Wagner's RING CYCLE to Air on PBS in September

Broadway World ^ | 6/1/12

[Borges]

Robert Lepage's acclaimed new production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, will air on Great Performances at the Met, September 11-14 in primetime each night on PBS stations (check local listings), as a major television event.

The operas - Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung - will be preceded on Monday, September 10 at 9 p.m. (check local listings) by the airing of award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke's documentary Wagner's Dream, which chronicles the backstage story of the creation of this ambitious new staging.

This is only the third time a complete Ring cycle has been aired on PBS. In 1983, Great Performances aired Patrice Chereau's production of the Ring conducted by Pierre Boulez from the Bayreuth Festival, and in 1990, Live from the Met (the precursor of Great Performances at the Met) presented Otto Schenk's Metropolitan Opera production, conducted by James Levine.

[MCSP2008]

Salve

Yes, for it is.

Merci.

[MCSP2008]

Salve

Neither would I friend, it is idiotic, pride and nothing else, music is muzik.

I would like to show you something, later I will direct you all to my group, not now, listens to this different style but harmony and we are part of it.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPXASNCZrio&feature=related

Merci

[MCSP2008]

Salve

Neither would I friend, it is idiotic, pride and nothing else, music is muzik.

I would like to show you something, later I will direct you all to my group, not now, listens to this different style but harmony and we are part of it.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPXASNCZrio&feature=related

Merci

[Professional Engineer]

Let me guess, this airing will also coincide with the quarterly begging for dollars event.

[GreenLanternCorps]

I tend to prefer a somewhat shorter production...

"Kill the Wabbit!"

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Is this the one where Elmer Fudd sings, “Kill Da Wabbit! Kill Da Wabbit! Kill Da Wabbit! Kill Da Wab-itttt?”

*WINK*

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oops! Stepped on your line. Sorry, LOL! Didn’t even look at the last post before I replied. GMTA! :)

[In Maryland]

I am NOT gay and I think Peter Gelb is the worst thing to happen to opera in America in 50 years. The paralells with Obama are striking: no real experience going in; extreme narcissim; refusing to engage competent experts; playing fast and loose with the truth; trying to silence his opponents; and ignoring normal rules of conduct. Oh, and spending money - well, I'd say like a drunken sailor, but drunken sailors usually only spend their own money.

Yannick Nezet Seguin is quite busy as the music director designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra (his term starts in September); Music Director of the Metropolitain Orchestra (Montreal); pricipal guest conductor of the London Philarmonis orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He debuted at the Met with a new production of Carmen; returned the following season for a new production of Don Carlo; and was the conductor of the past season's new production of Faust. He returns next year to conduct La Traviata, probably involving at least a five week committment. I doubt the Met could get any more time on his schedule even if they begged and pleaded. Opera conducting is much less lucrative than symphonic conducting, since operas have a longer rehearsal period and generally only get two performances a week; symphonic conductors can easily conduct 3 or 4 performances in a week. No knowledgeable opera-lover could expect N-S to be at the Met any more than he is.

[In Maryland]

The MET is doing a new production of Parsifal next season, and I think you can count on it being one of the productions broadcast to movie theatres world-wide. The telecast should be on March 2, 2013 at 12 noon eastern time. Like most of Gelb’s productions, it sounds like it will have nothing to do with what the composer intended, but for $22 or so, you can always close your eyes.

[In Maryland]

I think it is safe to assume they will be broadcasting the performances that were transmitted to theatres - if so, this is the casting:

Metropolitan Opera House
October 9, 2010 Matinee, HD Transmission
DAS RHEINGOLD{158}
Wagner-Wagner

Wotan...................Bryn Terfel
Fricka..................Stephanie Blythe
Alberich................Eric Owens
Loge....................Richard Croft
Erda....................Patricia Bardon
Fasolt..................Franz-Josef Selig
Fafner..................Hans-Peter König
Freia...................Wendy Bryn Harmer
Froh....................Adam Diegel
Donner..................Dwayne Croft
Mime....................Gerhard Siegel
Woglinde................Lisette Oropesa
Wellgunde...............Jennifer Johnson Cano
Flosshilde..............Tamara Mumford

Conductor...............James Levine

Metropolitan Opera House
May 14, 2011 Matinee, HD Transmission/Simulcast
DIE WALKÜRE {529}
Richard Wagner—Richard Wagner

Brünnhilde..............Deborah Voigt
Siegmund................Jonas Kaufmann
Sieglinde...............Eva-Maria Westbroek
Wotan...................Bryn Terfel
Fricka..................Stephanie Blythe
Hunding.................Hans-Peter König
Gerhilde................Kelly Cae Hogan
Grimgerde...............Mary Ann McCormick
Helmwige................Molly Fillmore
Ortlinde................Wendy Bryn Harmer
Rossweisse..............Lindsay Ammann
Schwertleite............Mary Phillips
Siegrune................Eve Gigliotti
Waltraute...............Marjorie Elinor Dix

