LONGBOROUGH Festival Opera's 11th season opened last Saturday with Wagner's Gotterdammerung, the final part of the Ring Cycle describing the twilight of the Gods which provided the inspiration for Tolkein's Lord of the Rings.
Without a strong knowledge of German, or a deep understanding of musical conventions, Wagner can be difficult to understand and almost impossible to enjoy.
This problem was countered at Longborough by abridging the text to a palatable length and by using projected images to give visual clues to the action unfolding on stage.
The set was simple, easily adapted between scenes and effective. The production had a good pace with the cast and orchestra working well together to maintain the intensity of the work.
The costume department avoided the traditional fare of Norse Gods and Heroes - horned helmets and plaited blonde hair were nowhere to be seen.
The hero Siegfred, for example, wore baggy jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt. This could be quite distracting as the overall effect was somewhere between environmental protester and German tourist.
Overall, the production was a fine example of what it is possible to achieve in a converted chicken shed without any central funding. MGM
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article