UPDATE: Nike Wagner (above) and Gerard Mortier have failed in their bid to take over the Bayreuth Festival. Now would be a perfect time for Mortier to announce plans for a RING Cycle in English at NYC Opera and enlist Nike's help in bringing it to fruition.
Then there was this.
Original blog story: News of incoming New York City Opera director Gerard Mortier's bid to assume joint direction of the Bayreuth Festival with Nike Wagner brings forth an idea I've had for a long time: New York City Opera should mount the RING Cycle...in English. Their orchestra pit might force them to slightly reduce the contingent of players, but so what?
The RING Cycle is enormously popular and it would be a tremendous opportunity for the current generation of singers who don't get Met nods to delve into these juicy roles. A new translation could be commissioned and the production could be simple and rely heavily on imaginative lighting and projections. It shouldn't be a traditional production but neither should it be a travesty - it should be created with a view to performing it every year.
The notion of a City Opera/English RING first occurred to some of us fans back when Robert Hale (photo) was on the rise at NYCO. He went on to become a very successful Wotan internationally and we thought it was a missed opportunity not to build a RING production around him in New York.
Currently Alan Titus, a former NYCO star, is a major Wotan (including in Bayreuth.) It'd be quite a homecoming to return in the role to NYCO. What other casting ideas you got, Philip?
Posted by: Dmitry | August 28, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Yes, it would be great to have Titus...or Alan Held or Greer Grimsley. Jennifer Wilson or Erika Sunnegardh as Brunnhilde, Lauren Flanigan as a very neurotic Sieglinde, Jason Collins as Siegmund (he's covering it at Seattle), Laura Vlasak Nolen as Waltraute and 2nd Norn, Nicole Piccolomini as Erda & 1st Norn, Daniel Sumegi as Hagen, Jennifer Larmore as Fricka, Tony Griffey as Loge, Greg Fedderly as Mime, Noah Stewart as Froh, David Won as Donner. I think the tricky part would be to find a Siegfried and Alberich.
Posted by: Philip | August 28, 2008 at 05:18 PM
How about Simon O'Neill as Siegfried. And Andrew Gangestad as Alberich.
Posted by: Dmitry | August 28, 2008 at 08:11 PM