When Glynn Ross came to Arizona Opera as general director in 1983, it was after 20 years as Seattle Opera's founding director, and presenter of the first Wagnerian Ring in the American West. Did he have in mind to duplicate his feat in Arizona? Was yet another Ring cycle perking in the fertile mind of this vibrant director?
"Not until I flew over the Grand Canyon," said Ross with a twinkle. Since there are few ways to fly to Phoenix without crossing the canyon, that made a Ring a distinct possibility for Ross and his longtime associate, A.O.'s artistic director Henry Holt, right from the beginning of his Arizona tenure.In Seattle, the Ring initiated by Ross and Holt (now known as the Pacific Northwest Wagner Festival) was flourishing and growing. There was no reason to repeat himself. If he did the Ring again it must embody his and Holt's fresh reflections on this many-faceted work; perhaps even a life-summation of the work for the 81-year-old impresario.
In any event, the result of this second collaboration is a Ring to match its canyon, traditional yet expansive, and uncannily reflective of the great Southwest in which it now (perhaps unexpectedly) finds itself. And its sojourn for two cycles June 3-15 was an excellent fit in this hospitable and comparatively cool northern Arizona city, where a large international audience included Ring enthusiasts (even fanatics) from 48 states and 13 countries. Travel package tours abounded, and many languages were heard in the lobby.
The festival's first demand was for a hall large enough but not too large, adaptable to Wagnerian demands and with excellent acoustics. This need was admirably met by the ambient 1,500-seat Ardrey Auditorium on the campus of Northern Arizona University, where the orchestra pit was enlarged and partially recessed so that the augmented orchestra could resonate without overpowering.
This Ring was made ready for transplantation and assembly by productions of each opera, one a season, in Tucson and Phoenix: `Die Walkeure" in 1993, "Siegfried" in 1994, "Gotterdammerung" in 1995 and `Das Rheingold" in January 1996.
The Arizona Ring is the spiritual descendant of Arthur Rackham's enchanting visual concept, and thus is committed to nature-based simplicity - no stage clutter or folderol, no subway tunnels or electrical plants, in fact precious little scenery or props. This is a Ring that deeply respects its meanings, its origins and its universality.
Peter J. Hall's costumes are classically traditional. Hence Valkyries wear winged helmets and chest armor, gods and goddesses are robed and draped, and mythic creatures fancifully depicted. In "Siegfried" a wondrous fairy tale dragon rears his ugly head.
The tetralogy's visual impact comes from the close collaboration of stage director Claus Koenig and lighting director Russell Stagg with artist Amy Shock, whose fluid, never obtrusive scenic setting is the unique aspect of this production.
Shock spent seven years creating hundreds of paintings for the four productions, then transferred them to slides for display by a two-projector process. The result is a beautiful, primeval background, folding in and out with many dissolves, merging, mixing and overlapping to suggest storm and sunlight, brightness and shadow.
Since only two interior scenes exist in the Ring (Hunding's hut and the Gibi-chung Hall), backgrounds from nature are especially appropriate, and dramatic climaxes such as the magic fire and the immolation with its fire, flood and destruction were well served by this technique. Colors, themes and transitions were worked out with respect for the music's leitmotifs; but as Koenig said, "where the intellectual ends and faith begins, is magic."
Visual effects aside, a successful Ring does not exist without expert singers, and these Ross and Holt assembled in profusion. They have a reputation for finding youthful developing artists, and while no names were household words, the excellence was unquestionable - especially considering that they were singing at an altitude of 7,000 feet!
Leading the pack was Karen Bureau as a full-developed Brunn-hilde, groomed and seasoned in A.O.'s annual productions of the past four years. With her golden, steady soprano and heartfelt acting she well projected the incandescence of the Valkyrie turned Earth maiden. At first playful and exuberant, then in love without reservation, she was heroic in a wonderful immolation scene, given an unusual but profound reading with the maiden and her dead hero alone on a bare stage.
Arizona's Siegfried was George Gray, who will be remembered for his Otello with Utah Opera a few years ago. Gray has matured into this most taxing tenor role with a voice firm, strong and blessedly there in the pinches. He conveyed the foolhardiness of youth, and gave one of the best death scenes ever, as it slowly dawned upon him how he had been betrayed.
Dozens of others added to the riches of a production without one weak link vocally. Edward Crafts contributed an authoritative and sensitive Wotan and Wanderer, with Janice Edwards as a bustling, self-assertive Fricka. Cindy Sadler displayed an opulent mezzo as the somnolent Erda, while Gary Ride-out was the epitome of quicksilver and vanishing smoke as a brilliant Loge the fire god.
"Siegfried" came alive as seldom before, inspired by the delightfully dissembling Mime of Paul Crook, balanced by the whining bluster of Malcolm Rivers' Albrecht. (Both are old hands at these roles.)
In "Die Walkuere" Leslie Morgan was an ideal Sieglinde, rising from strength to strength, and Edward Sooter's Siegmund was thoroughly dependable. In "Got-ter-dam-merung," Edward Russell personified evil menace as a tall, threatening Hagan of rich bass quality. The eight Valkyries cut dashing figures, well pleased with themselves as they gloried in their Ho-Yo-To-Hos atop their rock. Among them, Utahn Carla Rae Cook shone brightly with a pointed, vibrant mezzo as Waltraute, Brunnhilde's favorite sister-Valkyrie.
As artistic director, Henry Holt's taste and hard work were everywhere apparent in this Ring, but he unfortunately could not conduct, due to a painful case of shingles. Honors fell to Stefan Minde, who was sensitive and to the point leading the good 90-piece orchestra, with flawless horn passages. At times the orchestra could have come forth even more assertively, and Minde's tempos sometimes verged on the ponderous. Detailed supertitles by Holt kept the eyeballs bouncing, but they were worth the distraction for the increased understanding they shed.
The question for Arizona Opera now is: Will this be a one-time flash in the pan, a yearly event or, perhaps like Seattle Opera, an occurrence of every three or four years? Ross said even he doesn't know. Its frequency will depend upon circumstances not yet foreseeable.
"This will be my first time over budget since I have been in Arizona - indeed ever, for I always ran with a balanced budget during my 20 years in Seattle," he said. "This year's costs will not break us, but we would need dependable major financing to continue annually."
One can only hope that this significant event will take place in Arizona with some regularity, and enjoy the reputation it deserves among American Rings, which besides Seattle take place only among the giant companies - San Francisco, Chicago and the Met.