Act III: Siegfried | The Ring Cycle

Opera North’s acclaimed concert staging of Wagner’s Ring cycle, filmed in Leeds, UK, June 2016.
Wagner’s unparalleled orchestral scene-painting reaches new heights in Siegfried. The youthful hero, fearless and free, forges an unbreakable sword from the shards of the weapon that belonged to his father, slays the dragon Fafner, seizes the ring from the dragon’s hoard, and braves a ring of magic fire that encircles the sleeping maiden, Brünnhilde, whom he awakens to love.
CONDUCTOR: Richard Farnes
STAGE DIRECTOR AND LIGHTING & PROJECTION DESIGNER: Peter Mumford
FILM DIRECTOR: Peter Mumford
SIEGFRIED: Lars Cleveman
BRÜNNHILDE: Katherine Broderick
MIME: Richard Roberts
WANDERER: Béla Perencz
ALBERICH: Jo Pohlheim
FAFNER: Mats Almgren
WOODBIRD: Jeni Bern
ERDA: Claudia Huckle
Find out more » www.operanorth.co.uk/the-ring...
#ONRing

[@l.j.goldstein8143]

That fast powerful conducting at the conclusion THST is how you properly end "Siegfried"! YESSS!

[@drtmuir]

Prelude to Act III of Siegfried is such a extraordinary piece of music.

[@davidcranston7313]

Should have mentioned seeing and hearing a full-size orchestra play this score instead of the size required by orchestra pits in theatres enables us to enjoy the riches of Wagner’s scores. Richard Farnes deserves a special mention.

[@jgesselberty]

In many ways the orchestra is the true star of Wagner operas. I fully agree.

[@davidcranston7313]

The performance of this Ring at Sage Gateshead was one of the most moving experiences in my musical life, up there with Callas at Covent Garden and Domingo in Otello. I listened to Rings from Bayreuth in the fifties on medium wave radio and saw Gotterdammerung at ROH in the 1990’s but this was life-changing. Eternally grateful for the opportunity!

[@iamsumaty]

But

[@lenthisgoldstein9553]

the speed with which the final duet music is played is perfect for the emotional impact! James Levine's was awful slow as molasses, this was great! I can't wait to hear Gotterdammerung

[@siegfriedenea]

I agree … is young, powerful. The last note hold a little bit more t’ha usual is like an orgasm (forgive me but i felt so in the most pure way) The voices of Siegfried and Brunhild are of two young people … love it! Great

[@SAPBM]

Voilà une magnifique façon de filmer qui nous épargne les affres de certaines mises en scène extravagantes...

[@dr2549]

This is marvellous - the best and most intelligent way to experience The Ring through modern Media - sheer sight&sound without the ridiculous stage effects, plywood caves and wigs of old. Its Wagner at his most abstract profound level. and what a gushing, sensual and flowing orchestra and fine genius conductor!! I like it even better than Solti's.

[@siegfriedenea]

Great voices … Finally Siegfried ad Brunhild with the sound of a boy and a girl

[@TheVonmehren]

Fantastic Erda!

[@jamesmorris1657]

I wish more Wagner could be performed this way. No one needs anymore nonsensical sets-just the music-on stage! Wonderful! And I've never heard a better Erda. I speak after watching so many productions ruin what Wagner intended such as the latest Met cycle or the Valencia monstrosity-enough. After 60 years of that I’m contented with this.

[@classicalricky]

i know. i also love mr. farne's enthusiasm.

[@timokk3]

"Wagner revolutionised opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"), by which he sought to synthesise the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts, with music subsidiary to drama." It's probably best to see Wagner operas live but the sets, costumes, dramatics, etc., are what make opera opera, especially Wagner's operas.

[@classicalricky]

that being said, though, i just watched Phillipe jordan w/ the met, & it was actually pretty good.

[@susannevollmer2347]

Have you seen the "Ring" from Amsterdamm? Japanes team production? I love it ! Perhaps it is still in YT. Valencia was a surprise to me: to much techniqie.

[@jmballestra7607]

Un des passages sublimes du "Ring "!!! Il yen a bien d'autres chez l'inégalable Wagner !!!! Comme toujours , emploi aussi judicieux qu'émouvant des "leitmotive " !!!!

[@classicalricky]

this & die walkure act 3 have the greatest preludes in the cycle.

[@chrishughes6518]

Götterdämmerung has an OK prelude too😂

[@DM-wj8br]

A wonderful Brunnhilde in Katherine Broderick

[@susannevollmer2347]

Claudia Huckle is stunning.💐

[@canman5060]

Wagner named his only blood related son with Cosima Siegfried.

