The Life and Times of Evil E: Wagner vs. Coachella
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a special event by Else Duff and Kasey Bomber
Last week had some red letter days for music lovers of all stripe. Your faithful and generally misanthropic correspondents, Evil E and Kasey Bomber are here to report from both sides of the musical spectrum. While Evil E rubbed elbows with the opera cognocenti, Kasey braved a sea of fanny packs and body odor in the hot Coachella sun to bring you, loyal Fierce & Nerdy readers, all the news from both fronts, so that you can feel as though you were there. Can the unlikely duo of a Wagner Opera and an Indie Music Festival make beautiful love, or are the two destined to remain mortal enemies (albeit probably too weak and artsy to actually ever draw blood)? Which cornucopia of aural extravagance will win in a sonic battle royale? Below, we pit them mano-a-mano, head-to-head, bulging codpiece to pale pigeon chest…you get the idea.
VS. 
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Wagner: Die Walküre is the second of the four music dramas which make up Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. Die Walküre is an epic tale of gods and mortals, incest, and it includes Wagner’s best-known piece “The Ride of the Valkyries.” It took Wagner 26 years to create the Ring Cycle and it first premiered in the United States in 1885 – 124 years later and it finally made its way to Los Angeles! When done in its entirety the Ring Cycle will last 15 hours, a feat I have always dreamed of experiencing. However the LA Opera chose to run it in its separate parts over the period of a year. The first part, Das Rheingold, was staged earlier this year and they will conclude the Ring cycle with Seigfried and Gotterdammerung in 2010. I’m most excited about seeing Gotterdammerung, however I felt like I had waited long enough to experience the Ring Cycle and really didn’t want to wait until 2010 to see part of it. Being that I couldn’t afford to attend both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre – I picked Die Walküre based on a recommendation from my dad. Plus it turned out that Placido Domingo would be performing the part of Siegmund during certain nights of Die Walküre. Dude! Frickn’ Placido Domingo!
Coachella: The self-proclaimed ultimate indie music festival celebrates its tenth year at the Empire Polo Fields in Indo, California. 115 bands of various pedigree vie for your attention on 5 stages for three days, nestled in a beautiful grassy valley surrounded by palm trees and mountains. Because I hate people in general, and especially when they crowd my personal body bubble, I negotiated with my girlfriend that we would go Friday only. Headliners for the day were the highly contested Paul McCartney (wags say: a member of the Beatles is the farthest thing from indie imaginable), the venerable indie stalwart Morissey, Franz Ferdinand, and the incomparable Leonard Cohen. Earlier acts ran the gamut from the Mexican Institute of Sound, Beirut, the Ting Tings, Crystal Castles, the Hold Steady, et al.
WHY YOU WANTED TO GO
Wagner: I remember being a little girl and my dad watching Wagner’s Ring Cycle on TV. However, staring at that small screen I didn’t quite get it. It wasn’t until I saw Wagner’s music used in movies on the big screen that I finally fell in love. I’ll never forget watching the final scene in the movie Excalibur, as King Arthur is being taken away to Avalon by the three queens; Wagner’s noble and tragic sounding “Siegfried’s Funeral March” from Gotterdammerung brought me to tears. And who can forget the scene in Apocalypse Now as Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries” is being blasted out of helicopters as they drop napalm. However I always felt there was something missing not being able to hear the music performed live. I was overjoyed to learn of the L.A. Opera’s decision to bring the Ring Cycle to life and couldn’t wait to experience it.
Coachella: Because my girlfriend made me.
TICKETS
Wagner: 90 bucks each for orchestra ring.
Coachella: 125 bucks each for general admission
PREPARATIONS
Wagner: I did a little research before the performance, which included reading reviews of the opera, trying to make sure I would understand the story, and of course printing out a map to the parking lot of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Knowing that the opera would be nearly 5 hours long, I made sure not to drink too much water because you never know if you can beat the crowds to the bathroom during intermission.
Coachella: Packing list. Sunglasses? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Empty bottle for free water? Check. Printed out directions? Check. Set Times? Check. Wait 1 hour in line at the local Enterprise to rent a bright red Ford Focus with a spoiler? Check. Repeated mantras that you WILL have fun, you WILL have fun? Yes, indeed.
