culmination of one of the best "Rings" ever.

Whether you're familiar with opera, or have just thought "someday I might try that," this is an excellent opportunity to take the plunge.  You don't even have to "dress up for the opera."  You can even have popcorn while you watch.  Enjoy the between acts interviews with the singers or stage directors.
Here's a link to find a theater near you, where you can share the live performance: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_alternates.aspx

[James Meckley]

I attended a "Live from the Met in HD" presentation of Die Walküre last May. As with all Ring productions, it had its positive and negative aspects, but the transmission and theatrical presentation were entirely unsatisfactory. And this was in one of the better theaters in Orlando.

• The image quality was dim and low in contrast, and the resolution came nowhere near true high definition. To be fair, I have similar complaints about the way movies are presented in today's theaters. A properly-calibrated 55" plasma panel in a light-controlled living room sets the standard for me.

• The audio quality was adequate, but it didn't approach the quality of a good home-theater system.

• Because the purpose-built contraption at the Met know as "La Machine" malfunctioned, the beginning of the music drama was delayed about 45 minutes, making the whole thing—including intermissions—a six-hour ordeal in an uncomfortable theater seat. Not my idea of a good time.

There's no doubt that Mahler cared deeply about Wagner's music, but I doubt he'd have enjoyed this experience any more than I did.

James

[Constantin]

the transmission and theatrical presentation were entirely unsatisfactory. And this was in one of the better theaters in Orlando.

• The image quality was dim and low in contrast, and the resolution came nowhere near true high definition. To be fair, I have similar complaints about the way movies are presented in today's theaters. A properly-calibrated 55" plasma panel in a light-controlled living room sets the standard for me.

• The audio quality was adequate, but it didn't approach the quality of a good home-theater system.

• Because the purpose-built contraption at the Met know as "La Machine" malfunctioned, the beginning of the music drama was delayed about 45 minutes, making the whole thing—including intermissions—a six-hour ordeal in an uncomfortable theater seat. Not my idea of a good time.

James, I'm sorry to hear of your extremely inadequate experience with Live From The Met.  The performances I have attended provided excellent sound and visual reproduction.  I do recall the 45 minute delay precipitated by the malfunction of "La Machine."  In the audience we speculated about the health of the conductor, until one gentleman used his iPhone to determine that it was a "communication problem between the lights and the computer system controlling projections onto "La Machine."

Under good conditions where I saw it with proper visual and sound reproduction, even audience members who had been there for more than SIX HOURS found themselves energized and potential Wagnerians.  Again, this demonstrates the compelling necessity of a proper presentation.

Mahler is one of the few composers who included singing in many of his symphonies.  Some even call these symphonies operas without costumes or staging.  Words mean something, and that is why Mahler included them in many of his works.  He wanted to be clear about what he was saying in the music.  Yes, it sometimes led to people asking what each piece meant, and this caused Mahler to discontinue printed program notes as to the meaning of each work.  But where words are present in Mahler works, like opera arias, they help tell the story.

Certainly we can all feel the pain and torture in the music of DLVDE, but to understand the words can add to our enjoyment.

If anyone has had the urge someday to try an opera, Gotterdammerung on Feb 11 might be an opportunity to take the plunge.

[waderice]

I learned early on in my 40-year trek through classical music that many of the conductors we cherish from the Golden Age were influenced culturally and artistically by the innovations made by Wagner, as well as composers.  So I made the effort to learn to appreciate Wagnerian opera.  The two semesters of German I took in college were helpful, though the use of a libretto while listening was still necessary.  At the time I started, a libretto was mandatory to follow what was going on in the opera.  The innovation of surtitles some years later was a tremendous aid to people who have no knowledge of the language that the opera was being sung in.

Though I haven't been to a movie theater to see a live performance of an opera, I know someone who has, and he came away with mixed feelings about opera in that medium.  There was a performance by the Washington Opera this past summer that was transmitted via high-definition television to Washington Nationals Baseball Park for those who couldn't get or couldn't afford tickets at the Kennedy Center Opera House.  I think the opera presented was Carmen, if I recall correctly.

As for Wagner, I have seen/heard live performances of Das Rheingold (concert performance), Die Walküre, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal.  All of those were memorable.  The last three were traveling performances by the Metropolitan Opera when the company was here in Washington.  Probably the most memorable was hearing Jon Vickers singing Tristan.  Also memorable was hearing Parsifal by the Met in the centennial year of its first performance, conducted by James Levine, who conducted the centennial performances at Bayreuth.

