# The NY Times review of the Met's Siegfried



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

In anticipation of next weekend's Met in HD Siegfried broadcast, read this:

Siegfried


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Dahaaaamn it, apparently the premier was audio streamed live on Oct. 27th online, missed it!

http://www.metoperafamily.org/stream.aspx


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

I listened to it after work and enjoyed it very much. Am planning to attend this weekend.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I broke my right ear yesterday; it's highly sensitive, full of pressure, slightly deaf, and now constantly ringing. Apparently there's some kind of fluid buildup behind the eardrum. I'm taking a corticosteroid and I'm hoping after a week of rest it will be good to go by saturday!


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## ooopera (Jul 27, 2011)

Couchie said:


> I broke my right ear yesterday; it's highly sensitive, full of pressure, slightly deaf, and now constantly ringing. Apparently there's some kind of fluid buildup behind the eardrum. I'm taking a corticosteroid and I'm hoping after a week of rest it will be good to go by saturday!


I really hope it will be fine to saturday. I was terrified during MET HD Don Giovanni when my ears suddenly started to hurt. I don't know what it was?!

btw I like your helmet!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Couchie said:


> I broke my right ear yesterday; it's highly sensitive, full of pressure, slightly deaf, and now constantly ringing. Apparently there's some kind of fluid buildup behind the eardrum. I'm taking a corticosteroid and I'm hoping after a week of rest it will be good to go by saturday!


All this Wagner listening is hurting your ears, LOL.
Now seriously, I wish you heal sufficiently to enjoy the show on Saturday.


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

Fingers crossed and thumbs held for you couchie! Did you forge that helmet yourself?


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Well, good news! It feels much better today, still ringing like crazy but doesn't hurt anymore!


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Well, good news! It feels much better today, still ringing like crazy but doesn't hurt anymore!


That ringing sound is just a preview of Siegfried's hammer blows on the anvil. Enjoy!


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

WOOH! getting psyched. 2 days!!

concerning Levine: I am very disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing what he would do with Siegfried this time around. It was so rewarding and interesting to note the differences between this production and the Schenk, to note how he's changed and grown, yaknow? I do trust Luisi though, I was worried about it but that review sounds good.

concerning The Hero: what is with these singers! well I have a pretty good feeling about Jay Hunter Morris (of the San Fran cycle). There were some aspects of the forging clip i didn't like, but I think it will overall grow on me over the course of the evenin. (by the way, did you guys see the clips that dropped?). I'd like to think this doesn't negatively impact Lehman's performance in Twilight of the Gods later. (by the way, do you guys think he'll still make that? I have tickets for the premiere...)

_i've been assuming that everyone's read up on the news and changes surrounding everything the past couple months? if not, the metoperafamily website will have everything._

concerning the Machine: you guys already know that I tend to defend it and its use more than many. in the clips and the behind-the-scenes, I was startled, impressed, in awe... the whole affair may be dramatically flat (a lot of the singers' blocking has been rather superficial in this cycle so far) and perhaps the character-set interaction isn't as inspired as it could be, but I still think it is a more than noteworthy unique theatric vocabulary for a production to have, and its something I look forward to in this cycle.

pre-emptive thoughts, gripes: not so sure about the Wanderer having the Wig of Saruman. funny story actually, I actually have a vivid mental image of a fully bearded Bryn Terfel doing the Wanderer (like a grey-brown beard). I think I assessed the costume styles of the cycle so far and projected this image in my head, it seemed like the logical next step. At one point I was looking for a costume photo 'cause I could've sworn I wasn't imagining it... but I was wrong.

I've been a little busy this week, so this time my pre-game only amounts to listening to the Siegfried Idyll 3 times a day.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

AG: I think Jay Hunter Morris has been cast for Götterdämmerung as well. I think Lehman's doing the cycles, though. At least as of now.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

It would make sense for Hunter to do the Götterdämmerung broadcast. The Met will want to consider the potential DVD market for this Ring cycle, which is already dangerously disjointed with the change of conductors. Switching Siegfrieds would only compound the problem.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I'M SOOOO EXCITED! GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS TOMORROW, HOPE THEY'RE IN ORDER. Feel free to post here from your cell phones during the intermissions! Yay!


