Wagner: Götterdämmerung — Asher Fisch and the Adelaide Ring

This is a review I wrote for SA-CD.net and published there on the 3rd of November 2007. SA-CD.net has since become hraudio.net and the old review pages went with it, so this is reproduced from the Internet Archive’s capture. It ran as a site review, and carries a joint copyright line with SA-CD.net.

The review is reproduced as it stood. Only the site’s own furniture around it — the star graphics, the “was this review helpful?” footer — has been dropped, and the ratings it carried are restated as numbers below.

Melba Recordings · MR301099-102 (4 discs) · hybrid disc · stereo and multichannel

Performance 4/5 · Sonics stereo 4/5, multichannel 4/5

Back in May 2006 I reviewed the very first instalment of Melba Recordings’ complete recording of the State Opera of South Australia production of Wagner’s Ring cycle (Die Walküre). At that time I was so enthused by what I heard that I was eagerly anticipating the rest of the set.

Now that the final instalment (Götterdammerung) has been released (a few months late - it was originally scheduled for June 2007), I couldn’t help feeling just a little sad. Now there will be no longer future releases to look forward to, the cycle is finally complete.

The Melba recording of what has become affectionately known as the “Adelaide Ring” was originally intended to be the world’s first multi-channel Hybrid SA-CD release of the complete Wagner Ring Cycle. Of course, in the intervening period between the release of Die Walküre (June 2006) to Götterdammerung (October 2007), this set has lost that honour - the Dutch label Etcetera has released another Hybrid Multichannel set earlier in 2007 with the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest conducted by Hartmut Haenchen.

However, this set is still worthy of collecting, because the Adelaide Ring is truly an excellent production, with a very strong cast. It may not be as dynamic or as pacy as some may like, and there are a few weak spots (particularly in Das Rheingold), but the lyricism (in Die Walküre) together with the insight and clarity in Siegfried makes this one of the most well-balanced recent performances of the Ring. It’s also the first truly Australian production of the Ring, staged by State Opera South Australia in Adelaide in November-December 2004, costing over A$15 million partially funded by the State government as well as the Australia Council.

So, how is Götterdammerung, performance-wise? To be honest, it took me a while to get into it. The Norns spinning the rope of destiny in the Prologue was very slow paced and lethargic, and left me in a blue funk. When Lisa Gasteen (as Brünhilde) and Gary Rideout (as Siegfried) appeared towards the end of the Prologue (to recapitulate the ecstasy of the end of Siegfried Act III), the singing sounded a bit tired and listless (not surprising, since Lisa would have sung the very taxing Siegfried only days before). Even the orchestral interlude depicting Siegfried’s journey down the Rhine sounded a bit ponderous.

However, the pace picks up in Act I and by the 3rd Scene I have become engrossed in the insightful and lyrical performance. Some of the visual humour of the chorus scenes featuring the Giblich vassals in the Hall of the Giblichungs can be heard in Act II, with sounds of the audience chortling audibly in the background (if you want to know why, it’s because the Giblichungs are dressed as typical “Ockers” swigging cans of good ol’ Aussie beer).

Brünhilde’s immolation scene, which closes the operatic cycle, is quite deliberately taken at a very stately pace, in order to maximise the pathos of the drama and the sublime beauty of the music. Lisa Gasteen’s voice is in superb control, exhibiting no signs of the tiredness in the Prologue. Unfortunately, the recording doesn’t quite capture the rather visceral (some may even say gawdy) live performance of the ending, with real fire depicting the end of Valhalla and real water representing the flow of the Rhine.

Recording-wise, this is another excellent production from Melba, thanks to the skills of recording engineer Phil Rowlands. The sound stage is perfect, and the multi-channel mix delivers an enveloping sonic spectacle that has lots of depth and substance. The rear channels are mostly used for ambience, and also conveying sound effects (like thunder) as well as capturing audience clapping. My only complaint is that Siegfried’s funeral march sounded a tad boomy in the lower registers, but to be fair it was rather boomy even in the Adelaide Festival Hall during the live performance.

Bass freaks will love Track 9 in CD2, which features lots of low frequency rumbles that will give your subwoofer a good workout.

All in all, if you have been collecting the set so far, there should be no reason for you to miss out on this final chapter (of the opera cycle as well as the recording). As a stand alone opera, this is a creditable performance.

My final thoughts in terms of all four titles in this set: Die Walküre has the best/most memorable/most distinctive performance (but perhaps the worst in terms of orchestral and singer balance). Siegfried is the best from a sonics perspective, and also orchestral integrity. Götterdammerung is middle-of-the-road in terms of both performance and sonics, and Das Rheingold is probably the “weakest link.”