"The auditorium of the old Stadttheater ...was a pretty gloomy place. A native of Riga (who later) compared it to a "barn" (while in) conversation with Wagner asked him how he had been able to conduct there. Wagner replied there were three things about this "barn" (that) had stayed in his mind: First was the steeply rising stalls, rather like an amphitheatre; the second was the darkness of the auditorium; and the third was the surprisingly deep orchestra pit. If ever he succeded in building a theatre to his own designs, he added, he would keep these three features in mind" C.F. Glasenapp: Das Leben Richard Wagner (1894-1911)EDIT: Sorry, I have now updated the archive link so that it now works!
Live from Riga (a city that may be responsible for the design of Bayreuth (see here) the final part of Latvian National Opera's Ring Cycle will finally be premiered. You can catch it both live and on demand there after on Latvijas Radio 3 Klasika starting at 14:55 GMT (ish. Check timezone differences). It will then be available in LE3 Klasika's archives for sometime. To access the archive for this (after the 19th) go here and scroll down to the show at 14:55.
Götterdämmerung
New production
Dates:
19, 27 November 2011, 29 April, 10, 17 June 2012
Siegfried
Lars Cleveman (who sang a very fine Siegfried at the Royal
Swedish Opera - listen below)
Brünnhilde
Catherine Foster (Listen here)
Gunther
Marcus Jupither
Hagen
Johan Schinkler
Alberich
Kosma Ranuer
Gutrune
Elisabet Strid
Waltraute
Liubov Sokolova
Woglinde
Liene Kinca
Wellgunde
Aira Rurane
Flosshilde
Kristine Zadovska
Conductor:
Cornelius Meister
Director:
Viesturs Kairiss