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## ooopera (Jul 27, 2011)

Me too! Only 5 hours left ...


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I'ma go see it too! Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Hohei!


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## jflatter (Mar 31, 2010)

So far, so very good. Impressed by Hunter Morris. Best production of this Ring as well.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Jay Hunter Morris: a Siegfried for the ages. I'm deeply impressed. This was extraordinary! Singing and acting, impeccable!
Mime, second best - what's his name? Gerhard Siegel? Outstanding! Maybe not even second best, but rather, just as good as Morris.
Bryn Terfel, correct, good, not as good as his Walküre showing.
Deborah Voigt was the weakest link. Her first few words of singing were beautiful, then her voice cracked. She struggled during the first half of her 30-40' participation, mostly doing well in her upper register but paradoxically running into trouble when she lowered her voice from the top to the middle. During the second half of her role she got better and ended strongly.
Staging: the best use of the machine so far - non-intrusive, rather efficient. I didn't like the dragon. All this high-tech production is failing when it's time to depict animals/beasts. 
Conductor/orchestra - perfect. The way they came alive in Wagner's transformed (post T&I) 3rd act music was phenomenal.
Smaller roles for this opera - Alberich, Forest Bird, Erda - all excellent.
This Lepage Ring is getting better as time goes by. Das Rheingold, full of problems. Die Walküre, rather good. Siegfried, excellent.
I believe that this was the best Siegfried I've ever seen.


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

Well, I really loved it! It wasn't life-changing for me, like Walküre was, but my goodness! I remembered why I love baritones, why I love Wotan, and why (despite his wonderful singing in Walküre) I love Wotan as Wanderer.

I thought Bryn Terfel was tremendous today, his singing, his acting, everything. Just amazing. *mwah* love me some Wotan! I may be in a minority but I thought he was even better than he was in Walküre.

Jay Hunter Morris was thrilling and of course a perfect story for the Met PR department (sorry, I apologize, I am SUCH a cynic). I loved his charming interview (although I live in the South and am therefore totally immune to the aw' shucks m'am stuff). I loved the way he came bounding in after the act 1 dress rehearsal, all "This is FUN!" then after act 2 "This is HARD" and after act3 he was just exhausted. Although how much of that was cornpone schtick I don't know. After all, he has SUNG Siegfried before... *wink* He was a great actor also, perfect for HD, although I wonder if his voice has the sheer volume for the MET. Still, I loved his performance and look forward to the encore, no doubt about that!

I had a smile on my face the whole time Deb Voigt was onstage. As you know, I'm no vocal expert, but SHE looked like she was having a ball, and I thought she sounded great. 

Mime, Gerhard Siegel, was excellent. His singing fabulous and his acting, again, wonderful. I think when he told the story of having a heart attack (?!) at the Met he really shocked Renee F who was interviewing him. I can't believe this story hasn't been out, but I guess they were concentrating on the JHM story. I thought it was interesting that he mentioned that he has sung Siegfried as well, but given our current discussion about "looks" in casting...

Eric Owens, Alberich, only in there briefly but wow I do love his voice.

Hans Peter König, Fafner another bass!! I was in paradise...loved him as Hundig and was only sorry we don't get more of him. The dragon was a horrible misfire for my taste though.

Mojca Erdmann, Forest Bird, she was lovely but weirdly I couldn't understand a word she sang (she is German). However, she said in her interview it was difficult to sing so high and get the words out. So I guess she was ahead of me with the explanation!

On the whole, I liked the Machine better in this one than the previous two. The projections were gorgeous (although I did find the fluttering leaves a bit distracting after 20 minutes or so) and I especially liked that we saw Wotan's Ravens!! Loved when he told Siegfried the Forest Bird left because he, the King of the Ravens, had arrived. Chilling.

Which leads me to the subtitles. How great it is to have them! I can remember sitting through Ring Cycles in the 70s and loving them for the music, and enjoying the singing merely as, well, sound. Reading a synopsis and then trying to remember what happens over the next 45 minutes or so is so inferior to knowing, more or less, what is happening at all times. Especially since, let's face it, Wagner is ALL ABOUT the words. By that, I mean he doesn't write arias so much as long conversations. And what is a conversation without words? As well as the incredible music: I had forgotten how many GORGEOUS GORGEOUS themes there are in Siegfried.

