DAS RHEINGOLD, STOCKHOLM, september 2006

MEDVERKANDE

Wotan: Terje Stenswold 

Donner: Johan Edholm 

Froh: Klas Hedlund 

Loge: Thomas Sunnegårdh 

Alberich: Kettil Hugaas 

Mime: Niklas Björling Rygert 

Fasolt: Hans-Peter König

Fafner: Lennart Forsén 

Fricka: Martina Dike 

Freia: Sara Olsson 

Erda: Anna Larsson 

Woglinde: Hilde Leidland 

Wellgunde: Susann Végh 

Regi: Staffan Valdemar Holm

Kungliga Hovkapellet, Stockholm. 

Dirigent: Gregor Bühl

Kungliga Operan, Stockholm

RECENSIONER

Göran Forsling: Richard Wagner, Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera in Stockholm (Music Web)

Originally Neeme Järvi was scheduled to lead this Ring cycle but he had to withdraw due to failing health and in his place the young German Gregor Bühl sprang in. He is no newcomer to Wagner: in Hannover, where he has been principal conductor since 1996, he has performed most of the operas, including the complete Ring. It was also obvious from the outset that he knew his Wagner. The remarkable prelude, “the birth of minimalism”, with its repeated “wave” motif, was built up from the almost inaudible start towards ever greater intensity, the waters of the Rhine running fiercer and fiercer, and the Royal Orchestra responded willingly. Bühl kept things moving without rushing. A well-balanced reading, full of life.

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Martina Dike, who already has a long list of memorable role assumptions (see review of Don Carlos), was a splendid Fricka, her voice ringing out with magnificent ease and she is a good actor. As Freia Sara Olsson didn’t have much to sing but what little there was she did well and she acted movingly. Erda’s part is even smaller, but her “aria” Weiche, Wotan, weiche is on the other hand one of the sublime moments and Anna Larsson’s deep warm contralto was perfectly suited to it, just as artlessly affecting as when she sang the same part in a concert performance of Rheingold at the Stockholm Concert Hall a couple of years ago.

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In the men’s department, the diminutive Klas Hedlund drew a finely etched Froh and his unforced lyrical tenor is always a joy to listen to, while Johan Edholm personified the choleric Donner with biting intensity. Thomas Sunnegårdh, excellent actor, found the right scheming tone for Loge, a part he has sung for many years around the world, his voice still in fine fettle. Fafner and Fasolt, bear-like in their brown costumes and with long hair and beard, were magnificently sung by Lennart Forsén and Hans-Peter König, the former with a roundness and beauty of tone that almost conflicted with the evil, while König has the most tremendously gigantic bass-voice one can ever expect to hear.

The black forces in Nibelheim were also well taken care of. Ketil Hugaas, the buffo bass par preference in Stockholm at the moment, adopted all his considerable skill to give a many-sided portrait of Alberich. A good actor with many colours in his not exactly beautiful but expressive voice. And young Niklas Björling Rygert, who is quickly claiming the role as the leading character tenor, was a perfect Mime, younger looking and younger sounding than most and a lithe actor.

On top of this Norwegian guest Terje Stensvold was a well-nigh ideal Wotan, physically imposing but showing all the different sides of Wotan’s many-faceted character. He sang with firm tone, blacker than most baritones, which is right for Wotan, but with impressively gleaming high notes – and he had a wonderful legato. Far from the speech-singing all to often heard in the role, this was a bel canto Wotan. 

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Sofia Nyblom: Rhenguldet (SvD)

Loges gnistor ger glans åt Hovkapellet, som dirigenten Gregor Bühl leder i en romantiskt sprittande tolkning av Wagners Rhenguldet. Bente Lykke Møllers scenbilder skimrar löftesrikt, särskilt öppningen där tre krinolinklädda sjöjungfrur förstrött åser hur skolpojken Alberich stjäl sagans guldboll och försvinner ner i mattan i kvällens enda teatertrick. 

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Ketil Hugaas Alberich förblir en skurkkliché, stämman trist nyansfri när han förbannar Ringens makt....

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I finalen sätter Thomas Sunnegårdhs finurlige Loge fyr på härligheten, drömmen om romantiken smälter i regnbågsdiset. Men sagoberättaren får gärna släppa loss leklustan inför nästa byggsten i det allkonstverk som är Nibelungens ring - först när man tror på sagan, kan den bli riktigt kuslig.

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