the RING CYCLE on PBS

[Dave (imported)]

PBS has started a four night extravaganza of THE RiNG OF THE NIBELUNG tonight and the following three nights.

Rheingold is on my TV as I type this. Alberich is about to steal the gold and start a whole passel of trouble.

Tomorrow is Siegfried

then Valkyrie the night after,

and finally Twilight of the Gods

Tune in but remember, these are long, tuneful and dramatic opera.

It's the new Metropolitan Opera of NYC Production.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Two reasons not to watch,

ONE< with the new and improved digital single with the antenna if there is any I mean any wind, weather of any kind you get nothing which I understand this is an improvement on what we had was a little snow.

TWO< Opera? I love classical but I put Opera right next to western as the worst music I can think of.

Sorry

River

[Dave (imported)]

Well, I have cable and no reception problems.

This production uses a stage set that moves and singers that can fly on harnesses.

I know that sounds to anyone whose seen traditional opera as goofy but it works. It's not ugly, modern starkness but moving and technical and quite an augment to the music.

The subtitles are the best translation I've seen -- passionate and vibrant.

Tomorrow night that stage is going to move like mad with the VALKYRIE on their horses (or pretend horses because of the poo)

And from what I've seen of that set during RHEINGOLD it was spectacular.

Of course bear in mind that RHEINGOLD is the shortest of the four operas at a mere 3 hrs.

From beginning to end, THE RING OF THE NIBELUNG is the story of the lust for power (the golden ring, the barony of Gunther and Getrune Gebich) and a love story between the familial love of Father and Daughter, and the profane love of Siegmund and Sieglinde, and the chivalric love of Brunhilde and Siegfried.

[Dave (imported)]

I came back to add one criticism.

The singers don't look like their characters. They really don't. They sing great but (oh my god) I dare not say those things.

Back in 1980, PBS did another production of THE RING that was filmed or videotaped in Bayreuth at the Festspielle Hause that Wagner designed. The singers in that version look more appropriate to their roles than this current version.

However, the music and the story remains the same.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Yes, Opera where the lead singer is the young beautiful 679 lb woman with the voice of an angle who can break glass at 40 paces.

River

[Dave (imported)]

I'm reminded of an interview with Beverly Sills who was one of the great coloratura sopranos of or time.

She said that she could eat a gallon of ice cream before performing an opera and still lose weight during the performance.

None of the singers (male and female) in this RING Cycle are emaciated or gaunt ... (that's all I'll say to be polite)

[A-1 (imported)]

Yes, Opera where the lead singer is the young beautiful 679 lb woman with the voice of an angle who can break glass at 40 paces.

River

Well, Ella Fitzgerald was NEVER 679 lbs or an opera singer, but who can forget the Memorex commercial...?

[Dave (imported)]

I'll defend River on this. As I watched last night and it won't be as bad tonight, I kept entertaining fat jokes in the back of my mind.

I'm ashamed to let those thoughts out because no one deserves to be mocked that way.

BTW tonight's singers and somewhat closer physically to their roles.

There's much in these operas that makes your head spin around in wonder.

Brunhilde (who appears tonight) and the leader of the Valkyrie is only mid twenties at most as the story is told.

Siegmund and Sieglinde are a couple years younger than her. They are all the children of Wotan by various women and they marry and have a child. At the end of Valkyrie, Sieglinde is pregnant with that kid. Think about grandparent issues.

Wotan gets around, guys.

Brunhilde eventually professes her love and sleeps with the child of Siegmund and Sieglinde -- Siegfried who is her nephew kinda once removed.

This is a very close family (and that's the nice way of saying it)

So suspend your belief and enjoy the story. Forget the glaring and outrageous plot holes.

one last thin, Gunther and his sister Getrune really are named Gebich and they act the part.

(snarky and nasty of me to say that)

[Arab Nights (imported)]

< Opera? I love classical but I put Opera right next to western as the worst music I can think of.

River

I will post an appropriate retort once I find a diagram showing the upward march of life from one cell organisms to multi-celled organisms and then those developed around a spine to philosophical man to scientific man to country and western fan with a degenerative offshoot regressing thru dysentery amoeba to opera fans.

Where would life on earth be without our savior Slim Whitman, huh River? See YouTube: Indian Love Call in Mars Attacks!

[Dave (imported)]

Yesterday, I forgot to say that Siegmund and Sieglinde are brother and sister.

Remember that their son, Siegfried marries Brunhilde who is his grandfather's daughter.

It's a truly complex, ancient gods, and adventuresome family tree.

Best to not think about those aspects too much, just enjoy the music and some great singing.