A new production of Die Walkure stormed into Washington last month, advertised as a supremely AMERICAN vision for Mr. Wagner’s oeuvre. We were of course AGOG to see the Spear Maidens in their latest incarnation-an enthusiasm which waned a teensy bit during the 5 hours of the show. Sitting through it--and the music was grand, moving, enormous--I began to have visions of my own, culminating in..
Barbie and Ken and the Ring of the Niebelungen!
Act 1 -Mysterious Woods
Hunding and Sieglinde live in a cozy little hut in the Deep Woods, decorated in a sort of Allegheny Hunting Lodge style with deer heads on the wall and a tree growing in the living room, with a gas-powered hearth fire which burns BOTH inside and outside of the front wall-so handy if weary travelers happen to drop by and can’t make it up the front steps!
You'll note that though both men sport casual hunting attire (leather trousers and open neck shirts), Sieglinde is in a blue slip dress,with bare feet. Germanic maiden outfit? Or possibly a riff on the American Prairie Girl?
Act 2-Valhalla, Home of the Gods
Act 3-Back on Earth Again
Sigmund has Had His Way with Sieglinde (a sadly hasty bout, I fear) and now they are fleeing her horrible husband and his bunch of thugs. Out of the woods and into--um, post earthquake San Francisco? Very AMERICAN, at least...
Did I mention what a bad plan it was for Sigmund to take off his manly leather coat? Very thoughty of course, but HELLO pantywaist!
Also, I was too lazy to include the moment when several Washington Monuments suddenly rise in the sky behind the broken Freeway, something of a surprise but all is explained when the magic sword is smashed and all the Washington Monuments are smashed simultaneously, which explains that they were EMBLEMS of the sword. American vision, do you see!
Act 4-AT LAST! But Who's Counting.
This scene is where the designer lost me. This is the iconic Valkyrie scene, with the Shield Maidens thundering in on their fiery steeds, bearing the Dead Heroes to Valhalla, as they sing their jolly Valkyrie song--lots of yo ho HEY, and references to the feisty stallion, the bay mare, etc.
Well, there you have it. Don't forget to come back in 2009 for the exciting sequel! Unfortunately, the opera company ran out of $$ and had to postpone the fabulous staging of Sigfried which was to have delighted us next year.