[Publius]

I've been immersed in the Met's 1990 production of Wagner's Ring cycle. What a family. Wotan fathers 9 girls from the Earth Mother. He beds a human woman to create fraternal twins, one of whom he hopes will steal the Ring back from Fafner. The twin siblings mate, reproduce, and Wotan has to kill his own son at his wife's urging. He also has to put one of his daughters from the Earth Mother into suspended animation, and she ends up with her nephew, who becomes being the instrument Wotan wanted to create, but couldn't.

Talk about dysfunctional families.

I'm used to the idea of Brünnhilde being six feet tall with a size 48 double-D breastplate. Hildegard Behrens is teeny-tiny! She has the bearing, and boy does she have the voice! But she's so small. I love the way Levine slows down the orchestra with some finely placed rubati to let her sing her Hojoto comfortably. He lets her sail the high C's.

[left that other site]

Brunhilde has got to be BIG, but of course, it is the VOICE that counts.

Someone jested at me today about my “petite” stature.

I rose to my full height and said: “I may only be 5’2”, but I ride a Full Sized Harley, Play a Full-Sized Bass, and Shoot a Full-Sized gun.”

I got an ovation!

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening,Maestro, and Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the production with James Morris as Wotan, IIRC. I recorded it from PBS when it aired in 1990.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)