Wagner in New Zealand - Memories of Margaret Medlyn
25.03.2013

Villa Wahnfried am Abend by JosefLehmkuhl
Die berühmte Sängerin Margaret Medlyn erinnert in diesem Text an legendäre Wagner-Aufführungen in ihrer Heimat Neuseeland.
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

Simon O’Neill as Siegmund; Copryight: Name
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

Poul Elming as Parsifal and Margaret Medlyn as Kundry; Copyright: Name
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

Sir Donald McIntyre as Gurnemanz, Simon O’Neill as Parsifal and Margaret Medlyn as Kundry; Copyright: Name
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

Sir Donald McIntyre (Gurnemanz), Margaret Medlyn (Kundry) and Martin Snell ( Klingsor)
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

Margaret Medlyn has had the pleasure of singing a wide range of mezzo and soprano roles throughout Australasia and Europe with stimulating conductors, but Wagner roles remain her favourite. Now in charge of the Classical Voice Programme at the New Zealand School of Music, she is also studying towards her doctorate, while still teaching and maintaining a performing schedule.
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Tags für diesen Artikel: andreas homoki, kiwi, kundry, Literatur, margaret medlyn, memories, performance, universality, wolfgang wagner
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