YOUR DATE
Wagner: My devoted husband
Coachella: My bafflingly eager and spunky, but adorable girlfriend
OUTFIT
Wagner: A night at the opera brings visions of elaborate gowns, top hats, and monocles. In reality it’s an opportunity to don the formal wear you had to buy for your cousin’s wedding or wear that overpriced scarf you picked up at a sample sale because everything was a size 2 and you didn’t want to leave empty handed. Knowing that we would be seated for such a long time I chose comfortable but dressy striped pants, a black shirt, a velvet jacket, and I complemented the outfit with a Tarina Tarantino beaded skull necklace and, of course, my Coach purse.
Coachella: Oh, the usual light tank tops and short pants with the requisite hoodies for the cooler desert evening. But really, it was all about the accessories. In this case, those being some vodka filled Ziploc baggies stuffed snugly in each bra cup. This serves two very functional purposes: 1. deepens cleavage. 2. helps to avoid those pesky $6 billion cocktails.
THE DRIVE
Wagner: A death crawl from Hollywood to Downtown that never exceeded 7mph. Took an hour fifteen.
Coachella: A swift jaunt from Los Feliz to Indio = @2hours. A two mile lurching from the freeway exit to parking lot 5 = @2hours and several calls to a suicide hotline.
PARKING
Wagner: $8, and ten minutes of driving down, down, down the music center parking lot. Really someone should paint it like Dante’s Inferno – Hey honey did we park on the Purgatory level or Limbo??
Coachella: Vast, flat lots aswirl with dust devils, and later mired in leaked port-a-potties. But, score! They’re FREE! Lot 5, oddly enough, also contained a team of ticket scalpers running around like bandits with bandanas over the lower half of their faces to combat the dust. One knocked on my window just as I was fashioning one side of my makeshift alcoholic waterbra, but when we waved off that we didn’t have extra tickets, he pulled off his bandana and asked if I used to live in Dallas. Turns out it was one of my close friends from high school that I met when I used to study at the Waffle House. He was a cook, and my friend Tran and I used to like to watch his butt when he scattered, smothered, and covered. Later, he was party to a very scary escape, lugging a passed-out Tran away from a Hell’s Angels’ birthday party after one of the bikers fell, hit his head and started having Vietnam War flashbacks. I hadn’t seen this guy in 16 years. We’re having drinks next week.
YOUR FELLOW PATRONS
Wagner: Wagner fans were out in force and while much of the crowd was considerably older, younger fans were definitely in attendance. I saw without a doubt the cutest old man ever: black leather pants, a walker, and a grin that went ear to ear. I also saw my first Opera hipsters, guys with too much hair gel, black striped pants, velvet jackets….. uh wait a minute. And of course lots and lots of scarves. However, fear not the scarf-less! You can pick one up at the L.A. Opera gift store along with a minaudiere that I believe is supposed to resemble some sort of waterfowl.
Coachella: The last time I went to Coachella (which I vowed would indeed be the last time I went to Coachella), some friends and I invented a drinking game based on the crowd. It was called Fanny Pack, Hairy Back, Phony Rack (as in fake tits). Anytime you saw any of those things, you had to drink. There were lots of those things. Lots and lots of those things. This time, however, there was a general increase in fanny packs, and a marked dearth of hairy backs. Shockingly, all the guys running around with their shirts off were pretty entitled to do so given their lean sunkissed physiques. However, those clothed did not disappoint with some truly baffling fashion (see photo). Also, my girlfriend and I made fast friends with an older Latin gentleman named Gilbert when we were crushed in the Sahara Tent trying to watch the Ting Tings, and some Hollywood wannabe girls tried to muscle their bulimic cadavers past us. Gilbert simply said, “Sorry girlie, nowhere for you to go.” And proceeded to block their, and every other interloper’s way from getting in front of us. He was glorious.
THE SCENT
Wagner: Took 2 days to get the smell of old lady perfume out of my head.
Coachella: Believe it or not, despite the heat and dust, everything remained relatively fresh in most areas of the festival. The smell of the food was enticing. The smell near the port-a-potties in the apex of the sun, however, was about what you would expect. And during the walk, there were times when the polo stables let rip a nice ripe cloud of horse manure.
FOOD & SNACKS
Wagner: Half a turkey sandwich on some funky designer bread and way too much mayo: $4.50; plastic glass of Ballantine’s Blended Scotch Whisky on the rocks: $10; bottle of water: $3; really yummy cookie: $2.
Coachella: Really awesome crispy garlic fries with all kinds of stuff to dip them in: $6. Slice of pizza: $6. Two frozen lemonades to receive the gift of bra vodka: $5 each. Two little cups of Heinekin: $7 each.
