Almost exactly a year after its compelling performance of Das Rheingold, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra premiered Die Walküre on Friday, the second part in Richard Wagner’s monumental Ring Cycle under the direction of Chief Conductor, Simone Young. Astonishingly, the complete Ring has not been staged in Sydney since English entrepreneur Thomas Quinlan brought his touring company here in 1913 (he is also worth remembering for the Australian premiere of Tristan and Isolde). Young’s stellar Wagner successes in Bayreuth and Milan in recent months created an understandable buzz even before the first notes were played. The excellence of the perceptively compiled cast list, studded with international stars, and the apparent chemistry between conductor and orchestra resulted in a most satisfying performance.
One of the many challenges facing the musicians of an unstaged Wagner performance is the balance, as the vast orchestra can easily overpower the singing. After the opening raging storm scene bursting with emotion, Young kept the orchestra’s playing eloquent but never too loud, so that the awakening love of the Volsung twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde can blossom in front of our eyes and – more importantly – ears.
Lithuanian-born soprano Vida Miknevičiūtė gave a stand-out characterisation of Sieglinde, deeply sad in her loveless marriage, coming to terms with her past story and future hopes. Her empathetic singing had power and clarity, yet delicate softness, and she meticulously engaged with her partners and conductor. Her brother/lover, Australian Stuart Skelton (who was Young’s Siegmund in their Hamburg recording 15 years ago) is blessed with a commanding Heldentenor voice that so few can boast. His vast experience helped his cultured singing, even if the power of his voice seems to have passed its zenith. The euphonious Winterstürme (the closest Wagner’s writing comes to a traditional operatic aria in the Ring) should normally melt all hearts, but his ecstatic outcry “O süsseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib!”, towards its end, curiously lacked passion.
The vocal qualities of Peter Rose, here singing Hunding never disappoint. His supercilious treatment of Sieglinde and concurrent hostility towards his guest, Siegmund, eloquently coloured every word he sang. He was one of the few singers who also acted his part, adding further qualities to his noble but menacing tone.
After an hour-long interval, Young’s baton sliced through the applause, hurling the orchestra into the Vorspiel of Act 2, saluting the jubilant Brünnhilde, Anja Kampe. The German soprano did not spare her voice either here or later. She had been a famed Sieglinde in many a production in the past and it was pleasing to experience her being fully confident and in perfect vocal condition for this new, demanding role. Her two scenes with her godly father gave a refined emphasis to her understanding Wotan’s many predicaments (all of them his own, treacherous doing!), while she touchingly presented her own argument. Her dialogue with Siegmund at the end of Act 2 brought unusually intimate and quiet tones to the surface, with both Valkyrie and hero trying – and failing – to understand the tragic impasse towards which Wotan’s greed has pushed them.
Finnish Tommi Hakala took the demanding role of Wotan, stentorian in his self-righteous rage, yet almost in whispers in his long, moving narrative, as he tried to explain the unexplainable to Brünnhilde. His mellow, yet intense baritone poignantly expressed his (and the whole cycle’s) fundamental dilemma of choosing between Love and Power, although his tone noticeably tired by the cathartic farewell from Brünnhilde that ends Act 3. Moldova-born Alexandra Ionis avoided the all-too-common approach of the neglected, bickering wife in the role of Fricka. Her noble tone and expressive singing in her extended Act 2 scene made a good case for the sanctity of marriage while belittling the fact that the betrayal started not with the twins but with their father.
Perhaps it was due to the crowd-pleasing fame and qualities of the Ride of the Valkyries, that it wasn't until the opening of Act 3 that Young finally unleashed her orchestra. Their playing was splendid indeed but forced Brünnhilde’s eight warrior sisters into vocal choices in which pitch and quality often fell victim to volume.
Elsewhere, conductor and her musicians in perfect symbiosis produced some of their best in recent times. Young’s leadership was authoritative and clear, with all sections evidently enjoying and fulfilling the challenges of the vast score. Primus inter pares, under the fearlessly confident leadership of their newly appointed principal, the cellos (often ably assisted by the double basses) excelled in the many exposed emotive solo passages, particularly in the first act.
After an unusually long night by orchestral standards, the SSO and its audience can look forward to Siegfried at the end of next year.
[Update on 2024-11-19: a previous version of this review gave the name of Michaela Schuster as having sung Fricka. Schuster had been scheduled to sing Fricka but was replaced by Alexandra Ionis. Our apologies to Ms Ionis for the error.]
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