[@davidgoldstein2670]

Watching and hearing Jay Hunter Morris as Siegfried I am more convinced that the characterization goes beyond voice alone. Pierce and Pavarotti were better tenors, but Morris is a better Siegfried. You have to look a little more like that innocent teenager.

[@stepheng9607]

I managed to see three of the four music dramas by Opera North ( I missed Götterdämerung because of family problems). Fine conducting. What I have found over the years is that the dramas you expect to be more difficult to pull off - Rheingold and Siegfried - are much better performed than the other two. Conductors seem to be able to rise to the challenge of establishing the architecture of the pieces. And so with this Siegfried

[@DavidNursal2012]

This is great but I had to stop watching after 10 minutes because now I want to see the whole thing from the beginning :)

[@canman5060]

Why didn't the movie industry make a 4 hour long colour movie of this epic ring with many special effects ?

[@benstannard3574]

I would watch it if they did! Actually I think there is a film with Karajan conducting the Ring Cycle, but it isn't on KZbin.

[@DavidNursal2012]

@@benstannard3574 Karajan only managed to do Das Rheingold before they ran out of money.

[@Keithustus]

Because Rossini

[@lucianorateke9066]

It wouldn't work. In the Ring history and music are deep intertwined.

[@ewmbr1164]

Sorry, a 4 hour movie won't do it. Better to watch Anna Russell's phenomenal Ring Analysis, which she finishes in under 30 minutes (kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3-YlXSHgb6MqNU). You must do the whole RING if you want it filmed, all 14-15 hours of it. Peter Jackson came close with his film based on Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. With all due respect to Howard Shore, who wrote the music for this epic cinematic event - Wagner was very much looking over his shoulders in every bar he wrote, and likely would approve of Howard's work. In my view, a fine DVD RING is the one from Bayreuith 1976, the centenary production. The RING produced by the Netherlands Opera (1995/96, if I am not mistaken) is also very worth watching (some critics voted its "Götterdömmerung to be the desert island DVD to take with you). A third option is the Copenhagen Ring, which was, and perhaps still is, available on KZbin. The New York MET's Lepage RING is watchable on video because of the overall good vocal and instrumental performances by the musicians involved; the main advantage is that one is not forced to watch Lepage's wretched staging (the so called "Machine") for hours on end in the theatre, as the video provides plenty of close ups (sometimes, though, to the point that only a dentist or a throat specialist would take interest). Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene at the end of Lepage's "Götterämmerung" is unsurpassed and outight offensiev to any serious artist in its ridiculousness. In short: the MET lepage RING is worth listening to because of the sonucs, but visually it does Wagner a disservice: it leaves nothing for the person(s) watching - no imagination, no intellectual stimulation, and, worse of all, no room for any affect. The production "over-explains", and in doing so disregards the very important independent role of the orchestra, which is as much a character as every one onstage. These four are cetral to Wagner: any production must be done in such a way that the audience can engage by means of Outward/Inward Hearing, Imagination, Intellect, and Affect. None of this is the case with Lepage. It's all gimmick, circus, and computer technology. Impressive when seen at first, but then increasingly, utterly, depressingly unimaginative and boring.

[@mariod7473]

What an orchestra with a full control Maestro.....poor Brunhild, she put on a lot of weight sleeping for so long....I agree Siegfried was too old but hey what can you do? Appreciate what is on the plate.

[@JCAH1]

The magical, inspiring music more than makes up for the many jaw dropping plot holes, such as the wisest, most intelligent, most knowledgeable being in the universe (Erda) not knowing a damn thing about anything, including not knowing or even recognizing Wotan, with whom she has bore dozens of children.

[@JCAH1]

@Mika Maki In the beginning, there was only Wotan and Erda - no other gods, demi-gods, giants, neibelungs, humans, dragons, or anybody else. All of the gods and demi-gods, including the Rhein Maidens and the 14 to 23 Valkyrie (depending on whom one asks) were Wotan and Erda's children. It is implied that mankind was created by Wotan and Erda, although it is not explicitly stated how many of the earliest humans were their children. It is also a little creepy to think that Fricka (Wotan's goddess wife) is also one of his children. I can't get more specific, because the plot is so full of holes, non-sequiturs, self-contradictions and apparent obfuscations. One of the many, many things I chuckle at, is if Wotan and the gods are so powerful (Wotan created the Earth and stars, didn't he?), then why, after what must be millions of years, are the gods still sleeping on the cold, bare rocks, without even blankets or protection from the snow, wind and rain? Wotan can create entire planets and races of beings, but he can't whip up a few simple cots or primitive huts, given a few million years? If Wotan is immortal and infinitely powerful, why would he want or need the Rheingold ring? The audience is led to believe that Wotan did not want to obtain the ring solely to keep it away from evil characters. And since the Rheingold has been around for millions of years, and Wotan always knew exactly where it was, why didn't he just take it, millions of years ago? Notice that once he got it, the ring did not seem to give him any additional powers or wisdom or knowledge. And, as everybody asks, why did Wotan trade Freia away to the Giants, when he knew that only her golden apples kept him and the gods alive? And why does Wotan suddenly need golden apples to stay alive? Wasn't he alive for millions (billions?) of years before the golden apple tree existed? Although I could go on, I'll stop here.

