Wagner in New Zealand - Memories of Margaret Medlyn

There is something about the New Zealand character which appreciates and seeks the epic in life. Perhaps it is being here in this country surrounded by this magnificent landscape, perhaps partly being descended from colonisers, or maybe it is the hype about Sir Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. Whatever the reasons, it has given New Zealanders a taste for the epic in music and no composer fulfils that taste better than Richard Wagner.

Before being a part of the Adelaide Ring of 1998, I had sung in a semi- staged performance of Das Rheingold, and the 3rd Act of Die Walküre in 1989 in Wellington, this being the first time that Sir Donald McIntyre had sung the repertoire that he was so famous for overseas, at home. These performances had whetted New Zealand’s and my appetite for more Wagner, and I was thrilled to be involved with the Adelaide Ring, even though I was away from home for months. A number of New Zealanders were in the cast and many others came to the performances. The standout memory of that time was the transcendent conducting of Jeffrey Tate, which galvanised all of us, orchestra and cast to give of our best. People came from all over the world to these performances –Adelaide is the centre of a great wine growing area, and had the benefit of wonderful wine, a Wagner Conference and fantastic performances. Naturally it wasn’t all plain sailing – we were performing while it was 42C outside and the air conditioning could hardly keep up! (The cricket teams playing at the time had to wear ice vests to keep cool enough) And then there was the wall of Wotan’s Valhalla. The wall was to burst through the stage floor at precisely the right moment as dictated in the score. It was an intensely dramatic moment with hardly a rumble then matchstick wood went flying everywhere as the wall came up. The basement of the theatre had already been excavated to give the wall and the hydraulic system the requisite amount of height to get momentum up, but still, the French technical men of Pierre Strosser’s production were beside themselves to get it to explode through the floor on time. The tension was such that those who weren’t on stage and the backstage people were all gathered each rehearsal and performance to see it come through. In the end it was perfectly on time four times –for the dress rehearsal and the three performances!

The most recent Wagner performance for me was as Fricka in Die Walküre in New Zealand. It was a chance to see Simon O’Neill in his signature role of Siegmund, something he had wanted to do for his home country while he is at the peak of his career, and it was an honour to be a part of such a wonderful occasion. Simon and the NZSO had assembled an international cast, and the semi-staged performances sold out. It was the utmost concentration of the audiences which was the outstanding impression we gained as performers. I sat at the back of the auditorium for the third act and the concentration was so intense there was hardly a movement – or more importantly, this being the middle of winter, hardly a cough! At the end the audience exploded with a reception that I have not seen equalled here –standing ovations, numerous curtain calls and accolades for the cast and for the playing of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The overseas singers were astonished at the reception and felt, as I do, that here in New Zealand people really listen to the music with a concentration not found in the US or Europe any more. I’m sure that has to do with the work’s unfamiliarity, but I also feel that Wagner has a timeless appeal and somehow a connection with our geography, which touches people of all ages. Many people who have spoken to me since, said that they had been unprepared to be affected by the story and the music as much as they were, and were immediately hooked on Wagner.

Being Kundry

To be a part of Parsifal is really an extraordinary experience –I am fortunate to have been an understudy for Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s groundbreaking production for the English National Opera in 1999, and then to sing Kundry in my own right in two interesting and incredibly moving productions in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Parsifal in Adelaide was always going to be spectacular-it followed the hugely successful first Southern Hemisphere performances of Der Ring, and it had Jeffrey Tate at the helm again. Jeffrey had developed an extraordinary relationship with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Der Ring. He had arrived month early just to teach the orchestra to play Wagner, which was not in their repertoire, and spent a lot of time describing the story and leitmotiven to them. The results of this intensive work were inspirational – the orchestral sound was wonderful and all the players were highly involved in the music and the story. As in all orchestras some players had moved on, but most made a special effort to return to play under Jeffrey’s baton for Parsifal.

