Classical music review: HK Phil does Wagner proud with triumphant Die Walküre
Towering second instalment of the Ring cycle serves up passion and drama in equal measures
Crowned with a standing ovation, this opera-in-concert was a triumph for orchestra and singers alike. The suspense was taut in the hands of conductor Jaap van Zweden throughout the almost five-hour drama and conveyed with impassioned singing and splendid playing by the huge orchestra, with extra players including brass and harp recruited from Germany, Australia and theUS.
For those dubious of Wagner’s elongated time scale, it made sense in the context of this live performance. The ecstatic, overwhelming climaxes more than justified the long build-ups.
After three or four hours the audience felt like friends invited to a grand party – and you could sense the budding Ring addicts.
The Ring cycle fomented a craze in its day and spawned imitators right down to the latest John Williams soundtrack, but there is nothing like the original for depth and complexity. The music has two streams – love and power – and delves into the dark pools of each.
The orchestra was in fine form in the stormy overture. Act I featured soprano Heidi Melton as Sieglinde, tenor Stuart Skelton as Siegmund, and bass-baritone Falk Struckmann as Hunding.
All the soloists were astonishing in range and power, true in pitch, beautiful in timbre, without mannerisms or excessive vibrato.