Renee Fleming was the host and as usual she just irritates me when she does it. I KNOW I'm in the minority on this and I love her as a singer but I sometimes wish they would get a genial opera-lover who is a good interviewer rather than a singer. Just me I suppose.

All in all I am looking forward to the encore (date not announced yet)!

And it was very, very exciting to me when Renee talked about rehearsing for Rodelinda which is coming up, and that they had a (sort of) trailer for Faust! Renee I will be in house for your live in HD broadcast!

Did anyone else notice that Jonas Kaufmann as Faust was the cover boy for the Playbill the audience members were reading? Too bad they couldn't have switched over earlier, for his recital!

One of my Facebook friends said she loved reading about my "passion" for opera--to which I said, I like that, since most of my real life friends call me CRAZY! :lol:


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Typically, I'm too much of a fan to try to speak objectively about these performances. My two biggest concerns going in were Fabio Luisi conducting and a Siegfried that was down on the depth chart. Well, I was happy enough with Luisi's conducting (although he seemed a bit quick in spots). Of course, Jay Hunter Morris is off to an outstanding start in _Siegfried_. I also took note of the fact that he's been penned in for _Götterdämmerung_ in February. Also saw that Levine has pulled out of 'Twilight,' too.

If I have one quasi-reservation about the performance, it's Gerhard Siegel's Mime. Mime is a tough character to depict in a manner consistent with Wagner's intention. Still, there remains the temptation to play it for gratuitous laughs... and this depiction has its fans. I just don't happen to be one of them.

The above, however, is just one carp in what was otherwise a very rewarding rendition. Hard for me to say if Terfel was better or worse that in _Walküre_. In _Siegfried_, he does benefit from being a more genial character. Eric Owens' Alberich was great, as he was in _Rheingold_. Lastly, I guess I have too much personal admiration for Deborah Voigt to be anything other than grateful for her performance as Brünnhilde.

As for the staging, I thought it was paradoxically at once the best use of the 'machine' background, and a more- well... curious presentation of the dynamic elements of the Music Drama. The Dragon, for one; the trans-morph of the Dragon back to Fafnir, for another-- and finally, the breaking of the Spear.

In conclusion, though, a performance with far, far more plusses than minuses- and one that I'd be happy to hear again.


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

Oh, and I meant to add: things I didn't like. I still feel the direction/blocking of the actors could be improved. I was especially disappointed that the breaking of Wotan's spear was hidden away in the cleft of a 'rock'. One of the most important moments in the opera, maybe in the whole cycle, and we don't really see it. 

Also, has anyone ever seen a production in which the audience did NOT laugh at "Das ist kein Mann!" I wish it were possible. I would take it as a great challenge as a director to have direction and staging be such that it didn't provoke laughter. But maybe that's impossible.

Didn't care too much for Mime stealing Siegfried, and kid Siegfried running around during the overture.

And the dragon was a huge mistake for my taste. Ugh. Ridiculous. AND Wotan shouldn't have to 'pick up his skirts' to make his way around the ledge. Shorten his robes or something.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

FragendeFrau said:


> Also, has anyone ever seen a production in which the audience did NOT laugh at "Das ist kein Mann!" I wish it were possible. I would take it as a great challenge as a director to have direction and staging be such that it didn't provoke laughter. But maybe that's impossible.


Unfortunately, I think that, as long as most sopranos singing Brünnhilde have (cough, cough) assets that would impress even a connoisseur like Alma, that line is going to elicit snickers from the audience.

Re: Gerhard Siegel's previous experience as Siegfried -- Manfred Jung, a Bayreuth Siegfried, subsequently also sang the role of Mime. And, unless I'm mistaken, Wolfgang Schmidt -- another Siegfried -- just recently sang Mime in a European "_Ring_" cycle.


