Youth orchestra scores hit in Wagner concert

ANY performance of Wagner’s Ring Cycle is a major undertaking. For the National Youth Orchestra to have even considered it had been dismissed by some as insanity, but the orchestra seems to have achieved the impossible. Of course, a concert performance of the Ring is different to a staged production: it is only part of what Wagner had in mind for his mammoth epic of Germanic and Scandinavian mythology. But the NYO’s Limerick enterprise may have concentrated the mind purely on the music. If that was the target and judging by last night’s 2 hour prologue, “Das Rheingold” it just fell short of a bullseye.

Still, there was much to be admired in the performance under the guiding hand of Alexander Anissimov. While the strings of NYO needed more weight, woodwind, brass and percussion rose to the occasion.

The “Rheingold” cast was somewhat variable. As prime god, Wotan, Frode Olsen lacked vocal authority, unlike the towering characterisation of Rolf Haumstein as the scheming dwarf Aberich.

Among the other gods, Volker Vogel’s Loge and Philip O’Reilly’s Donner, were potent while Tomasz Konieczny created a powerful giant in Fasolt.

Suzanne Murphy and Cara O’Sullivan made slightly less impact against the towering Leandra Overmann as Erda. But, there was something magical in this partial triumph in Limerick’s University Hall.

Pat O’Kelly | 6 Aug 2002