FREEBIES
Wagner: Coffee and cough drops (suggested limit 2 – however it was based on the honor system.)
Coachella: Parking, Playstation games, water (this was a huge score), some CD samplers, a brief lesson on how to be a DJ.
THE BATHROOMS
Wagner: The performance had two 20-minute intermissions. But the bathrooms were small and the minute the lights came on, the race was on. While the bathrooms were clean and stocked, the most important thing was getting there in time to be able to actually use them. Please note that no elderly people were harmed or knocked over in the rush to the bathroom, however I might have scared a couple.
Coachella: On the one hand, I’ll give the festival organizers credit for providing plenty of port-a-potties so that there were never any really awful lines to use one. However, as you would expect, these toilets adhered to what I’ve decided is the cosmic rule for the port-o-let. I call it Principle Number Two – wherein, no matter how early in the day you catch one of these things, you are 100% sure to find diarrhea floating on the top of the tank. You are also 100% guaranteed to look in said tank before hovering precariously over the rim.
THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCES
Wagner: As the first act began I was instantly enchanted since parts of the music reminded me of elements of “Siegfried’s Funeral March” from Gotterdammerung. There has been much controversy about the Opera’s staging by German artist Achim Freyer. Hey, the man actually used light sabers! At times I found the staging to be a distraction, whether it was because I couldn’t figure out why there was a gnome-like creature suddenly wandering around or if certain Valkyries were supposed to have their light sabers off or if they just couldn’t figure how to turn them on; however, I totally dug a big old Residents style eyeball overlooking the stage and well come on – light sabers rule!
I was blown away by Placido Domingo, don’t get me wrong everyone was really good, but you can definitely understand what all the fuss is about. At 68-years-old, Domingo’s voice is phenomenal capturing strength and weakness, arrogance and humility sometimes in what seemed to be the same breath. And then there was Brunnhilde and the Valkyries who just left me breathless.
I guess if I had one complaint about the performance, it’s that it just wasn’t loud enough, perhaps because I fell in love with Wagner’s music on the big screen and am used to hearing it blasted (literally by helicopters.) I think whether you are a fan of classical music or rock, then you know L.A. audiences can run pretty cold. When I saw La Boheme, the guy in front of me was asleep and snoring. During the intermission of The Black Rider, half the crowd left. Considering that neither of those productions were nearly as long as Die Walkure, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. But the L.A. Opera fans hung in there and at the end there was 10 minutes of standing applause and I w as definitely clapping as loud as I could.
Coachella: Overall, I seemed to see bits and pieces of a lot of bands, and in most cases didn’t feel too inclined to battle the crush in order to get closer. The above-mentioned Ting Tings, though they went on 20 minutes late, put on a spirited and fun set that I really enjoyed. Beirut sounded wonderful with their pretty and strange gypsy music. Franz Ferdinand and Morrissey both put on strong shows as well. At one point Morrissey ripped his sweaty shirt off, and I have to admit that for a former wisp of a man, he’s looking pretty beefily enticing at age 50.
My least favorite thing about this day at Coachella was the over-abundance of DJs passing themselves off as actual musical acts. I really just don’t see what’s so awesome about watching Felix da Housecat play Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” followed by a record of his own, followed by a record of Daft Punk. Big flipping deal. He’s not even making eye contact with the crowd. Same goes for NASA, who at least tried to spice it up with some dancers (but still failed).
I missed Crystal Castles, so I can’t give that one a review. All of these folks I like in my headphones, but I don’t need to battle a stampede just to see them smoke a cigarette while twiddling knobs.
Highlight of the day hands down was Leonard Cohen. He was as mesmerizing in the back of the audience as he was in the front; His voice sounded impeccable, his backing musicians were very skilled, and he sang almost everything you’d ever want to hear him sing. I danced a little with my girlfriend, and both of us almost started crying. Okay, so what if we were a little drunk by this time?
Paul McCartney did indeed make for a strange choice for an indie festival as a headliner. With each passing year, he looks and talks more and more like an old doddering lesbian, but I will admit that I have to give him a tentative thumbs up for at least playing almost the entire Wings “Band on the Run” album.