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

guys. I'm done. I'm finished. I hate Wagner! 

he's too good man. I just can't stand it, i'm done. 

and after THIS production? what's the point? NOW WHAT? seriously what am i supposed to do with myself. Where now do we go?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Very interesting observations from FraFra, I'm actually a bit less enthusiastic about what I saw yesterday after reading her, she makes some valid points about negatives that I hadn't paid attention to.

"Das ist kein Mann" - I've seen it delivered without humor. The Met's approach was *clearly* going for the humor. I hear CTP, sometimes it feels like these comic approaches to Mime and this bit of humor about Brunnhilde's cough cough assets feel like tampering with our Wagner. You all know how much I hate any tampering with these towering masterpieces, so thinking again about what FraFra said and CTP said, I'm liking yesterday's production a little less now.


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Very interesting observations from FraFra, I'm actually a bit less enthusiastic about what I saw yesterday after reading her, she makes some valid points about negatives that I hadn't paid attention to.
> 
> "Das ist kein Mann" - I've seen it delivered without humor. The Met's approach was *clearly* going for the humor. I hear CTP, sometimes it feels like these comic approaches to Mime and this bit of humor about Brunnhilde's cough cough assets feel like tampering with our Wagner. You all know how much I hate any tampering with these towering masterpieces, so thinking again about what FraFra said and CTP said, I'm liking yesterday's production a little less now.


NO NO Alma! A thousand times NO! I would not want my observations to interfere with your pure enjoyment of yesterday's broadcast--it was GREAT!! I hate it when that happens (like Parterre after the JK recital). My observations of things I didn't like were just little nitpicky "me" things. I mean, back in the 70s I would listen to LPs of the ENO Valkyrie and imagine how I would stage it--more like a hobby than a critique!


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## ooopera (Jul 27, 2011)

It's really interesting how different tastes we have. 
Briefly, I really liked Mime. I think he was outstanding.
Dragon was ridiculous, not even scary enough to frighten children 
About Jay Hunter Morris - he was OK, but not special. Though I liked his acting. But, did you hear his German pronunciation? It was awful. Also, he had problems at the end of first act. But don't shoot me, I still think he was decent Siegfried and that's real achievement. But still ... 
I was positively surprised with Luisi. Fantastic! But did you noticed what happened with violins when Brunhilda awakes? Awful :/


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

I didn't notice the violins so much as a problem with the horn in act !, I think it was the first time Siegfried's motiv was played. But those were just little roadbumps. It happens!

(I was just listening again to the Radio3 broadcast of Tosca with AG, BT, & JK and I swear Tony Pappano & crew must have had a (excuse me) brainfart for a second--they are completely out of sync with JK at the very end of E lucevan le stelle--"mai tanto la vita". Or maybe JK did something weird. Hard to think Pappano wouldn't have an eye like a hawk on him the entire time!)

I actually love little mistakes to be honest, it is like the difference between a hand-crafted item and something that rolls off an assembly line. Or the difference between a live performance and a recording!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Well, my complete lack of knowledge of German makes me unfit to find fault with singers' accent and articulation in German - to my deep distress - you can't imagine how much I'd love to learn German - sometimes I think of trying but feel lazy.

I thought that Jay sang beautifully, and maybe I was a bit naively taken by the _rags to riches_ Met version of the events - I didn't even know that he had been Siegfried before in San Francisco. So I was heavily influenced by the admiration for an unknown singer who is capable of jumping into this very difficult role and do so well.

FraFra, I understand, don't worry. It's just that sometimes I *am* a bit of a perfectionist and when someone brings to my attention shortcomings that I hadn't noticed before, it does change my perception of events. Of course, I'm not *that* easy to influence and I do have my own opinion, but when I happen to agree with the opinion of the person who noticed the shortcomings - and in this case I do, that's why I said you got some good points - it does influence my perception.

But no big deal... we all know that there is no ideal Ring, thanks to the vast cast and herculean staging efforts that are needed; no opera company in the world can get *everything* perfect.

The Met's Siegfried was still a very good one... but it did have a number of shortcomings that I hadn't noticed before.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

My first opportunity to post since seeing _Siegfried_. I enjoyed the performance--it definitely reminded me why this used to be my favorite opera, before _Die Walküre_ nudged it out.