I also recommend that anyone learning to appreciate opera to get a general survey book on the subject, and a general survey book on a particular composer of their choice.  There are lots of one-volume books on Wagner; too many to mention here.  A check of books on Wagner at Amazon.com will bring up numerous titles.  If you have at least a limited command of German, French, or Italian (the primary languages opera is in), you will find getting into opera much easier.  Additionally, locate a CD or two of the orchestral excerpts from the Ring, Parsifal, and the earlier opera overtures and incidental music.  If one becomes familiar with the orchestral music and Wagnerian Leitmotiv, that will help them through the Herculean effort of trying to get through the long operas.

Wade

[wagnerlover]

Constantin, I agree with you about this being a wonderful Ring (I'm seeing Gotterdammerung on Feb 7).
And I also agree with what I take to be your main point:  that Mahler lovers should have an affinity for Wagner.

But I'm not sure I'd recommend Gotterdammerung to a neophyte.  I'd start them off (if it has to be Wagner) with Dutchman or Rheingold.
Actually I'm sure I wouldn't recommend starting with G.
It's long, difficult, and brings to a culmination a very complicated story and more importantly, a mind-boggling array of musical themes which have been developing for over 10 hours before Gotterdammerung begins. 

db

[Constantin]

Constantin, I agree with you about this being a wonderful Ring (I'm seeing Gotterdammerung on Feb 7).
And I also agree with what I take to be your main point:  that Mahler lovers should have an affinity for Wagner.

But I'm not sure I'd recommend Gotterdammerung to a neophyte.  I'd start them off (if it has to be Wagner) with Dutchman or Rheingold.
Actually I'm sure I wouldn't recommend starting with G.
It's long, difficult, and brings to a culmination a very complicated story and more importantly, a mind-boggling array of musical themes which have been developing for over 10 hours before Gotterdammerung begins. 

db

Wagnerlover makes the excellent point that Gotterdammerung would be better appreciated by those who have a greater familiarity with Wagner.  I was carried away by the excellence already displayed by the Metropolitan's Ring performances in this series, and was eager for others to share the delight of very well-done Wagner.

So, I should rephrase my suggestion about taking the plunge into opera in this way:  If you've ever considered giving opera a try, the Live From the Met broadcasts in movie theaters might be a good introduction to make the world of opera more bearable for newbies.

If you're curious about Wagner and would really like to see and hear a good Wagner opera such as this Gotterdammerung promises to be, and if you really want to see it, just sit back and enjoy the dazzling themes, brilliant singing and acting.  It is not necessary for the enjoyment of the work to fully understand the often intimidating story lines of Wagner.  If the "Wagner bug" bites you, there is plenty of time later to learn the philosophical ideas behind the tales of the mythological characters that Wagner presents.

Just sit back and enjoy the lush, resplendent music of which Mahler was such a master!

[barry guerrero]

The only problem with "Gotterdammerung" is simply the length. Unless you need the entire story of "The Ring" told to you once again (up until Gotterdammerung, that is), I would suggest skipping the Prologue. The last 20 minute stretch of Gotterdammerung is probably The Greatest long stretch in All of music!  It's simply unparalleled, except for maybe the Coronation scene from "Boris Godunov" (which is far shorter).  

[Constantin]

The last 20 minute stretch of Gotterdammerung is probably The Greatest long stretch in All of music!  It's simply unparalleled, except for maybe the Coronation scene from "Boris Godunov" (which is far shorter).  

Barry is quite correct.  If you're not yet up to taking on Wagner and his Ring, maybe you could at least just listen to the final 20 minutes of Gotterdammerung.  That last 20 minutes will give you a great clue as to why Wagner's music has so much influence on Mahler.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Would this analysis be recommanded to neophytes  to become familiar with the plot of The Ring ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07E5sLsJQe0&feature=related

[Constantin]

Yes, Anna Russell has delighted millions with her spoofs of the Ring.
Actually, most of her skits do help tell part of what the Ring is about.
They are even more delightful to those somewhat familiar with the Rings...as long as they have a sense of humor.

[barry guerrero]

The Anna Russell 'send up' is soooo good and so entertaining, that I keep it filed under Wagner. It's well worth the price of admission.

[Constantin]

Although devoted Wagnerians savor every word of the plot or story of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung, their obsession can bore neophytes almost to death, and certainly often discourages newcomers from even attempting to take a look at Wagner.

