Of
Reinhard J. Brembeck
Because the Bayreuth new production of the “Ring des Nibelungen” was not staged last year due to the disease and was postponed to 2022, this year the Richard Wagner Festival offered a one-day “Ring” fantasy in which all four parts were at least partially alluded to became. The second part of “Walküre” was most complete, performed in concert in the Festspielhaus. The 82-year-old action painter and battle artist Hermann Nitsch had a team of his employees create colorful, glowing drip and pouring pictures live. Some let the most varied colors trickle down on giant, bright white canvases. The others gradually filled the canvases lying on the floor from the many cans of paint provided. Nitsch was never seen, he directed everything from the background.
Actionpaiting on the Green Hill: Nitsch is otherwise known for wild stage blood orgies.
(Photo: Enrico Nawrath / dpa)
The painters began each of the three acts on a white stage with simple wooden chairs for the singers in black cassocks at the edge. The synaesthetist Nitsch surprisingly translated Wagner’s dark passions and despair into bright strips of light and lakes of color. There is a lot of green, yellow, magenta, orange and blue. In the middle of the piece, however, Wotan’s weariness with life comes entirely in black, which soon becomes apparent through yellow and white. Exact correspondence between music and painting was rather rare in this summery, light live action. When Hermann Nitsch last appeared leaning on a crutch, he was also booed. But that didn’t bother the master of the theater of orgies and mysteries, since he’s used to much more angry refusals.
© SZ / happy