Exclusive: Longborough Opera, A Siegfried in Pictures - 2011

A few months ago, I  brought you a picture feature of the SF Ring Cycle. At the time this rather "old fashioned" picture feature proved very popular. With that in mind, I felt it would be a good idea to the same but with just one opera; Longborough Festival Opera's Siegfried of this year. Of course, it is too late to go and see it now  but, as they will present the full Ring Cycle in 2013, it will provide some idea of what to expect  - and what you have missed. And of course next year is Brunnhilde's year at Longborough.

As always, I include some music samples (alas not of LFO's Siegfried) and also an audio documentary on the "insanity" of those that follow Ring performances.

All images produced, and  copyright to,  Wells Photography. And much thanks to Matthew Williams-Ellis and LFO for allowing their use here. Indeed, if you get the chance you might want to check out Matthew's website here.  He has images of a number of Wagner operas (and others) that you might find of interest and some really wondeful images of Anthony Negus conducting the LSO orchestra.

Warning. By it's nature this is VERY media rich and may take a time to load on old computers/slow connections. You have been warned.

The Ring And I

Act One: Mime's Cave

Vorspiel and Mimi

Mime "Zwangvolle Plage!Müh' ohne Zweck!"

Siegfried!

Hoiho! Hoiho!

Von dir erst muss ich erfahren,
wer Vater und Mutter mir sei!

While Siegfried wonders off, Mime finds he has an unwanted  "guest".

Whose Head?

"Well you see, out in the forest there's this Dragon... Mouth how big? This big!. Still not afraid?

The Forging Of Notung

Notung! Notung!: Windgassen

Act two: Meanwhile, in  a forest close-by...

Alberich: The Psyche that will not grow. Now "lost" in the forest. A Norn observes and records

Siegfried calls

The dying Fafner returns once more to his original form. The curse of the Ring finishes the last of the giants

A Forest Birds Warning

The death of Mime: The curse of the Ring continues.

A little bird told him

Act Three: A family Reunion

Wotan summons Erda

Grandfather and Grandson unite: The Generation Gap

A Ring Of Fire

Ach! Wie schön!

Das ist kein Mann! Brunnhilde Awakes

Mir schwirren die Sinne, mein Wissen schweigt:
soll mir die Weisheit schwinden?

Heil dem Tage, der uns umleuchtet! Heil der Sonne, die uns bescheint!