A Peculiar ‘Valkyrie’ in Seattle

SEATTLE THERE WAS one peculiar thing about the staging of Wagner’s “The Valkyrie” by the Seattle Opera Tuesday night. It was all the more peculiar in that the cycle is presented in a completely traditional manner. How long has it been since you last saw a Brünnhilde in full battle dress complete with spear, breastplate and winged helmet? But for some reason the end of Act II saw Wotan destroying Siegmund’s sword not with his but by lightning bolt.

This is not a niggling point, nor great deal of the drama and Wagner’s own symbolism depends on that specific bit of action. Wotan’s spear, with its runic symbols, represents the strength of the gods. If Siegmund shatters his sword against it, it is thatvery sword reforged by Siegfried that in turn shatters Wotan’s spear in “Götterdammerung” and signals the end of godhood. Lincoln Clark directed the “Ring” cycle, and it is hard to see what got into his head at this particular moment.

The cycle is being done in Andrew Porter’s English translation this week, and much the same comments can be made about it as about “The Rhinegold.” Very few of the singers had been able to project the words with much degree of clarity. There were long stretches of sheer unintelligibility, relieved by a word or phrase making sense here and there.

Even among the better artists there was inconsistency. Raimund Herincx, who could largely be understood in his Act III farewell, simply could not be followed at all in his Act II monologue. Marvelee Cariaga who enunciated so clearly in “The Rhinegold,” had less success in her “Valkyrie” Fricka Tuesday night. And those were about the two best in the cast. From most of the others came strangulated diction vaguely resembling Germglish.

In all other aspects the production allied itself with the previous ones. It was naturalistic and a throwback to Wagner’s own stage directions, which in a funny kind of way makes it avantgarde. The first act, which was the least successful, did suggest Hunding’s house, and there even was a fire (though no red light from the flames was thrown on the sword). The second and third acts had all the crags, mountain passes and rocky ledges one could desire. There have been some local complaints about the rocks, which do look as though they are padded with old tenors, but the Seattle staging beats the tilted turntable any time. At the end of the opera there was a most satisfactory ring of fire around the sleeping Brünnhilde.

Three splendid singers were in the cast: Mr. Herincx as Wotan, Noel Mangin as Hunding and Miss Cariaga as Fricka. Mr. Herincx, from England, reinforced the fine impression he had made in “The Rhinegold.” He is one of the best Wotans on any stage today, a singing actor of resource, with a firmly produced, resonant voice. Mr. Mangin, from New Zealand, is one of those “black basses” in the Emmanuel List tradition. He is a big man with a resounding voice, and he made a notable Hunding. Miss Cariaga carried on her excellent work, singing with strength, accuracy and a fine sense of style.

Less effective were the other three principals. Frederic de Marseille, the Canadian tenor, sang Siegmund in a tight, hearty manner. He was unable to free his voice. The Brünnhilde, Margaret Kingsley sounded shrill when she let her voice out. Lorna Haywood, who, like Miss Kingsley, is British, sang more accurately but with little temperament. In that she matched the conductor, Henry Holt, who continued his conscientious but uninteresting interpretation of the “Ring.” Mr. Holt, incidentally, might well take another look at the score of the “Ride of the Valkyries” and see where the accents really lie.

Harold C. Schonberg | July 28, 1977