Musically it is the played & sung thing you will ever hear at the LA Opera – it's quite amazing. However – and that's a big however – the production itself as conceived, designed & directed by Achim Freyer is a ridiculous, nonsensical, self-indulgent, overly-bombastic mess. I'm all for non-traditional productions of opera, but DAS RHEINGOLD was (by far & I do not exxagerate) the single most painful evening I've ever spent in the theatre in my entire life – and that includes all Broadway, regional, local and college theatre. It was painful and the audience (rightly) boo'ed Freyer when he took his bow opening night. I have tickets to DIE WALKURE's closing performance tomorrow night and I am not looking forward to it for the above-mentioned reasons – plus Domingo doesn't sing, so sadly I'll have missed both his appearances this season (conducting and/or performing.)
Musically it is the played & sung thing you will ever hear at the LA Opera – it's quite amazing. However – and that's a big however – the production itself as conceived, designed & directed by Achim Freyer is a ridiculous, nonsensical, self-indulgent, overly-bombastic mess. I'm all for non-traditional productions of opera, but DAS RHEINGOLD was (by far & I do not exxagerate) the single most painful evening I've ever spent in the theatre in my entire life – and that includes all Broadway, regional, local and college theatre. It was painful and the audience (rightly) boo'ed Freyer when he took his bow opening night. I have tickets to DIE WALKURE's closing performance tomorrow night and I am not looking forward to it for the above-mentioned reasons – plus Domingo doesn't sing, so sadly I'll have missed both his appearances this season (conducting and/or performing.)
Hey Chuck. I truly hope you enjoy Die Walkure and that its not as painful for you as Das Rheingold. Although being quite a bit longer I can't say I'd bet on it, and it's a shame you are missing Domingo. But please report back on your thoughts, I'm really curious to hear what you think.
Also my husband wrote his thoughts about our experience, we didn't include them in the original blog due to the length, but perhaps someone will find them interesting so I'll include them here.
Addendum on Wagner by SL Duff, slightly edited because my husbands seems to lack the same editing skills he complains Wagner is without:
Let that roll around in your mind a minute-five hours. I think that's roughly how long it took to tell Roots as a mini-series. It's nearly twice as long Gone With The Wind. It's a third again as long as Coppola's war opera Apox Now Redux, which, keep in mind, when it was an actual commercial entity that he needed to recoup a few napalm battles with a theatrical roll-out, he wisely hacked an hour out. Wagner, talented tunesmith and word wielder that he was (one of the very few primary opera composers who also quill-penned his own librettos, rare then and rare now), had perhaps too few skills in the editing department. Or, fueled on absinthe and primitive Nineteenth Century Germanic amphetamines, he just didn't care.
Truth be known, Die Walkure (sorry, I'm definitely not doing umlauts for free), has about as much story line as a typical episode of How I Met Your Mother. I mean, what takes so long? If you look up the synopsis on line or wherever, there isn't that much to it…This warrior gets his ass kicked and weapons broke so now he can't do anything. He arrives at a RANDOM house in the forest. But it's not random at all, because the chick that answers the door is none other than this guy's long lost twin sister, whom he decides he's in love with and wants to marry (narcissism gone haywire via incest) even though chick's husband is the very same bully that just busted up homeboy's weapons in the forest. Turns out chick has a super-powered sword rammed into the rock outside her forest shack (doesn't every forest shack), and if homeboy can pull out the sword (of course he can, it's an OPERA), he can kill everyone/everything in his way and the two of them can make a race of inbred retards and live happily ever after. That is the first act, which is really one 75-minute scene.
The staging was a trip. The whole stage is tilted back-to-front towards the audience at about a 40-degree angle. There is a rotating circular part at center stage that alternates between futuristic sundial and upside-down pentagram. It must have been a little disconcerting singing or doing blocking while the thing was moving at an angle. A lot of the action, in fact, is portrayed by chorus members while the main stars stand to the side and sing the parts, like maybe doing both over a five-hour haul was just too much. I don't think Wagner would have let that slide, but this is modern times, ain't they?
At one point I tried to imagine the intensity of seeing this in a German opera house, outside the big city, with the big man with the big vision holding court, waving the baton, and all of the players singing and relaying the action in real time, waving swords (not plastic light sabers as in this production, an attempt to futurize it or something), and belting these parts for the duration. Imagine, the crowd delirious on mead and powders, the combined effort versus time of performance adding up to a sweat-filled opera house where the condensation dripped off the walls. The orchestra would be right in your face, not under the stage and muted as at the Chandler, with tympanis pounding, basses scraping, horns blasting. Must have been something.
