Oliver Macdonald

Operatically speaking, it is Autumn Marathon time with two performances of Richard Wagner’s complete Ring cycle being staged at the Staatsoper this month. (See Events p. 25). The Ring of the Nibelung with its four operas is probably the most written about operatic work ever. The available range of introductions to the Ring and commentated texts with translations is enough to fill several metres of shelf space before a selection of the almost endless studies are added. Given the scale and complexity of the work, this is hardly surprising, and considerable further scope arises from the many controversies surrounding Wagner himself.

As the last of the summer festivals draw to a close, Vienna’s opera houses prepare to open their doors to the new season. Even the most casual operagoer or the total neophyte should arm themselves with the 2009-2010 Programme booklets from each of the three main houses. Apart from details of every performance and the singers therein, these pocket-sized booklets are crammed with all sorts of information about the houses, complete with seating plans, price lists and the different ways in which tickets can be booked.

She came, she sang, she thrilled. And did so in all the four scheduled performances, despite the fairly widespread speculation to the contrary and “informed rumor” that she would sing in only two. And on all four occasions the house rose to acclaim the return of a favorite and the success of a new Lucia.

Beautifully-shot and very well-cast, the new German/American co-production of Buddenbrooks is a fine costume drama about the downfall of a family from a proud position of wealth, high social and civic status to virtual ruin. It is immensely watchable, if sad. Directed by Heinrich Breber and filmed on location in the north German city of Lübeck, it strikes a particularly strong chord now as the global recession threatens to produce many echos of similar misfortune.

The new Season got off to a sparkling start and literally so at the Volksoper, where the opening performance, the premiere of Der Vetter aus Dingsda, was preceded by celebratory glasses of Sekt served in balmy sunshine for the whole audience. On the previous evening, Theater an der Wien had opened its doors with a concert by the Wiener Philharmoniker and Ricardo Muti. At the Staatsoper, Neil Shicoff thrilled the house with his Eleazar in La Juive. An historic first followed when Albena Danailova took her place as concert master of the Staatsoper orchestra. Brava!!