Siegfried grows up in the care of the shifty Niebelung Mime, who hopes that one day the hero will slay the dragon Fafner and give him the ring of power. The fallen god Wotan wanders through the land, acting as a guardian angel for Siegfried, just as the power-crazed Niebelung Lord Alberich plots the lad's death.
Opera on video is often a mixed-blessing. It can not substitute for a stage experience and is often limited to compensating for lack of atmosphere with excessive use of close-ups. Because most filmed opera is lit for a present audience and not for a camera, the photography is often wanting. This Met version of Wagner's Ring Cycle has been blessed with extraordinary mythic sets, beautiful costumes and some admirable effects that, for the most part, stand up to the closest scrutiny.
The DVD of this collection's "Rheingold" is essential. The director perfectly translated the stage magic to the screen. "Die Walküre" fell short in places, because the setting was more claustrophobic - the big scene, the ride of the Valkyries, was a bit of a disappointment - and thus the production fell back on close-ups and unimaginative framing. Along comes "Siegfried". After a stunning prelude, and the setting in motion of the story, Wagner's narrative is now running at full speed, and many of the cycle's best scenes so far. The music is admittedly less showy than in the previous installments, but "Siegfried" is not without its wondrous moments: Mime and Wanderer's confrontation, the Dragon's lament, the Forest Murmur, and - yet again - anything featuring Alberich...
The stage setting is for the most part awe-inspiring, and the stage direction - again for the most part - is wonderfully dynamic and controlled. Video director Brian Large's camera is once again on the same form it was in the Met's "Rheingold". The performances are great, and if Siegfried Jerusalem and Hildegard Behrens portray a more grounded and human Siegfried and Brunhild than one might be used to, there is just no overstating one fact: James Morris (Wotan), Heinz Zednick (Mime) and most of all Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich) are superb.
This opera experience is slightly let down by a structural problem, compounded by unimaginative stage directing and design: after two sweeping and compelling acts, Act III is just exposition, with two dimly lit characters against an utterly black backdrop. Another point of controversy is the depiction of the Dragon. While admirable in very wide shots, when viewed up close, the monster can only be described as - to quote a shrewd amazon reviewer - a heap of garbage bags.
Again, this should not discourage prospective buyers/watchers. This set remains the one to buy if you're after authenticity. The audio may not match a high quality studio recording, but what is lost in clarity is made up for with passion and scope. Essential.