Hey Chuck. I truly hope you enjoy Die Walkure and that its not as painful for you as Das Rheingold. Although being quite a bit longer I can't say I'd bet on it, and it's a shame you are missing Domingo. But please report back on your thoughts, I'm really curious to hear what you think.
Also my husband wrote his thoughts about our experience, we didn't include them in the original blog due to the length, but perhaps someone will find them interesting so I'll include them here.
Addendum on Wagner by SL Duff, slightly edited because my husbands seems to lack the same editing skills he complains Wagner is without:
Let that roll around in your mind a minute-five hours. I think that's roughly how long it took to tell Roots as a mini-series. It's nearly twice as long Gone With The Wind. It's a third again as long as Coppola's war opera Apox Now Redux, which, keep in mind, when it was an actual commercial entity that he needed to recoup a few napalm battles with a theatrical roll-out, he wisely hacked an hour out. Wagner, talented tunesmith and word wielder that he was (one of the very few primary opera composers who also quill-penned his own librettos, rare then and rare now), had perhaps too few skills in the editing department. Or, fueled on absinthe and primitive Nineteenth Century Germanic amphetamines, he just didn't care.
Truth be known, Die Walkure (sorry, I'm definitely not doing umlauts for free), has about as much story line as a typical episode of How I Met Your Mother. I mean, what takes so long? If you look up the synopsis on line or wherever, there isn't that much to it…This warrior gets his ass kicked and weapons broke so now he can't do anything. He arrives at a RANDOM house in the forest. But it's not random at all, because the chick that answers the door is none other than this guy's long lost twin sister, whom he decides he's in love with and wants to marry (narcissism gone haywire via incest) even though chick's husband is the very same bully that just busted up homeboy's weapons in the forest. Turns out chick has a super-powered sword rammed into the rock outside her forest shack (doesn't every forest shack), and if homeboy can pull out the sword (of course he can, it's an OPERA), he can kill everyone/everything in his way and the two of them can make a race of inbred retards and live happily ever after. That is the first act, which is really one 75-minute scene.
The staging was a trip. The whole stage is tilted back-to-front towards the audience at about a 40-degree angle. There is a rotating circular part at center stage that alternates between futuristic sundial and upside-down pentagram. It must have been a little disconcerting singing or doing blocking while the thing was moving at an angle. A lot of the action, in fact, is portrayed by chorus members while the main stars stand to the side and sing the parts, like maybe doing both over a five-hour haul was just too much. I don't think Wagner would have let that slide, but this is modern times, ain't they?
At one point I tried to imagine the intensity of seeing this in a German opera house, outside the big city, with the big man with the big vision holding court, waving the baton, and all of the players singing and relaying the action in real time, waving swords (not plastic light sabers as in this production, an attempt to futurize it or something), and belting these parts for the duration. Imagine, the crowd delirious on mead and powders, the combined effort versus time of performance adding up to a sweat-filled opera house where the condensation dripped off the walls. The orchestra would be right in your face, not under the stage and muted as at the Chandler, with tympanis pounding, basses scraping, horns blasting. Must have been something.
In response to (Thought) Chuck….
The Valkyrie is a much more consistent production. I also wasn't a big fan of the Rheingold (though I went to see it twice), but Valkyrie is a little more loose & spirited. Once they get past the 1st act, the characters break out of those awful wax works they were stuck in for Rheingold & they actually make eye contact & interact with each other. I found Acts II & III incredibly moving. The Freyer sets move more into the background & the singer-actors are allowed to do their thing.
I've seen the Valkyrie twice now & am going again Sat night for the closing performance. As for the tenor replacement…he is supposed to be quite good & sings Wagner all over Europe. I enjoyed Domingo in this production, though I'd seen him sing the role elsewhere & thought he was better in previous productions. The woman who sings opposite him–Anja Kampe–almost steals the show though. She is very very powerful.
Part of the volume or overall power problem with this production is that the orchestra pit has been lowered quite a bit & partially covered. for both the Rheingold & the Valkyrie I thought the orchestra was very underpowered in places. It's also a completely unforgiving hall, and the sound can get swallowed depending on where you are sitting. This may be one of the most beautifully sung RINGS i've ever heard overall, though.
Else/Kasey….the reason you felt like you were hearing bits of the Siegried Death March comes from the way Wagner composed the work. The whole 15 hours of the Ring is spun out of the same hundred or so little melodic fragments that Wagner combines & recombines to underline the drama. It creates this great series of foreshadowed actions. So when Brunnhilde sings of the baby that is to be born at the end, she's singing Siegfried's tune, which will return later when he actually appears. It creates this mesmerizing texture which when you see the whole RING in one week can be quite overpowering, as each of the melodies accumulates meaning & emotion.
