Wagner: Gotterdammerung - Sofia Opera and Ballet Theater (2013) [Blu-ray]

WAGNER: Der Götterdämmerung (Ring des Nibelungen - reduced orchestra version by G.E. Lessing)

Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen concludes with Götterdämmerung. The composer’s original draft, in which the gods are redeemed by the hero Siegfried’s sacrifice, had fundamentally changed by 1874. Now in this ‘cosmic catastrophe’ Brünnhilde rides into Siegfried’s funeral pyre, the Rhine overflows and Valhalla perishes, and the gods with it. It’s the longest and most complex of the four music dramas, and its orchestration is also the most colourful and sophisticated. Siegfried’s Rhine Journey and Funeral March and Brünnhilde’s immolation scene are some of Wagner’s most potent theatrical moments and bring this drama to a shattering conclusion.

‘…This tetralogy has its originality, as it is created in the style of manga, in the style of cartoons, comics and graphics in general. This is a brilliant, colourful and bold idea; bringing the gods, demigods and northern people closer to a style that appeals above all to young people…. …an audience that is crowded, empathetic, enthusiastic, watching the action closely, without blinking, without a single mobile phone ringing, with bated breath. Well done to Kartaloff and his team!’ – L’Opera

‘…The Director of the Sofia Opera Plamen Kartaloff has done something unimaginable, something that surpasses the highest evaluation… … In flashbacks, by constantly changing stage elements Kartaloff develops a visual language that is harmonious and persuasive. We may add that he meticulously follows not only the text, but also the music. So the production gets a rhythm that fully meets the leitmotif developing of Wagner’s music. … The fact that the singers and the orchestra with great commitment helped the project led to a triple success: success with the audience that in Götterdämmerung erupted in applause even at individual scenes (does it still happen somewhere?), success in developing the artistic forces of the opera that made a leap, and perhaps also a cultural political success, which hopefully will contribute to a strong rise in the coming years.’ – Opernwelt

Recorded at Sofia Opera and Ballet, 29 June 2013