[@JCAH1]

@Mika Maki My desire for a better plot arises from two things: 1) Since Wagner created this from scratch, the plot could have been anything that he wanted it to be, as long as it was true to the ancient Norse myths. 2) If the Ring Cycle wasn't such an important, massive, magical artistic creation, I really wouldn't care about the plot, one way or the other. I can't get worked up about anything that I don't value or respect, and I do value and respect the Ring Cycle. In TV shows, theater, novels and movies, the writers will perform checks for plot holes, confusing points, and contradictions. It is easy to plug plot holes by adding a few lines that give an explanation for some unlikely thing, such as how an unarmed, untrained, 130 pound heroine can consistently, simultaneously defeat multiple 220 pound, armed, trained "evil" male soldiers. For example, a few lines by Wotan in Gotterdammerung could have explained how an entirely-stone fortress (Valhalla) could burn to the ground, and how none of the gods could simply have left the fortress when they first sensed fire, or how fire could kill immortal gods.

[@susannevollmer2347]

@@JCAH1 The german gods are mortal. That for they need Freyas golden apples for staying alife and powerful. Thats the "Rheingold" Up in heaven they can be eternal said the myths and some sagas.

[@susannevollmer2347]

@@JCAH1 Wotan is GOd of a natur religion not a christian or jewish one. Read the Kellevala, that is the earliest nature religion history, realy astonishing story.

[@607]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2015">33:35</a> Isn't it like 20 years ago?

[@user-nm4ym4up6i]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="78">1:18</a>:00

[@607]

Wow, I had not seen the first twist with Brünnhilde coming, and then not the second! I feel like Brünnhilde and Siegfried are the archetypes of man and woman, here: woman hesitant and dramatic, emotional and incomprehensible, man lustful and sober, rational and inconsiderate.

[@user-nm4ym4up6i]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="79">1:19</a>:24

[@arielteixeira4306]

So siegfried doesnt kiss brunhilde to wake her up? Would that be considered sexual harassment?

[@McGururu]

no

[@joaodecarvalho7012]

I think there are Victorian things in that fear of women.

[@lenthisgoldstein9553]

An interesting way to stage the Ring in concert no sets, costumes or makeup but I prefer a full scale opera with the aforementioned items. true it' cheaper this way but Wagner's operas were meant to be staged traditionally.

[@PLTConductorComposer]

I find the less staging the more one's mind fills in instead... Especially in Act 2 no set can do justice to the Waldweben in the way the human mind can.

[@JCAH1]

@@PLTConductorComposer Then why have any actors, scenery, a stage, or costumes at all? Let's just listen to audio recordings of the Ring Cycle. That would be the absolute best, wouldn't it? In fact, why on Earth does mankind have television, movies, opera, or theater at all? You believe it would be much better to only have audio versions of all of that, so people could "fill one's mind".

[@PLTConductorComposer]

@@JCAH1 Ok mate.

[@dr2549]

@@JCAH1 Well - here you can see both the conductor's moves, the orchestral parts, the singers' closeup expressions, and the English translation - what else can you demand? The on-stage wagner tends anyway to be static - fat old singers in ridiculus costumes standing and shouting at each other for 4 hours....

[@jeffreypick57]

I know we have to concentrate on voices, but since Callas, people have to look the roles. large, middle aged Aidas / Toscas / Gildas, no longer work. Singers now have to look like the parts they are singing. So many productions have tenors who are 'large', middle aged and waddle around the stage - nowhere near 'heroic', saviour, able to awaken a Walkure and bind her with immediate love. Here is another of those Siegfrieds ! He looks like someone's dad ! It is such a shame.

[@aliegan2109]

This is just a concert version though. And I think he looks fine. To be a Wagnerian is to be able to evoke the listener's imagination through orchestra and voice alone!

[@LRJAM2]

These large rare voices only come to fruition late 30’s into the late 40’s….Hildegard Behrens only decided to become a singer when she was 30. Her golden time was late 40’s early 50’s.