If you've never seen the whole RING at one go, I highly recommend it. Take the week off. Do it. Immerse yourself. You will never regret it. In my 20's i was lucky enough to work on a production of it at Seattle Opera, so saw it 7 times in one summer. It remains one of the great experiences of my life.
In response to (Thought) Chuck….
The Valkyrie is a much more consistent production. I also wasn't a big fan of the Rheingold (though I went to see it twice), but Valkyrie is a little more loose & spirited. Once they get past the 1st act, the characters break out of those awful wax works they were stuck in for Rheingold & they actually make eye contact & interact with each other. I found Acts II & III incredibly moving. The Freyer sets move more into the background & the singer-actors are allowed to do their thing.
I've seen the Valkyrie twice now & am going again Sat night for the closing performance. As for the tenor replacement…he is supposed to be quite good & sings Wagner all over Europe. I enjoyed Domingo in this production, though I'd seen him sing the role elsewhere & thought he was better in previous productions. The woman who sings opposite him–Anja Kampe–almost steals the show though. She is very very powerful.
Part of the volume or overall power problem with this production is that the orchestra pit has been lowered quite a bit & partially covered. for both the Rheingold & the Valkyrie I thought the orchestra was very underpowered in places. It's also a completely unforgiving hall, and the sound can get swallowed depending on where you are sitting. This may be one of the most beautifully sung RINGS i've ever heard overall, though.
Else/Kasey….the reason you felt like you were hearing bits of the Siegried Death March comes from the way Wagner composed the work. The whole 15 hours of the Ring is spun out of the same hundred or so little melodic fragments that Wagner combines & recombines to underline the drama. It creates this great series of foreshadowed actions. So when Brunnhilde sings of the baby that is to be born at the end, she's singing Siegfried's tune, which will return later when he actually appears. It creates this mesmerizing texture which when you see the whole RING in one week can be quite overpowering, as each of the melodies accumulates meaning & emotion.
If you've never seen the whole RING at one go, I highly recommend it. Take the week off. Do it. Immerse yourself. You will never regret it. In my 20's i was lucky enough to work on a production of it at Seattle Opera, so saw it 7 times in one summer. It remains one of the great experiences of my life.
Wow what a great article. It makes me want to go to the Santa Fe Opera which is about as close to a mash up of the LA opera and Coachella that you can get.
http://www.santafeopera.org/index.aspx
It's a outdoor venue and the last two weeks of the year they do a different opera every night I've always wanted to go for 5 days and check it out
Wow what a great article. It makes me want to go to the Santa Fe Opera which is about as close to a mash up of the LA opera and Coachella that you can get.
http://www.santafeopera.org/index.aspx
It's a outdoor venue and the last two weeks of the year they do a different opera every night I've always wanted to go for 5 days and check it out
Am I the only one who thinks light sabers and Wagner sounds like fun? Now, I really want to see this production, but unforch, I know that I shan't, b/c I would be a) uncomfortable sitting for that long, b) nothing fits that would be opera appropriate, and c) I just know that I'd end up taking a really expensive opera nap. Oh, why must it be 5 hours?
I tend to go with Mr. Duff on anything that's over 3 hours. I don't care how revered the piece is, unless every moment of the music is glorious, I'd say the Ring Cycle could stand some editing.
By the way, CH and I also went to BLACK RIDER. I didn't love or hate it, just felt it was trying too hard and a little scattered. However, respect — I've never seen an audience clear out like that during intermission. I stayed for the whole thing, but I always think there's something special about plays that just turn a ton of people off.
Am I the only one who thinks light sabers and Wagner sounds like fun? Now, I really want to see this production, but unforch, I know that I shan't, b/c I would be a) uncomfortable sitting for that long, b) nothing fits that would be opera appropriate, and c) I just know that I'd end up taking a really expensive opera nap. Oh, why must it be 5 hours?
I tend to go with Mr. Duff on anything that's over 3 hours. I don't care how revered the piece is, unless every moment of the music is glorious, I'd say the Ring Cycle could stand some editing.
By the way, CH and I also went to BLACK RIDER. I didn't love or hate it, just felt it was trying too hard and a little scattered. However, respect — I've never seen an audience clear out like that during intermission. I stayed for the whole thing, but I always think there's something special about plays that just turn a ton of people off.