 

This is unfortunate, for we can see by their devotion to Wagner, that there must be something in the Ring that they find important and inspiring.

 

I could go on for hundreds of pages about the story line and German mythology in the Ring, but it would only drive newcomers away from what I hoped to achieve:  that they might take the plunge and see Wagner's Gotterdammerung on Feb. 11th, and see the visual story action, and music so moving it inspired Gustav Mahler.

 

So, I'll resist the temptation to tell you all the details, and merely give you a very short synopsis of Gotterdammerung, with the promise that seeing it and listening to the gorgeous musical motives and themes will help you understand why Mahler found it so attractive.

 

"Gotterdammerung in two minutes":

 

Gotterdammerung means "the twilight of the gods."

 

To take a philosophical perspective, it is the curse upon those who exploit Nature (the Rhine gold) out of greed, and the desire to control their fellow man.

 

It's also the culmination of the love story of Siegfried and Brunnhilde--a marriage "made in heaven" (or at least planned by Wotan, the ruler of the gods).

 

Act 1

 finds Hagen, (the son of the Nibelung who cursed the gold ring he had made) conferring with Gunter about how to get the Ring, and control the world (the recurrent theme in The Ring).

 

Elsewhere, Brunnhilde, a Walkure--a half god/half woman--hears that the Rhine Maidens (freshwater mermaids) are wailing over the loss of their Rheingold, which has been stolen and transformed into the magical Ring, which allows the user to control the world, but which also, because of its curse, condemns the user to death.

 

Act 2 

 Hagen plots further to get the Ring, by the use of a magic potion which makes Siegfried forget his love for Brunnhilde.

 

Act 3   

 The Rhinemaidens  continue lamenting the corruption of their gold.

Hagen kills Siegfried.

Hagen kills Gunter.

Brunnhilde builds a funeral pyre for Siegfried.

Brunnhilde condemns the gods for their part in the murder of Siegfried.

Brunnhilde takes the Ring and throws herself into the fire, which brings the destruction of Valhalla and the end of the world of the gods.

It also returns the Ring, the Rhine gold, to Nature and brings redemption--the possibility of a new and better world, released from the curse of greed.

 

The final minutes of Gotterdammerung express the image of redemption and hope that inspires us, and inspired Mahler to include in his own works (I would say certainly M2,3,4, and 8, at least!)

 

OK.  If you just can't bear to spend several hours watching an opera, even in a movie theater, at least get a CD and listen to the last 15 minutes of Gotterdammerung.  It could change your life.  It certainly changed Mahler's!

[waderice]

To stimulate further interest in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, some scholars having interest in Norse mythology and knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy (books) have tried to draw parallels between the characters and story line inherent in both cycles.  Bottom line, if people here have any interest in the Tolkien trilogy or the Peter Jackson movies, and undertake study of the characters and story line of Wagner's Ring, they will note parallels between the two cycles.  Tolkien knew of Wagner's Ring, and he steadfastly and earnestly said that there were no parallels, and the only resemblance between the two, according to him, were that "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ends".  Personally, I disagree with Tolkien.  The Wagner Society of Washington, DC had one of these scholars present a lecture on the parallels between the two cycles several years ago at one of their many symposia, and the DC Wagner Society had a transcript of the scholar's concept paper at their website, which has since been removed.  But in doing a search for that paper, I found another paper that tries to examine these parallels.  Try going to this link for some interesting reading:

http://www.isi.org/lectures/text/pdf/birzer.pdf

Wade

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

If you're not yet up to taking on Wagner and his Ring, maybe you could at least just listen to the final 20 minutes of Gotterdammerung.  That last 20 minutes will give you a great clue as to why Wagner's music has so much influence on Mahler.

I have just listened to the last 30 mn (Karajan /BPO) . Wow! I am very impressed, musically speaking. Thanks to Constantin for the advice. I am still a neophyte concerning the music of Wagner.I confess that for now I am not really interested about the plots of his operas , except for Parsifal and Tristan whose arguments are more universal than nordic mythologies.

I am eager to attend my first live performance of a Wagner opera in a few weeks. It will be Parsifal.

[Constantin]

The music is far more important than the plots, so it is good to start listening first to the music.
Slowly, one can become aware of the plots, and how they relate to the music--but this is not necessary and should happen only gradually.
Parsifal is another work where one may hear themes also heard in Mahler.
It is a joy to learn of each new point in common that Mahler and Wagner share.