Lepage's decision to focus on the natural world is very fitting for this opera about a young boy growing up in a "state of nature." The 3-D projection effects were impressive (especially the evocation of running water and reflecting, rippling pools onstage). Much as I enjoyed the imagery, though, it did strike me that with the retro costumes and high-tech efforts to recreate a naturalistic environment, we were essentially getting a traditional Otto Schenk production by other means.

Still, there were a few great moments that were only possible in Lepage's concept. I loved when Siegfried (or more likely his stunt double) traversed the length of the Machine, high above the stage, through the flickering projected flames. I've never seen a better evocation of that heroic feat. And the woodbird was a neat technical effect, though perhaps a little too Disneyesque. But with all the multi-millions they put into this staging, why couldn't they come up with something other than a dragon straight from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade?

Jay Hunter Morris was excellent; it was nice to have a Siegfried who really looked, if not like a teenager, at least handsome and heroic. A voice more toward the lyrical than a full-blown heldentenor, and it was interesting that this was reflected in his acting as well. This was a kinder, gentler Siegfried than many I've seen--a good deal less manhandling of Mime than in other productions. I think it was a good choice; he already looked formidable enough without having to prove it by being overly belligerent. Even a bit self-deprecating at times, he managed the tricky feat of making Siegfried a likable character.

Gerhard Siegel was a definitely over the top, but somehow I think the role allows for it; at any rate, it never seems to bother me.

Bryn Terfel almost stole the show for me (again). When you first see him, you can't help but think, "Damn, Lucius Malfoy has really let himself go!" But I did like the graying wizard look, accentuating Wotan's decaying transformation over time. Terfel was a compelling Wanderer, especially in his big Act III scenes, where he made the most of Wotan's final moments onstage. It was kind of cool when he laid out that long scroll (whatever it was), but unfortunate that this action caused his spear to end up as no more than a thin rod. And if that was all that remained of it, why oh why couldn't we see Siegfried break it with his sword?

Deborah Voight's a nice lady, but I liked her a lot less here than I did in _Die Walküre_. Physically and vocally, she simply came off as too old to be the youthful hero's love interest. It became entirely understandable that Siegfried mistakes her for his mother (as for the audience, who can help but recall Anna Russell's line, "She's his aunt, by the way.") Voigt wasn't helped by the unimaginative staging of that entire scene. And why did the lighting remain so low key throughout? The text and music suggest that the final scene takes us out of the dark, dense forest into airy, sunlit heights, but the Lepage didn't take advantage of this striking visual contrast.

Despite a few glitches, I loved the Met orchestra under Luisi, especially in the Act III transformation and Siegfried's mountaintop monologue.

For all its shortcomings, this may well end up as my favorite _Siegfried_ on DVD (assuming it's released eventually), largely on the strength of the visuals and a hero who, for once, fits the bill pretty well.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Well, I also really enjoyed it and was going to post my sentiments, but amfortas has swept in and largely posted them for me!  Loved Jay Hunter Morris, a bit underpowered vocally but otherwise he's such a good fit for the part. After all, this *is* the hardest, most impossible tenor role in all of opera that only 2-4 people in the world can sing...  Terfel was also the highlight of the day for me, sent chills down my spine in Act 3! I really like Voigt, but not her singing here. I have to agree with what a lot of the reviewers are saying, her voice is simply wrong for the part. When Brünnhilde wakes up and greets the sunshine, etc., that's one of the most glorious parts in the entire cycle, and you simply need a bright, steely voice like Nilsson's to carry the sustained melodic lines; it's like in rays of radiant, colourful warmth washing over you. Voigt's low, quavering voice just completely misses the mark. I preferred her in Walküre, and somehow suspect I'll like her even less in Götterdämmerung.

Biggest complaint is again the audio feed, I've been to two different theatres now so they can't be blamed on their end, but the audio is simply too quiet, and sounds very flat and 1-dimensional, almost like it's mono. During the interviews the sound was much better than the performance, and even in the previously-recorded clips they showed during the intermissions, the sound sounded a lot better. Does anybody else feel like this?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Couchie, I did feel that the audio was 1-dimensional, especially in acts I and II when we couldn't hear the orchestra that well.

Yes, Voigt was the weakest link.