You can see the light sabers in action at:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la…
and
http://media.laopera.com/photox/?level=album&…
You can see the light sabers in action at:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la…
and
http://media.laopera.com/photox/?level=album&…
And I took one of the deepest, most satisfying naps of my life at BLACK RIDER….
I go in & out on Robert Wilson. He did a production of Wagner's PARSIFAL at LA Opera that is one of the greatest things i've ever seen. Domingo sang the title role…it was simply a miracle.
And I took one of the deepest, most satisfying naps of my life at BLACK RIDER….
I go in & out on Robert Wilson. He did a production of Wagner's PARSIFAL at LA Opera that is one of the greatest things i've ever seen. Domingo sang the title role…it was simply a miracle.
Howard L – Thanks for the Wagner insight, much appreciated. I am but a casual fan; however, I am very much enjoying learning more. And hope someday I can take your advice and see the whole thing in one shot.
Ernessa – Light sabers were pretty cool, if they had them for sale in the lobby I would have totally bought one. I do think you would definitely like the part in Die Walkure with Brunnhilde and the Valkyries. These strong women warriors in a circle, well it reminded me a bit of our roller derby sisters. (Note: Kasey, Ernessa, and myself all became friends while skating for the L.A. Derby Dolls.)
Also of note, I find it interesting that the stars of the Opera and Coachella, Domingo & McÇartney, are only a year apart in age.
Howard L – Thanks for the Wagner insight, much appreciated. I am but a casual fan; however, I am very much enjoying learning more. And hope someday I can take your advice and see the whole thing in one shot.
Ernessa – Light sabers were pretty cool, if they had them for sale in the lobby I would have totally bought one. I do think you would definitely like the part in Die Walkure with Brunnhilde and the Valkyries. These strong women warriors in a circle, well it reminded me a bit of our roller derby sisters. (Note: Kasey, Ernessa, and myself all became friends while skating for the L.A. Derby Dolls.)
Also of note, I find it interesting that the stars of the Opera and Coachella, Domingo & McÇartney, are only a year apart in age.
the boob baggies are ingenious. thanks for the tip. and great article. i hadn't thought twice about Coachella this year, but your leonard cohen review made regret not going. sigh.
the boob baggies are ingenious. thanks for the tip. and great article. i hadn't thought twice about Coachella this year, but your leonard cohen review made regret not going. sigh.
I was actually sad that I missed Coachella this year until Kasey's review. But now I'm just sad that she didn't tell me about the vodka boob tip earlier.
As for the DJ's and their "shows," when I was in Japan, I remember paying $40 to get into a show by some English DJ I can't remember. It was the strangest experience, b/c the Japanese tend to be a very quiet, very respectful audience. No one danced, no one talked. We all just stood there, squeezed into a concrete room, slightly swaying, but mostly just watching the DJ spin for an hour. But I had a great time.
However, I find American DJ shows unbearable. They should just call it an informal dance club, b/c no one's really there to see the DJ. And with all the tricks and the dancers, I wouldn't exactly call what the DJs at Coachella are doing art.
I was actually sad that I missed Coachella this year until Kasey's review. But now I'm just sad that she didn't tell me about the vodka boob tip earlier.
As for the DJ's and their "shows," when I was in Japan, I remember paying $40 to get into a show by some English DJ I can't remember. It was the strangest experience, b/c the Japanese tend to be a very quiet, very respectful audience. No one danced, no one talked. We all just stood there, squeezed into a concrete room, slightly swaying, but mostly just watching the DJ spin for an hour. But I had a great time.
However, I find American DJ shows unbearable. They should just call it an informal dance club, b/c no one's really there to see the DJ. And with all the tricks and the dancers, I wouldn't exactly call what the DJs at Coachella are doing art.
OK, I can sadly say that after seeing DIE WALKURE on Saturday night that we will not be returning to see the last 2 operas in the cycle.
THE GOOD – the musicians – all of them. This is indeed the best possible cast assembled to sing this music, and Conlon is a true Wagnerian at heart (during the pre-show lecture to last season's TRISTAN UND ISOLDE he joked, half-seriously, that he could think of nothing better to do on a Saturday night than conduct a 5-hour Wagner opera.) Domingo's replacement was astounding, and I am a huge fan of Kampe. All the voices and the orchestra were sublime. I didn't find the music as muffled or distant as many viewers did, and I like the fact that they are tailoring the orchestra in the same way as Bayreuth.
