Sunday, May 15, 2011

Die Walküre

Went to see the Met production, live and in HD -- Next-best-thing to being there.

In grand opera the drama is extraordinarily high. Characters don't just fall in love; they fall so hard that the heavens will not be able to contain their joy. They don't just get sad; they become so over-wrought with pain and despair that the world will end and death is the only answer.

Ridiculous, sublime, and never boring (ok, a little in Act 1), Die Walküre was a 5-hour marathon of a wild story, gorgeous music and singing, awe-inspiring sets and costumes, and my boyfriend, Bryn Terfel, in the lead as Wotan. Oh, and a gaggle of Valkyrie warrior sisters wearing horns!

While I don't consider myself a Ring Nut, it was a terrific way to spend a Saturday. Here's a clip from Act II (that's Bryn as Wotan and Deborah Voight as Brünnhilde, his daughter).

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