Wagner: Die Walküre (Stuttgart, 2002/03)

Cast: Jan-Hendrik Rootering (Wotan), Renate Behle (Brünnhilde), Anglea Denoke (Sieglinde), Robert Gambill (Siegmund), Attila Jun (Hunding), Tichina Vaughn (Fricka), Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Lothar Zagrosek (conductor), Christopher Nel (director), Karl Kneidl (designer), Janos Darvas, Thorsten Fricke (video directors)

Recorded at Staatsoper Stuttgart in 2002 and 2003

Issued on DVD by TDK in 2003 [DV-OPRDNW, PAL/all regions, menus in English, subtitles in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish]

Technical details
Aspect ratio 16:9
Sound DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo

Running time: 229 minutes

Sung in German
In many respects, this recording should be seen as two separate operas. Though both productions are quite modern in concept, Act I is effective in representing in current terms the imagery Wagner calls for; Acts II and III are encumbered with symbols and movement which are at best distracting. Both singing and characterization in Act I are admirable, whereas in Acts II and III Behle is vocally unacceptable and Rootering suffers some vocal distress portraying a character bearing no relationship to the score.
The production focuses on Wotan's invented sin of sloth; in contrast, Vaughn provides a stalwart Fricka, admirable both in acting and singing, immovable because she is right in all respects. Similarly, Jun presents a Hunding who is no beast, but a man of his time. His murder (for it is unequivocally that in this recording) seems not only unjustified, but Wotan's only recourse against his wife - for being right. Gambill is fine physicall and vocally; Denoke a bit stressed but all in all admirable vocally and as an actress.

Brünnhilde's sisters are a mixed lot, but never incompetent either vocally or in waving their wings about. The orchestra is solid, the conducting stolid. Video and audio cannot be faulted. It appears that this DVD shows the best and the worst of contemporary opera, but neither part will prepare the viewer for the other.
 
Related websites:
EuroArts: www.euroarts.com
TDK Mediactive www.tdk-mediactive.com
 
Michael Richter, 22 May 2004
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.