It shouldn’t have been the opening of the Tyrolean Festival. It wasn’t either, but before that there were only two concerts, in the presence of Austrian political figures, but no opera, because Rossini’s “Bianca e Falliero” fell victim to the virus, but will be made up for. That’s why the “Valkyrie” became the actual opening premiere in Erl, in the Passionsspielhaus, where Wagner’s plays are mostly at home, especially the “Ring”. This tradition comes from Gustav Kuhn, Brigitte Fassbaender continues it, last year with “Rheingold”, now with part two of the “Ring” – in two years she, the indestructible, will be finished with it.
In Erl, the “Ring” is not played in the new Festspielhaus, but in the old Passionstheater, because the acoustics there are sensational. Or better: should be. only for whom? Certainly for the soloists, they stand in front, the orchestra is placed on the stage behind them, behind a gauze curtain. The lights of the consoles glow mysteriously, the sound is not. Erik Nielsen conducts an impasto feel-good mix that lacks anything theatrical. He also fails to create any kind of internal tension in the orchestra, the sound is just there like a distant, insipid cloud. An impression that is perhaps due to the fixtures in the Passionsspielhaus: there are now superfluous lifting podiums in the raised stage floor, the portal has been reduced in size by swelling semicircles to the left and right, the sound seems imprisoned, the tonal overwhelming, because of which the Wagner Fans made a pilgrimage to Erl is gone.
And with it the feeling of attending a real festival experience. Why Bernd Loebe, director of the Frankfurt Opera and the Tyrolean Festival, wants to domesticate the rough uniqueness of the Passionshaus when the new house is next door anyway, which can do everything in terms of stage technology, remains a mystery. Likewise, after this “Valkyrie” remains a mystery as to why Nielsen is the new chief conductor in Erl.
And yet the performance remains an event, which is solely due to the cast. Brigitte Fassbaender designs the first act very precisely, in a sofa landscape in the style of the Gelsenkirchen Baroque, Clay Hilley and Irina Simmes play the beginning of love between Siegmund and Sieglinde in wonderful detail. As a result, she hardly wants to disturb the singers, rightly trusts them, supports the atmosphere with a bit of video (Bibi Abel), that’s it.
Almost enough. Irina Simmes in particular is a dream. She plays Sieglinde’s distress fabulously, the frightened little woman who obediently rinses the glasses, but she vibrates with longing from the start, has a fine, light, wonderfully young voice, she enchants. Hilley is a completely effortless Siegmund, Claire Barnett-Jones (Fricka) and Christiane Libor (Brünnhilde) are absolutely sovereign, Simon Bailey is a splendid twotan. He also has a rather light voice, but he works the miracle that you understand every word. This is the only way the god’s long monologues are exciting, he doesn’t get any help from the music.