Review - Die Walküre (Wagner), Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 23 January 2016

Siegmund - Stuart Skelton
Sieglinde - Heidi Melton
Hunding - Falk Struckmann
Wotan - Matthias Goerne
Brünnhilde - Petra Lang
Fricka - Michelle DeYoung
Die Walküren - Sarah Castle, Karen Foster, Katherine Broderick, Anna Burford, Elaine McKrill, Okka von der Damerau, Laura Nykänen

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden (Conductor)

In contrast to Das Rheingold, which highlights the broad issues of greed, power thirsting, hatred and race supremacy, Die Walküre focuses on the dilemma and consequences that Wotan meets in attempt to protect the legacy of gods from the inevitable downfall. While the head of authority bears the duty to defend oaths, upholding laws and honouring promises, the moral dimension of siblings falling in love for each other, breeding offsprings with other women than the lawful partner, and distance manipulation of own children to achieve personal goals all became a tangled web.

Albeit my rather naive understanding of the work philosophy, I gradually believe that the main underlying message is not only a mirror reflection of the composer own struggles, but also how oneself negotiates with life when it evolves rather different from expectations and the plan. The composer's answer to the question by love/humanity/forgiveness is not straight forward and with a price: Siegmund was killed indirectly by Wotan through Hunding, forcing his daughter Sieglinde into hiding at dangerous area and punished the loyal Brünnhilde with the loss of immortality. The underlying message is that no one could avoid the difficult corners in life even with power, might and wisdom. On the other hand, Wotan’s tolerance of sibling’s passionate love and freewill to live as a liberal being were a progressive stance even for modern world. 

The philosophical complexity of the work also posed a challenge to the audience when this performance was presented as a concert version without the visual theatrical presentation. Unless one studied the plot thoroughly, this time the music language not necessarily painting the landscape and surroundings alike in Das Rheingold, but expressions of atmosphere, senses and inner emotions instead. Moments like Wotan killing Hunding at rage and ride of the Valkyries would be easier to visualise by physical actions than realising through the words. That also would help the singers to build their characterisation than standing still on stage. The acoustic between a concert hall and an auditorium of a theatre also made a different audio experience. It allowed musicians the space to make a bigger contrast in dynamic difference and the space for the music to sing more its beauty. Also without the obligation to maintain the theatrical momentum on stage, a broader tempo could be adopted to phrase the music but not dragging. The end result was more refined musical texture and a better sense of intimacy.

As a whole, the performance had exceeded my expectation and maintained the exact standard set as previously in Das Rheingold. Radiant singing from Stuart Skelton’s Siegmund that the tessitura sat comfortably within his vocal range, also an attractive timbre with the desired warmth, smoothness and vocal projection. Interestingly, he and Heidi Melton both took a rather broad tempo for act one, and each word was steadily phrased for a clear diction purpose. A poetic reading was the description, but for my waste it was slightly careful and they could have pushed the tempo slightly from Winterstürme towards the passionate climatic end. Melton was rich in mid range though silvery on the top, which I felt her timbre more suitable for Chrysothemis in Elektra than the more mezzo soprano orientated Sieglinde. Falk Struckmann as Hunding filled the hall with a rich body bass tone and I reckon he would be a better Wotan than Matthias Goerne. Petra Lang sang the Hojotoho of act two beginning rather brilliantly and produced that youthful fearless spirit of Brünnhilde. High vocal range fared better for her but some degree of unnaturalness of her singing style in mid range. Diction was often not too clear at that level and sometimes sliding one notes to another diminished the beauty in tone. The lower range was also audibly soft but the acoustic still helped to maintain the vocal presence. Michelle DeYoung made a fearsome Fricka with a sheer body of vocal volume and captured the essence of an angry wife vividly. The timbre of Walküren complimented each other effectively and one could detect several future potentials as lead Wagnerian singers for future. 

However, like last year, Matthias Goerne’s Wotan continued to be a let down from rest of the cast. I would not be too critical if it was not recorded for commercial release and understood it was a starting point for the role in future. Though it did not help when Goerne continued to dive in the score while singing and lacked visual communications with his colleagues. He was still far from identifying the structure to phrase the text and music in act two that virtually lacked any sense of characterisation while the role of Wotan was so important in this work. His rather dense texture in timbre also made the singing sounded a murmur and lacking difference in vocal colour. He was better in act three which the music seems more familiar to him and at least he would look up and sing to the audience. Still I wonder how he would eventually make an impressive debut in future at an actual production performance if there was not much of an improvement from last year outing.

The Philharmonic Orchestra was reinforced by a number of overseas players, particularly in the brass. It was an impressive sight to see six harps on the stage and at a concert performance one could have a better sense how the ensemble functioned together than at an opera house pit. I felt the orchestra was more well prepared in act two and three than the first. The roadmap was there and Zweden kept a good sense of flow that neither rushing or too slow, which accommodated the singers comfortably with the highly disciplined orchestral accompaniment. The band produced many beautiful moments especially in the emotional Wotan’s farewell and magic fire music. Again the rather Italianate warm tone somehow slightly too positive for the bleak setting of act one in hunding’s house. Though I really enjoyed rest of it that the leaner body of sound was refreshing and even had a sense of hope despite all the woes on the way. I am looking forward to the next instalment in a year’s time and hopefully a competent tenor will be sourced for the role of Siegfried.