Controversial is a mild word for robert lepages production of wagners ring cycle, which has just finished its second cycle of the year at the metropolitan opera in new york and has been described as anything from witless and wasteful to merely adequate. The ring cycle is a special event and is not part of opera australias regular season. The ring cycle is a comedy of pain about a woman on the last day of her marriage trying to figure out what to do with her wedding ring. Oh my goodness, i absolutely loved this documentary, which focuses on the stagehands behind a production of wagners operatic ring cycle. Its a production ive wanted to watch for some time. The ring of the nibelungs an analysis live by anna russell on. Wagners epic ring cycle is one of the greatest operatic works in existence. Whether you love the ring cycle or just love the absurdity of.
Russell was the daughter of an upperclass canadian society belle and an english army colonel. The standout performance of the cycle has to be john tomlinson as wotan. Anna russell composer 19112006 play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical music site on the web. Anna russell, john coveart, harry dworkin the anna. E ven in an era in which performances of wagners ring come around more frequently than. Anna russell, in one of her last concerts, explains wagners ring cycle. To be fair though, he did take 12 years off while in the middle of writing siegfried the third opera. I have illustrated it with various suitable images, mainly by arthur rackham. Made from rhine gold, coveted, fought over, cursed in anger. Anna russell the ring of the nibelung an analysis youtube. The ring of the nibelungs an analysis by anna russell. The remastering of old recordings on todays cd format has been a boon to ring devotees. Among her bestknown works are her concert performances and famous recordings of the ring of the nibelungs an analysis a humorous 22minute synopsis of richard wagners. The first farewell concert 1984 skip navigation sign in.
Anna russell is a little known musical comediene, but in this album she gives a complete introduction and explanation of the ring cycle as well as other muscial piecesthat is. The valencia ring, spain 2009 chapter eleven of david. I do not know how exactly many ring cycles are available but i would guess at least thirty. Musical satirist par excellence anna russell pokes fun at the excesses of the opera world offering advice on how to write your own gilbert and sullivan opera and her legendary sendup of the absurdities of wagners ring cycle. Anna russell is a little known musical comediene, but in this album she gives a complete introduction and explanation of the ring cycle as well as other muscial piecesthat is simply seat wettingly funny. It is perhaps the greatest work of art of any kind in the world. Walking through london, she has a series of encounters that propel her toward a new relationship. Trust me, it is worth watching all three parts, even if you know nothing about opera. You can see parts 2 and 3 of the entire comedy routine here and here. But thats over several days, with days off between each of the four operas and long breaks after every act. Wagner envisioned a special opera house created especially to perform the ring cycle. A ring cycle will always be the pinnacle of even an established.
Trailer for robert lepages new production of wagners ring cycle, starring bryn terfel, deborah voigt, and jay hunter morris. After pointing out that gutrune, a character in the last part of the ring cycle, is the first. Shakespeare, perhaps the worlds first psychic opera critic, summed up the ring cycle perfectly. The result was the text of the fouropera ring cycle. Anna russells legendary talk about wagners ring cycle. The works are based loosely on characters from the norse sagas and the nibelungenlied. The first farewell concert, live 1984 dvd because it is so funny. Anna russell was an englishcanadian singer and comedian. After years of study at the royal college of music, anna russell, who has died aged 94, observed.
Anna russell s comedic summary of wagners ring cycle anna russell. Warwick fyfe as alberich in the melbourne ring cycle. Schenklevinethe only traditional staging of the ring available on dvd. The ring cycles overwhelming demonstration of the gesamtkunstwerk is a thing to behold, and you can see it here performed in full, all four parts, 15 hours of epic opera courtesy of bbc arts and the space. Anna russell combines her excellent knowledge of and training in opera with her brilliantly satirical wit to create hilarious sendups of wagners the ring cycle. How to improve an epic fourpart classical masterpiece. Though most agree it is a rather dull affair, for those placing major emphasis on stagings richard wagner would recognize, this is the set to get. Nila parly is a research fellow in music and theatre at the university of copenhagen.
Feb 28, 2007 this is my second download of anna russell being. Join facebook to connect with russell ring and others you may know. It is a series of 4 operas written during the mid19th century by the german composer richard wagner. What would a wagner related awards ceremony be without a significant prelude.
It is quite an exciting ring and the commitment and singing perfection all round is impressive. If anyone has borred you with the joys of wagner this is the perfect antidote. If you go in there with a tin voice, youll come out with a loud tin voice. The hour flies by as workers soundlessly shift massive sets while the show goes on in front of the curtain, and the viewer is repeatedly mesmerized by the choreographed movements of dozens as they coordinate, position and maneuver the sets while staying. And the brilliant thing is that when anna russell did one of these, she stayed as close as possible to actual musicological research and verifiable data. The 7 most bizarre wagner videos ever made classic fm. And from a production perspective it doesnt disappoint. Several years ago, somebody posted a magnificent summary of wagners ring cycle. County has a relatively concise and wellwritten precis of the ring cycle that you can.
He brings everything that the character should be and more. The ring cycle s overwhelming demonstration of the gesamtkunstwerk is a thing to behold, and you can see it here performed in full, all four parts, 15 hours of epic opera courtesy of bbc arts and the space. With natalie dormer, emun elliott, llewella gideon, katie lyons. Anna russell was wonderful at translating high culture like opera into lively funny commentary. Conceived and written over a period of more than 25 years, wagners ring cycle is an epic musical journey of four operas. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing bergisman just stupid. Anna russell composer 19112006 play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical. Anna russell wagner ring cycle nibelungen sketch 1953 version. Anna russells comedic summary of wagners ring cycle anna russell. Each ring cycle is sold as a 4opera series and tickets are available for complete 4opera cycles only.
Markus6974 anyone who is able to respond with an open heart to music and drama loves the ring. Wagners ring cycle begins at the metropolitan opera. Loony tunes kill the wabbit spoofed the ring cycle, and became an entire generations first, and often. Oct 24, 2006 after years of study at the royal college of music, anna russell, who has died aged 94, observed. In spite of, or perhaps because of, her upbringing as a british lady of society, anna claudia russell brown became regarded as the worlds funniest woman for her witty satire of classical music. This year will see the first of what will be an annual wagnerian readers awards affectionately and henceforth known as the erdas the reasons for which shall become apparent later in the month but first, we asked readers to chose the greatest recorded ring cycle in four different categories. She gave many concerts in which she sang and played comic musical sketches on the piano. This last class is devoted to watching and listening to excerpts from the ring. The film here, by opera north, comes from live performances in leeds in 2016. Anna russell, john coveart, harry dworkin the anna russell. The hour flies by as workers soundlessly shift massive sets while the show goes on in front of the curtain, and the viewer is repeatedly mesmerized by the choreographed movements of dozens as they coordinate, position and maneuver the sets while. Wagner was one of the most revolutionary classical composers who ever lived, he inspired and influenced all the composers who came after him and he also sparked some of the weirdest videos on the internet. Anna russell the ring cycle explained behind the black. Anna russell wagner ring cycle nibelungen sketch 1953.
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