We had an interesting rehearsal period – Poul Elming was the Parsifal and he arrived late and convinced the director of the way he usually did the role at Bayreuth!! Manfred Hemm was young Gurnemanz, and Daniel Sumegi an evil Klingsor wearing a silver codpiece and carrying a red spear. The most stunning effect of the production was the dressing of the Flower Maidens as bathing beauties in a swimming pool. It was supposed to be a heated pool and as Kundry I had a very quick change after the scene with Klingsor and had to lie on my back to be trucked under the stage to rise up in the middle of the swimming pool. After a couple of run throughs we solved the problems with slopes, silk, mirrors and smothering smoke and steam and I was able to rise from the swimming pool as a Marilyn Monroe look-alike! We opened Parsifal a few days after September 11th 2001.

A stage, cold to lie on

To be singing in a production which had as its main themes reconciliation between gender and races was a very moving experience and it was a Sternstunde of a night with all of us on stage, and most of the audience in tears. I asked Jeffrey Tate if he had seen anything like the response to the performance as we had had and he said never before had he had this reaction. The extraordinary events had provoked raw emotions, and the performers’ commitment and the intensity of the listeners’ concentration provided an empathic connection which allowed for a release from the tension of the traumatic and tragic circumstances.

The Wellington performances of Parsifal were just as memorable. Sir Donald Macintyre at 72 was in incredible voice, and Simon O’Neill was making his debut in the role.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra had requested a semi-staged production from the director, but as time went on it became fully staged, only without a proscenium arch. A stage covered in stainless steel (very cold to lie on) was built in the choir stalls and extended over the stage platform of the concert hall. The orchestra were arranged underneath and to the sides, and the chorus at the back and to the sides. The result of this unusual disposition of forces was a wonderful immediacy and presence of sound for the audience. For the performers it appeared as if you were singing surrounded in sound-not exactly as Wagner intended, but very effective.

A tribute to Sir Donald

People came who had never been to an opera before, let alone a Wagner opera, and because Sir Donald is a rather distinctive person, and because I wasn’t wearing a wig in the production, we were easily identifiable when we went out in the city. We were both amazed at the number of people who stopped us in the street to tell us how moved they were by the opera. Many had not known what to expect and had been somewhat worried at the length and the complicated libretto. All, however, were seduced and drawn into the story and the music and said that the time had just flown by. But more than that, they had understood the underlying themes and had really appreciated them. As always for Parsifal, the most moving part for myself as Kundry is Act 3. After the two phrases to sing at the beginning of the act, one can lose oneself in the music and become emotionally involved in a way that is not possible when you have to sing. The intensity of the audience’s concentration is palpable –you get the sense that they are all focussed on the music, rather than just the performance of it.

It was a fitting tribute to Sir Donald – the cast was all New Zealanders, many of whom he had mentored and he was as proud of us as we were of him!

Homoki and the Kiwis

Roger Wilson has related the story of Die Meistersinger’s performances, and I would just add two things. Firstly the thrill of having Wolfgang Wagner on stage with us at the end, and secondly, sitting with Sir Donald and Andreas Homoki, the director, when the set was stuck, swaying above the stage. Andreas was beside himself with anxiety and could not believe that he had to wait around for the men to come and fix the chains holding the set. Sir Donald lent over to me and said laconically ‘Of course in Köln (Andreas’ opera house at the time) all he has to do is press a button and another set slides in from the left!! He doesn’t understand that we Kiwis will have it fixed in no time at all!’ And he was right!’

Important Wagner-Productions in New Zealand

Parsifal
Adelaide September 2001
Director Elke Neidhart, Conductor Jeffrey Tate

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra March 2006
Director Bernd Benthaak, Conductor Antony Negus

Der Ring des Nibelungen
Die Walküre
Act 3 Wellington Town Hall Nov 1989
Sir Donald MacIntyre, Anne Evans and Kathryn Harries, conductor Franz Paul Decker

Das Rheingold Wellington and Auckland July – August 1997
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Director Raymond Hawthorne Conductor Franz Paul Decker

Der Ring des Nibelungen
Adelaide November- December 1998
Director Pierre Strosser, Conductor Jeffrey Tate

Die Walküre
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra July 2012 Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland
Conductor Pietari Inkinen
with Simon O’Neill, Edith Haller, John Wegner and Christine Goerke

Die Meistersinger
Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, March 1990