Yes, Jay Hunter Morris was overpowered even by Voigt in the last few vocal lines.

@amfortas, yes, the dragon was ridiculous.

I'm mostly in agreement with everything that you've said above.

I pretty much agree with everybody here... except in one thing. I definitely didn't feel that Terfel stole the show. I thought he was just correct, and less good than in Die Walküre, although better than in Das Rheingold. I think he started with a somewhat wide vibrato (which self-corrected later), was projecting less well than he should, and his acting wasn't as nuanced as in Die Walküre, making me remember the uninvolved, not-trying-hard-enough Bryn Terfel of Das Rheingold.

Regardless of Mime's comic (and maybe over-the-top) moments, the reason I really loved Gerhard Siegel was his voice. His vocal performance was really good in my opinion.

I maintain what I said of Jay Hunter Morris. Over-hyped rags-to-riches PR story or not, he did *very* well, with convincing and unique acting, he looked the part, and displayed a beautiful voice throughout the entire duration of this long opera, even though his tenor voice is indeed more lyrical then Heldentenor.

Maybe his performance was helped by the fact that Met in HD does use microphones in order to capture the vocals. Maybe in the cavernous Met his voice did not carry enough weight. But what we did get in the broadcast was pretty pretty good. Like you said, he make of Siegfried a likable character, I'm waiting for Natalie to see her Dead in HD late broadcast to New Zealand to comment on this (Natalie hates Siegfried the character, but I suspect that Jay's charms will get to her).


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> Maybe his performance was helped by the fact that Met in HD does use microphones in order to capture the vocals. Maybe in the cavernous Met his voice did not carry enough weight. But what we did get in the broadcast was pretty pretty good. Like you said, he make of Siegfried a likable character, I'm waiting for Natalie to see her Dead in HD late broadcast to New Zealand to comment on this (Natalie hates Siegfried the character, but I suspect that Jay's charms will get to her).


Yes, I can hardly wait, a likable Siegfried, is this possible. Have my ticket booked for 3 December.


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

Ok guys I think i've recovered enough to actually talk about it.

everything that you guys said I second. I barely even noticed brunnhilde's shortcomings vocally. between the top acting and the overall theatric moment, it didn't bug me whatsoever. Jay Hunter Morris is the man. the man. the man. stamina issues towards the end of the third act didn't even bug me. What a guy, i'm glad we found him. Mime, awesome. some more refined directing could've put a leash on the comedy levels but i'm not complaining. Eric Owens man, what a treasure. and the Birdsong, she nailed it. BRYN TERFEL of course what can I say about Bryn Terfel.

The Prologue material: I could get into a whole thing about what it does to our perception of Mime's character arc, I could say that I thought it was a little unnecessary, but I don't wanna get into a whole critical-negative thing.

Stagecraft: Awe-some, in the most basic truest sense of the word. overall gratuitous, dramatically superfluous, distracting? sure. but I'm not complaining. the behind-the-scenes with one of the light-design staff had the audience in gasps.

Lepage's work in general: honestly, this is what stuck out as a weak link if anything. Basic ideas of _simple_ theatric language is either lost on him, or hammy & lazy choices. not complaining though. Still LOVE the production.

Wanderer costuming: blech. I think a wholly revised decision and design would not have been an unwelcome thought. Though I will admit it gels with the whole stage's aesthetic pretty well.

This is my ONLY proper-theatric Siegfried experience (so much is lost on the home-videos that I've known, that's just a truth), so that said, I have never been more affected by a Siegfried, *By any Wagner* even. The Luisi/Lepage is officially my number one production of siegfried.


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## badRomance (Nov 22, 2011)

I saw the HD Live of the 3 operas in 3 different theatres and found that the 2 AMC theatres sounded very 1-dimensional. Das Rheingold I saw at Multiplex and the sound seemed better (but I'm not certain that it was).

If you've never heard Nilsson before, you might think Voigt's performance in Siegfried was good or adequate. Unfortunately I have so Voigt's Brunnhilde was a gigantic disappointment in the singing department. Her acting was wonderful though.



> During the second half of her role she got better and ended strongly.


I'm pretty sure the note she ended on was not strong. I don't think it was even the right note.


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