$6m to stage Wagner's Ring in LA

BBC ^ | 9/7/06 | n/a

[San Jacinto]

Now there is $6 million dollars well spent. LOL!

[Buck W.]

"Das Rheingold, the first part of the Wagner's Ring Cycle, made its debut in 1876."

Mein Ring ist Rheingold das dry Ring...

[BenLurkin]

[good old days]

Ping

[kiriath_jearim]

"Yeah, I use Wagner -- scares the hell out of the slopes! My boys love it !" ***

[CholeraJoe]

Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit.

[Cyclopean Squid]

If the Ring isn't a successful production, it will surely be Goetterdaemmerung for the Opera Company.

[Grendel9]

IMO, these two philanthropists spent
their money on a worthy endeavor.
I wore out my old records of
the trilogy years ago and bought
it on DVD's. Still listen to it
at least once a year. Having the
libretto to follow along is also
great.
If the LA Opera Company videotapes/
records the live performances, you
can bet there will be many customers
for a copy of the finished production.
Even if it went for only $200 a pop,
they'd make a profit.

[MplsSteve]

Interesting.

I'm not much of an opera fan - probably because I can't understand a damn thing they're saying - but "The Ring" sounds like it could be quite interesting.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Just remember it isn't over til the Fat Lady sings (Brunnhilde, I think).

[RightWhale]

Too much brass. Sounds like Mexican pop.

[Gingersnap]

I would attend this. If DVDs of the production are sold, I'll buy the set.

Finally, a couple of cultural do-gooders who are actually doing some cultural good.

[Mariner]

It'll be successful...at least artistically. Placido Domingo will ensure that much.

$6mil? That's one heck of a production for Opera. I would sure like to see it.

The Ring is probably the most ambitious Opera ever written and the music is AMAZING, not to mention the story. If you're an opera fan, you have to see it at least once in your lifetime. Remember, the modern theatres have subtitles:)

[kiriath_jearim]

I like the overture to his opera "Tannhauser"

[Cyclopean Squid]

Most modern opera companies provide a translation on a screen, either above the stage or on individual seats. the Ring's story is awesome, and is quite similar to the Lord of the Rings in many respects. If you have a lot of time to spend experiences the marriage of all the arts (like about 4-5 hours for each part of the tetralogy), then by all means you should go for it.

[sitetest]

Dear good old days,

Thanks for the ping!

Classical Music Ping List ping!

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Thanks!


sitetest

[Cyclopean Squid]

I've seen Die Walkure when I lived in Vienna. They had the whole cycle spread out over the course of the season, and I really wanted to go to all of them, but for some reason I didn't make it to them all (too much traveling around, I think).

[kiriath_jearim]

There is the old debate about who borrowed from whom, i.e. Liszt from Wagner or Wagner from Liszt. Liszt eventually became Wagner's father-in-law after Liszt's daughter Cosima left her imperious but talented musician-husband, Hans von Bulow. Von Bulow was once a student of Liszt.


http://www.soundsandfury.com/soundsandfury/2004/07/detective_story.html

[ExpatCanuck]

Finally, someone is doing something for us poor opera fans. Everywhere you turn someone is collecting money for this disease or that one, homeless animals, or child burn victims, or some such nonsense or other.

Thank goodness we will no longer have to put up with sub-standard, underfunded performances of Der Ring des Nibelunger.

:)