Number 202: July 2011 - Wagner Society of England

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The Mastersingers “Living in Exile” weekend DAME ANNE EVANS MASTERCLASS Jubilee Hall, 14th May 2011 Rachel Nicholls (left) as Brünnhilde and Magdalen Ashman (right) as Waltraute rehearse Act I Scene 3 of Götterdämmerung in a masterclass which was full of laughter from beginning to end conducted by Dame Anne Evans who has performed no fewer than 14 different roles in the Ring herself. Following this masterclass Rachel has been cast by Longborough Festival Opera as next year’s Brünnhilde in their Götterdämmerung, which role she will study with Dame Anne. “SONGS OF EXILE” PRESENTED BY HUMPHREY BURTON Jubilee Hall, 15th May 2011 Photographs by Peter West donningtonart@aol.com This programme devised by David Edwards was performed by sopranos Laura Hudson (centre) and Lindsay Wagstaff, tenor Adrian Dwyer (right) and bass-baritone James Rutherford. Performances of works by Schumann, Schubert, Wolf, Brahms, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Korngold, Verdi, Weill, Lehar, Sondheim, Johan Strauss and Wagner were accompanied by Kelvin Lim and Julian Black. – 16 –
The Mastersingers “Living in Exile” weekend KINDER, SCHAFF’ NEUES! An introduction to the relay of Die Walküre from the New York Met, 14th May 2011 David Edwards There are three things to remember about new productions of Wagner’s Ring: 1) They are expensive. 2) They are usually very controversial, certainly when they are first viewed. 3) It is very important that they should not be assessed until they are completely finished. Whatever one thinks or reads about Robert Lepage’s production, the Metropolitan Opera Ring is only half way through and so we shall not be able to assess it properly until later this year when the cycle is complete. The relays from the Met, from Glyndebourne and (fingers crossed) soon from Covent Garden will be seen by a much bigger audience than was possible in a theatre, hopefully doing our artform an enormous amount of good in the process. I believe that you can’t ever beat the live experience of sitting in a theatre to hear opera, but we all have to accept that perhaps the artform is changing for a new generation of audiences. If that brings health, vitality, money, imagination and longevity to the business which we all love then I’m all for it. We have to accept that “fings ain’t what they used to be.” To the question: Which of the modern productions do I think Richard Wagner would have approved? Let me direct you to his words at the top of this page: “Children, do something new!” I think that he would have loved to see as much imagination, variety and challenge as possible in the production of his work. What is critical is that we tell the story. As directors and designers, we have to provide the singers with an environment in which they can do this truthfully and most effectively. And we must always stimulate the minds of the audience, be it in the live theatre, in the cinema or on the television screen. www.davidedwardsopera.com – 17 –
Page 1 and 2: Number 202: July 2011
Page 3 and 4: NEW AND RETURNING CONTRIBUTORS Matt
Page 5 and 6: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Highlights f
Page 7 and 8: I have the pleasure of bringing you
Page 9 and 10: At whatsonstage.com Simon Thomas wr
Page 11 and 12: Simon Lobelson (Baritone) Thomas Hu
Page 13 and 14: COVER STORY The Mastersingers “Li
Page 15: The Mastersingers “Living in Exil
Page 19 and 20: Scene 2 saw the arrival of Fricka i
Page 21 and 22: let’s do, as Cosima (not Richard)
Page 23 and 24: Pleased to meet you PETER WEST: WAG
Page 25 and 26: Its most distinctive feature, the C
Page 27 and 28: BARCELONA PARSIFAL Report by Garth
Page 29 and 30: BAYREUTH NEWS 110 Years of the Rich
Page 31 and 32: DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG AT
Page 33 and 34: successfully built up this producti
Page 35 and 36: Alwyn Mellor (Isolde) and Richard B
Page 37 and 38: Wolfgang, possibly in consequence o
Page 39 and 40: now, “Many would prefer to forget
Page 41 and 42: LETTER I would like to share Bill B
Page 43 and 44: President: Dame Gwyneth Jones Vice

Number 202: July 2011 - Wagner Society of England

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