Conductor...............James Levine

November 5, 2011 Matinee, HD Transmission
SIEGFRIED {258}
Richard Wagner—Richard Wagner

Siegfried...............Jay Hunter Morris
Brünnhilde..............Deborah Voigt
Wanderer................Bryn Terfel
Erda....................Patricia Bardon
Mime....................Gerhard Siegel
Alberich................Eric Owens
Fafner..................Hans-Peter König
Forest Bird.............Mojca Erdmann

Stage Horn Solo: Erik Ralske

Conductor...............Fabio Luisi

Metropolitan Opera House
February 11, 2012 Matinee, HD Transmission/Simulcast
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG {229}
Richard Wagner-Richard Wagner

Brünnhilde..............Deborah Voigt
Siegfried...............Jay Hunter Morris
Gunther.................Iain Paterson
Gutrune.................Wendy Bryn Harmer
Hagen...................Hans-Peter König
Waltraute...............Waltraud Meier
Alberich................Eric Owens
First Norn..............Maria Radner
Second Norn.............Elizabeth Bishop
Third Norn..............Heidi Melton
Woglinde................Erin Morley
Wellgunde...............Jennifer Johnson Cano
Flosshilde..............Tamara Mumford

Stage Horn solo: Erik Ralske

Conductor...............Fabio Luisi

[dfwgator]

All they need now is to have it hosted by Leonard Pinth-Garnell

[Biblical Calvinist]

Borges, I understand that this is a bit off topic..but I have a question for all of ya’ll.

One evening in 2002, I was channel surfing, when I found that LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER was just about to begin on our local Dallas PBS station. I had no idea that they were about to present The New York City Opera’s production of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, with John DeMain conducting.

I simply love The Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS..this Opera is almost NEVER presented on television. This was to be a LIVE production from the stage of one of the Lincoln Center theaters. I could NOT miss recording this program~!

I scrambled to put in a videotape..and got the recording started sheer moments before the overture started. Yes, I was able to get the entire Opera on Video tape.

The problem is that, in that brief moment before the program started; I grabbed the first videotape I could find, without looking to see what it was. This specific videotape was very old, it had been used a number of times to record various programs. In short..it was an extremely bad videotape.

I’ve since been able to transfer PORGY from that videotape to a dvd. BUT all of the problems that were inherant on that videotape, are also on the dvd.

The New York City Opera presented this production of Porgy and Bess on the 20th of March, in 2002. It was based on the legendary 1977 Houston Grand Opera’s production of Porgy. I was able to see this marvelous Houston Grand Opera production twice in 1977. John DeMain, who conducted the New York City Opera’s presentation of Porgy, was also the principal conductor for the 1977 Houston production.

I would love to find a GOOD video copy of this PBS production. BUT I’ve asked. PBS does NOT sell any content from the LIVE AT LINCOLN CENTER program. Apparently NO one does, it’s not available anywhere commercially. I’ve asked around, ever since 2002, if anyone recorded that specific program. I’ve yet to be able to find anyone who recorded that program.

Surely there is someone who also recorded this specific program that night in 2002. Do any of you know of anyone who might have also recorded Porgy from PBS that evening in 2002? I would love to get a COPY of a GOOD Video recording of that program.

I understand that it’s a long shot, especially this far removed from 2002..BUT if anyone can help me locate a copy of this LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER production..please let me know.

I know that this has been a bit off topic..but, I think that if anyone would know about these things..it would be our FRiends on Free Republic.

Thanks much for any suggestions you may have~!

[crazydad]

There was a film version of Parsifal made in the early 80s by a German director that was very contrivertial because of the references to Hitler and the nazis. But it was an amazing dvd I had. Now can’t find it anywhere.

[razorback-bert]

Thanks, I was hoping for more names that I recognize.

[ShorelineMike]

Of course, before any viewing of the Ring Cycle, and particularly this Ring Cycle, one must watch the late Dame Anna Russell's loving send-up of the Ring:

• 1953 performance on YouTube
• 1986 performance on YouTube

[BusterBear]

Glad to hear that Nezet-Seguin is so busy elsewhere. I was present at his performances vis-vis Carmen, Don Carlo, and Faust (they were part of my subscription, unfortunately) - I thought they were quite lackluster, not a real opera conducter. Maybe he does better as a symphonic conductor.

I guess we’ll just have to disagree about Peter Gelb. I’m very happy with what he’s doing at the Met.

The last thing I would want to do is rely on write-ups in the likes of the NY Times, the New Yorker, the New York Observer, Opera News. etc. I prefer to make up my own mind based on my own experience, thank you very much. I don’t need some half-baked critic with a personal agenda to tell me what to think or what I have experienced.