Wagner: Die Walküre [Peter Seiffert; Georg Zeppenfeld; Vitalij Kowaljow; Staatskapelle Dresden; Christian Thielemann] [C Major Entertainment: 742808] [2017]

On the face of it, it was a noble idea to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Herbert von Karajan’s Salzburg Easter Festival by staging the work with which it was inaugurated and even replicating the scenery and backdrops of Karajan’s staging. However I doubt that Karajan would have recognised much of his original concept-either musically or visually-from the resultant production.The original Karajan staging was very much in the style characterised as “ New Bayreuth”-monumental abstract sets, singers all but stationary and declaiming their parts, timeless costumes which could serve for Lord of The Rings as much as Wagner’s Ring and lighting best described as “Stygian Gloom.”Gunther Schneider-Siemssen’s sets have always seemed to me to be some of the most effective and attractive-modern but relevant. The images that were painted on glass panels are here projected by laser and with the improved lighting this does at least do some justice to Karajan’s vision.Vera Nemirova’s production imposed on Karajan’s concept has the now standard “Regie” image of Siegmund dressed as a 1940’s refugee, Wotan in a pony-tailed wig which results in him resembling UK comedian Bill Bailey, a Hunding who resembles a provincial shopkeeper and Valkyries with feathered wings attached to their Viking helmets.The Act 3 Prelude features a cast of what I presume are victims of the conflict from which the heroes are being gleaned-though the Valkyries stand motionless assembled on the great curving ramp-but at least there is an impressive burst of flame at the Magic Fire.Karajan would be surprised to see the Dresden Staatskapelle in the pit-the Berlin Philharmonic under Rattle has been lured to the glitzy and lucrative Baden-Baden Easter Festival with Thielemann’s Dresdeners replacing them-critical opinion suggests that Salzburg got the better of the swap deal!Thielemann delivers a beautifully crafted reading; the orchestral sound is “svelte” rather than “plush” in the manner of the VPO or brilliant in the manner of the BPO. I am pleased to note that he still slows down for the big climax in the Ride of The Valkyries, a gesture reminiscent of Knappertsbusch. The recorded sound on Bluray is rich and realistic without matching the best that can be achieved on CD.I have left the vocal contributions to last.VitaliJ Kowaljow repeats his fine Wotan from the Barenboim La Scala set, Anja Kampe makes a thrilling debut as Brunnhilde, reminding us visually of Anja Silja but vocally far superior.She has progressed so far since I first heard her in concert here in Nottingham being introduced to the UK public by Sir Mark Elder and giving us a beautiful Liebestod.The other Anja-Harteros-is also debuting as Sieglinde on this set-she is decent but uninspiring. Christa Mayer is a noble Fricka and the Valkyries are excellent.George Zeppenfeld looks and sounds nothing like the dangerous hulking brute of a Hunding in Karajan’s-and indeed Wagner’s- conception. He sings well enough in his light range, but utterly fails to impress as Hunding.I have left the Siegmund of Peter Seiffert till last. Aged 63 when the performance took place, this tenor has had a long and successful career. His voice was glorious at its peak, among the finest of its era as many recordings confirm.It is a pity therefore that he has continued to undertake roles for which he no longer has the resources and more to the point that he still gets the casting.I can only advise this-he is appalling! He can sustain NO legato whatsoever, his upper register is a strangulated caterwaul and it is quite the worst tenor performance in a leading Wagner role that I can recall-ever- trumping even Christian Franz’s Siegfried on the Simone Young Hamburg Ring.His cries of “Wälse” are frankly embarrassing-beyond painful! It is a relief when Hunding dispatches him.As a tribute to the vision and artistry of Karajan, this performance falls flat. One only has to think of Karajan’s cast to realise why this is the case.To get an impression of the true mastery of Karajan’s achievement, recordings in excellent but sadly Mono sound can be obtained from various sources of the actual performances to complement the stereo studio version-just think Crespin, Stewart, Talvela, Veasey, Janowitz and of course Vickers and compare them to the above!There are elements that work in this production-with the exception of Seiffert the vocals range from superb to decent, and orchestrally it is very fine. The production is one of the sanest on film, despite some risible moments and the sets are great. The direction for film is more than satisfactory, with an emphasis on long shots which take in the whole stage picture. Is this enough for a strong recommendation? Not nearly! Disappointing! 2.5 Stars. Stewart Crowe.

The staging is a recreation of the 1967 Salzburg Easter Festival production directed by Vera Nemirova. In fact it is only the original sets by Günther Schneider-Siemssen that have been reconstructed. The sets serve as nothing more than a platform for a rather static production. Stage direction is new and some conceits might challenge traditionalists such as Hunding’s groping of Sieglinde. Taken together with the attempt to add a few modern touches to the staging, using a mix of 'traditional' and modern costumes and props, not much happens to excite mind and eye. The real interest in this release is musical. Some committed performances and the release in 4K Ultra HD ensure that the production is worth watching.From a musical point of view, the only disappointment is Peter Seiffert, who looks old and tired as Siegmund. He does not sing badly, but he sings with noticeably less polish and finesse than his companions. Anja Harteros is a clearly projected Sieglinde, vocally bright and secure through the range and, unlike Siegmund, looking the part. Georg Zeppenfeld is a noble and round-toned Hunding. From his first ‘Heilig ist mein Herd’ it is clear that this is a singer of vocal excellence and impressive dramatic conviction. I must admit that after having seen him as a sympathetic König Heinrich it is difficult to take him seriously as the terrifying Hunding. Anja Kampe is on top vocal form as a sensitive and touching Brünnhilde, not least in the magnificent account of Wotan’s moving farewell to his favourite daughter that closes the opera. Vitalij Kowaljow, with his high bass voice, is a sweeter, lighter Wotan than we are used to. It is a voice of admirable firmness and beauty of tone throughout the complete range. ‘Das Ende, das Ende!’ is deeply moving. Christa Mayer is an intensely sung Fricka. The Valkyries, wearing impressive feather-crested helmets, are excellent. Christian Thielemann’s musical direction of a truly magnificent orchestra in the Dresden Staatskapelle is superb. He tends to favour more spacious tempi and the singers are supported with love, every word is audible. The musical highlight is Act 3, happily free of new ideas (with the exception of some self-sacrificing heroes). After a Ride of The Valkyrie of exquisite Wagnerian proportions, Brünnhilde and Wotan can really benefit from the transformation and offer the first truly moving moment in the opera.This is the first 4K release from C Major Entertainment. The Salzburger Festspielhaus stage is very wide and there are just enough long camera shots to remind us of the epic scale within which the intimate drama is unfolding. However, when you make extensive whole-stage shots, 1080 lines of resolution is not enough to let the viewer see fine detail or even identify some of the performers. Filmed in 4K, the full-stage shots reveal detail that would otherwise be lost. The close-ups look both clean and detailed and deliver a clear resolution improvement over the standard Blu-ray. Most of the filming has been made in low-light surroundings, and there is a somewhat monochromatic approach toward lighting and costume design, with grays predominating in Act 1 and Act 3, and a kind of pale green ambience in Act 2, but the resolution imbues all of the production’s settings with a more lived in look that really adds to the sense of atmosphere. The sound is excellent.