Few music items would eclipse Beethoven's Ninth and Wagner's Ring operas. And we will have had both in the space of two weeks. The third Ring opera, Siegfried and the symphony are performed in the renovated Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House - thanks to chief architect Tony Allen and his team, working right through Covid lock-downs to perform this miracle.
My friend and colleague Dr Bill Brooks has written the most pertinent words in defense of Wagner's operas "in concert" after attending the second of two performances ...
We returned for a second serve today (Sunday) and it was equally well received. I love these SSO concert performances. Firstly they allow us to hear the full Wagnerian catastrophe with the orchestra unmuzzled and unleashed, producing a sound that is not feasible in the theatre. The singers were all unfazed by this, even in those moments when they were effectively overpowered by the orchestral sound, however these are less numerous than one might expect, since Wagner often intersperses loud orchestral blasts with a rapid decrescendo as the singer begins, and of course there are long sections accompanied by a wind octet or an ensemble of lower strings. That said, the demands on the singers are superhuman, and Simon O’Neill in particular appears to have an indestructible voice! Secondly, for those of us who like to look under the bonnet and see how the sausage is made (is that a mixed metaphor? Oh dear), it’s interesting to see why there are 3 oboes, when the Wagner tubas are employed, and how many of the large brass menagerie are on the loose at key points, etc. Thirdly, I find I have more time to read the surtitles and ponder some of the wacky phrases RW puts into the characters’ mouths. He really never says something in five words that he could say in two hundred. Verdi would be aghast. I quite enjoyed the way a bit of theatre was proffered. Having the men in penguin suits made them look theatrical anyway, given that most had a quite characterful embonpoint. The sight of wild-haired Alberich slinking out cautiously, looking warily about and suspiciously scrutinising the orchestra as he approaches the Neidhöhle, was more theatrical than several fully staged Ring performances I’ve seen - but of course we could rely on Warwick Fyfe. Teddy Tahu Rhodes made a welcome return to Wagner as a very credible Fafner. But I thought they were all excellent.
As for the rest, following the 'cello sessions, Kathryn Selby and Friends performed a lovely concert in Bowral. We heard the longest Brahms piano quartet (violin, viola, 'cello) before retreating to the Bowral Ngununggula Regional Gallery with a touring exhibition of Clarice Beckett from the NGA. What seemed like perhaps 50 of her works were interspersed with contemporary artist from Sydney Mirra Whale with still lifes, landscapes and portraits of great interest and variety. Her domestic monochrome trompe l'oeil kitchen scenes are particularly noteworthy to my untrained eye.
This week, on two days running, we will experience one of the greatest works in the English language, King Leah then Beethoven's Choral Symphony, one of the greatest musical works ever written. Lots of expletives have been written and will be written. I just feel enormously fortunate to be present, awake and aware for both of these events. In case I'm losing my marbles I am currently trying to memorise a number of famous Shakespearean quotes before it's too late.
I hope you also manage to attend some fine artistic endeavours as the festive season approaches.
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