BY MADELINE ROYCROFT
“It’s like going on a flight!” the cloakroom attendant tells me as I hand over the Target Collection coat I wish I’d left at home. It has only been a few days since I stepped off a 10-hour flight from China, so that could possibly be the last thing I want to hear right now. Oh well, at least I’m fit for it.
I’m attending a dress rehearsal of Opera Australia’s Götterdämmerung, the final instalment of everyone’s favourite epic four-part German-language music drama. That’s right, Wagner’s Ring Cycle is back and it’s more accessible than ever. All 16 hours will be performed in Melbourne three times from 21 November to 16 December (just for some perspective, three runs of the cycle takes the same amount of time as binge-watching seasons one to five of Game of Thrones, and the storyline is equally epic). Clocking in at six hours and 40 minutes, Götterdämmerung is the longest in the series and watching it is one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had.
Unlike a flight, I actually find the seven-hour opera experience to be quite comfortable. No one brings you refreshments and you can’t get up to use the bathroom, but the in-flight entertainment is vastly preferable to watching endless sequels from the Fast and Furious franchise.
Having two intervals of decent length also means you never sit for more than hours at a time, so it feels more like a music festival day-pass. You can have dinner, grab a coffee, move your car —whatever helps you rejuvenate — all in time for the next sitting. Here are six things I learnt at The Ring Cycle:
1. I love brass
Just kidding! I already knew that. Seriously though, the size of this orchestra is insane, and hearing the players unleash is one of the most exciting things I’ve experienced all year. There’s also offstage brass, percussion and stierhorns. You don’t know where the sound is coming from, and it’s awesome.
2. Gym equipment is a legitimate opera prop
Some visual elements are modernised pretty heavily in this interpretation and I’m pleased to report it’s not even cringe-worthy. When we’re first introduced to Gutrune, she sports a white tracksuit with a high ponytail and is absolutely working the cross-trainer. As I watch her bouncy blonde hair, I marvel at how fitting it is that Paris Hilton’s DJ set took place in Melbourne just one night before this performance. Sometimes the stars do align…
3. The music doesn’t stop
This sounds like a stupid observation – we all know Wagner loved to underscore. But it just. Doesn’t. Stop. Until I sat through seven hours of non-stop harmonic development, I didn’t know the true meaning of ‘emotionally draining’. And all I did was sit there!
4. People can’t help but make noise
I’m asking the real questions now: if the music is completely continuous and there are no loud applause breaks, when are you supposed to clear your throat? I found that waiting until the brass fired up usually generated enough audio-visual distraction for a good fidget, but nothing could ever beat the strategy of the man behind me. Three sneezes, each a bar apart, each perfectly aligned with the beat. Bless him.
5. You don’t need to be a staunch Wagnerian to get into it
Even though I was super excited to see this production, a small part of me was secretly worried I wouldn’t ‘get’ it and would consequently get really bored. Yes, there is intense academic discussion about the thematic content and politics of Wagner’s music, which can be off-putting. But the bottom line is the music, storyline and staging are all incredible and you’d have to be pretty cold to not enjoy it.
6. A whole lot of manpower has gone into this production
The pit is filled with musicians and there is literally tiered seating for the chorus, so I can’t even imagine how many people are involved behind the scenes (perhaps less than in Wagner’s day: he had a customised theatre built for this work). Nonetheless, Opera Australia has done an amazing job and our own State Theatre holds up very nicely next to the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Go see it!
Images supplied. Credit: Jeff Busby.