THE BAD – the static staging. Act I is the shortest act of the opera I think, but it felt the longest. The characters stand there and sing. And then they stand there and sing some more. The only movement is of a figure we dubbed the "Watchman," who keeps time for us. Act 2 was far more promising once the characters actually started interacting and the story began to be picturized. But then halfway through Act 2 we went back to standing there and singing. Boring boring and boring. The only redeeming moment came in the last 20 seconds, where Brunnhilde is encased in flames by Loge. An interesting and indeed memorable moment in the theatre. But the entire 4 hours and 59 minutes before that were agony.
THE UGLY – Director Achim Freyer's entire conceptualization. I'm all for out-there interpretations and pushing the boundaries of drama, opera, art, performance art, you name it. But Freyer's vision is so indulgent and sophomoric. Where is the $32 million that the LA Opera supposedly spent on this entire production? All you see onstage are a bunch of painted bedsheets and clunky papier mache masks that look like they've been stolen from a junior high school production of THE LION KING. Seriously. It's embarrassing.
CODA – on Monday evening I received a phone call from the LA Opera trying to sell me tickets to next season, including a four performance cycle of THE RING. I had spoken to the poor "gentleman caller" before, and once again reiterated by disdain at Freyer's ridiculous, masturbatory production. I also complained that the season was shorter and included 2 concerts rather than full-scale productions. His excuse was to make room for THE RING cycle, to which I said it was a pity. We parried back and forth about the production until he said something to the effect of "Well, no matter what I say, you have your mind made up so what's the point of arguing?" Indeed. I sadly said I would not be purchasing tickets to next season (which is truly lackluster, to be honest). I felt bad in that I love the LA Opera and really want to see them succeed – and I welcome their daring. But sadly LA Opera's production of THE RING is epic, but in the wrong way – it is an epic failure.
OK, I can sadly say that after seeing DIE WALKURE on Saturday night that we will not be returning to see the last 2 operas in the cycle.
THE GOOD – the musicians – all of them. This is indeed the best possible cast assembled to sing this music, and Conlon is a true Wagnerian at heart (during the pre-show lecture to last season's TRISTAN UND ISOLDE he joked, half-seriously, that he could think of nothing better to do on a Saturday night than conduct a 5-hour Wagner opera.) Domingo's replacement was astounding, and I am a huge fan of Kampe. All the voices and the orchestra were sublime. I didn't find the music as muffled or distant as many viewers did, and I like the fact that they are tailoring the orchestra in the same way as Bayreuth.
THE BAD – the static staging. Act I is the shortest act of the opera I think, but it felt the longest. The characters stand there and sing. And then they stand there and sing some more. The only movement is of a figure we dubbed the "Watchman," who keeps time for us. Act 2 was far more promising once the characters actually started interacting and the story began to be picturized. But then halfway through Act 2 we went back to standing there and singing. Boring boring and boring. The only redeeming moment came in the last 20 seconds, where Brunnhilde is encased in flames by Loge. An interesting and indeed memorable moment in the theatre. But the entire 4 hours and 59 minutes before that were agony.
THE UGLY – Director Achim Freyer's entire conceptualization. I'm all for out-there interpretations and pushing the boundaries of drama, opera, art, performance art, you name it. But Freyer's vision is so indulgent and sophomoric. Where is the $32 million that the LA Opera supposedly spent on this entire production? All you see onstage are a bunch of painted bedsheets and clunky papier mache masks that look like they've been stolen from a junior high school production of THE LION KING. Seriously. It's embarrassing.
CODA – on Monday evening I received a phone call from the LA Opera trying to sell me tickets to next season, including a four performance cycle of THE RING. I had spoken to the poor "gentleman caller" before, and once again reiterated by disdain at Freyer's ridiculous, masturbatory production. I also complained that the season was shorter and included 2 concerts rather than full-scale productions. His excuse was to make room for THE RING cycle, to which I said it was a pity. We parried back and forth about the production until he said something to the effect of "Well, no matter what I say, you have your mind made up so what's the point of arguing?" Indeed. I sadly said I would not be purchasing tickets to next season (which is truly lackluster, to be honest). I felt bad in that I love the LA Opera and really want to see them succeed – and I welcome their daring. But sadly LA Opera's production of THE RING is epic, but in the wrong way – it is an epic failure.