The opera takes place somewhere around 1910, judging by Catherine Zuber’s elegant costumes. Froh, Donner and Freia are left undeveloped (and sometimes given contradictory text and blocking). The staging features arresting stage pictures and engaging action, but little nuanced characterization.

Dizzying first-person-perspective projections take us underground for the Nibelheim scene and then back up to the highlands of the gods. The entire stage glows ominous orange-red in Alberich’s mine, shimmers alluringly for the piling of the golden horde, and radiates the soft purple of the mountains for Erda’s entrance. Colored light floods from the floor, legs, and projected backdrop, creating color palette motifs to complement the score’s musical leitmotifs. I found myself wishing Loge appeared in later Ring operas, just so that we could hear more from him.įrancesca Zambello’s production tells the story in clear, broad strokes. The standout in Rheingold was Štefan Margita’s Loge, a slick, chatty lawyer with a sunny tenor voice and the most three-dimensional characterization of the cast. The giants (cleverly costumed to be truly giant, but still proportional) boomed out their parts, Andrea Silvestrelli (Fasolt) in a cavernous bass and Raymond Aceto (Fafner) in drier, more gravelly sound. I would not want to anger Jamie Barton’s fierce Fricka, or Ronnita Miller’s imperious Erda. Up among the gods, Greer Grimsley deployed substantial squillo as Wotan – a character so familiar to him that his acting seemed as natural as breathing. As his brother Mime, David Cangelosi was clearly a nasty piece of work, with a raspy sound and spry movement. Contrasting with them was Falk Struckmann’s gruff, fast-talking Alberich, who manipulated the colors in his voice to suit casual flirting harsh orders and a frightful, resounding curse.

The three Rheinmaidens (Lauren McNeese as Wellgunde and Renée Tatum as Flosshilde) were ringing in voice and playful in spirit, especially when singing together. From the first “Weia! Waga!”, Stacey Tappan’s sparkling sound as Woglinde set a high bar. Crisp diction from all singers brought out the alliteration and onomatopoeia in Wagner’s text (aspects ignored in the supertitle translations). A cast without a single weak link completed this Rheingold’s musical excellence.

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