This is the third outing for Robert Lepage's ingenious set of rotating slabs, simple in appearance but hugely complicated in the execution. In Siegfried the slabs effectively conjure up a forest, magic fire and Mime's hut. Here we see Gerhard Siegel as a rather endearing Mime, more of an absent-minded professor than an evil schemer. In the prologue we actually see Mime rescuing Siegfried from his dying mother.
Siegfried is sung by Jay Hunter Morris, stepping into the role at short notice. It must be every understudy's dream, and nightmare. Morris's voice appears rather light at first but then I was entranced by the beauty of his tone and the fact that he was singing within himself rather than belting out the role. By the time he gets to his meeting with Brunnhilde he sounds a little bit tired, quite excusably since he has already been singing for three hours.
Deborah Voigt has the opposite problem appearing for just the last 40 minutes of the opera and having to launch straight into possibly the most sensuous music ever written. Voigt gives a stunning performance, every bit as good as that in Die Walkure. I can't wait to hear her immolation in the final part. I do not think the interaction between Morris and Voigt is as sexy as I have seen in some Siegfrieds. But I do always enjoy the bit where Siegfried removes Brunhilde's breastplate and exclaims "This is no man."
Elsewhere, Eric Owens continues his fascinating interpretation of Alberich and Hans-Peter Konig soon shrugs of his dragon costume to continue his effective role as Fafner. There is a beautifully sung Woodbird from Mojka Erdmann but we only see a 3-D animation on the high-tech stage. I must admit I prefer to see my Woodbird as well as hear her. Patricia Bardon is an undramatic Erda and I felt that her scene with Bryn Terfel's Wanderer was not as effective as it could have been.
The cast take a bow at the end of each act, not surprising really as each act is almost an opera in itself. At the end of each act, the enthusiastic Met audience applauds before the music has ended. One admires their enthusiasm while wishing that they could exercise just a little bit more restraint.
Siegfried is sung by Jay Hunter Morris, stepping into the role at short notice. It must be every understudy's dream, and nightmare. Morris's voice appears rather light at first but then I was entranced by the beauty of his tone and the fact that he was singing within himself rather than belting out the role. By the time he gets to his meeting with Brunnhilde he sounds a little bit tired, quite excusably since he has already been singing for three hours.
Deborah Voigt has the opposite problem appearing for just the last 40 minutes of the opera and having to launch straight into possibly the most sensuous music ever written. Voigt gives a stunning performance, every bit as good as that in Die Walkure. I can't wait to hear her immolation in the final part. I do not think the interaction between Morris and Voigt is as sexy as I have seen in some Siegfrieds. But I do always enjoy the bit where Siegfried removes Brunhilde's breastplate and exclaims "This is no man."
Elsewhere, Eric Owens continues his fascinating interpretation of Alberich and Hans-Peter Konig soon shrugs of his dragon costume to continue his effective role as Fafner. There is a beautifully sung Woodbird from Mojka Erdmann but we only see a 3-D animation on the high-tech stage. I must admit I prefer to see my Woodbird as well as hear her. Patricia Bardon is an undramatic Erda and I felt that her scene with Bryn Terfel's Wanderer was not as effective as it could have been.
The cast take a bow at the end of each act, not surprising really as each act is almost an opera in itself. At the end of each act, the enthusiastic Met audience applauds before the music has ended. One admires their enthusiasm while wishing that they could exercise just a little bit more restraint.