Metropolitan Opera Archives

For the first time this season, Brünnhilde sang her immeasurably eloquent apotheosis to the dead Siegfried, and mounted her horse to join him in the immolation on the funeral pyre. Marjorie Lawrence is the only Metropolitan Brünnhilde who has actually ridden the not always predictable Grane, if not actually following the stage directions to the ultimate letter and leaping on horseback into the commemorative blaze - this, so far as is known, has been done only once on any stage during the more than sixty years since this titanic finale of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" was heard by its first audience.

In view of the unusual and controversial statements [Leinsdorf and Melchior had been feuding] which had been printed less than twenty-four hours before the curtain rose to disclose the darkly foreboding Norns, and the fact that both of the principal figures concerned were taking part in this performance, Mr. Leinsdorf in the pit and Mr. Melchior in Siegfried's apparel on the stage, some members of last night's audience may have anticipated that, in one way or another, these occurrences might have some influence on the course of the performance. Mr. Leinsdorf, indeed, was the subject of a demonstration of unusual warmth when he first appeared to conduct his first public performance of "Götterdämmerung," and the orchestra joined in the applause. Applause also broke out when Mr. Melchior appeared some seventeen minutes later, although the continuity of the music provides no orthodox opportunity for an initial extensive greeting to Siegfried and Brünnhilde.

Apart from these plaudits the performance pursued a normal course, leaving as its most potent impression the renewed realization of the genius of Richard Wagner. But an evening "Götterdämmerung," even with one or two moderate cuts, leaves little time for meditation on the musical riches of the work itself. This, however, will be long with us, and provide other fruitful opportunities for such contemplation.

These musical riches were, in the main, well realized in the interpretation under Mr. Leinsdorf, who met the exacting assignment of conducting "Götterdämmerung" for the first time with marked credit. The performance as a whole, in its unity and prevailing spirit, suggested that the young conductor had striven hard to understand the unparalleled music drama, to set forth its wide range of emotional power and to give the music utterance in persuasive accents. For much of the representation there was a sense of breadth and insight in one of Mr. Leinsdorf's best interpretations of the season.

There were, indeed, certain points of tempo which left room for cavil, an occasional tendency toward unscheduled acceleration in certain phrases, appearing most conspicuously in the climactic measures of the daybreak music. In the immolation scene the sense of intensity and culmination, which is an immanent characteristic of this part of the score, was incompletely brought forth. Yet, despite such unevenness, the interpretation was mainly worthy of the music and spoke well for the conductor's potentialities.

Miss Lawrence's Brünnhilde has gained notably since its first manifestation upon this stage, in voice and in dramatic communicativeness, and her singing was, for the most part, and apart from some unfocused, while exceptional upper tones, characterized by notable power, eloquence and tonal firmness. The impersonation itself is mainly convincing, even if its depiction of the uncomprehending, despairing and finally vengeful Brünnhilde in the second act seems not yet fully developed, but as a whole it marked a further stage in the Australian soprano's evolution into a Wagnerian interpreter of notable consequence, and merited the warm applause which was bestowed upon the singer.

Mr. Melchior's well known interpretation of Siegfried was revealed along familiar and authoritative lines, and, despite occasional unevenness in volume and quality of tone, was often representative of the tenor's best vocal estate. Mr. Schorr sang often well, sometimes with a slight hint of fatigue, as the baffled and hapless Gunther, a role whose individuality is communicatively revealed by him; Mr. List gave very commendable expression to Hagen's dark-hued character. Mr. Olitzki, singing the "Götterdämmerung" Alberich for the first time, sometimes gave it an air of petulance rather than of designing hate. Mme. Jessner, not always in her best voice, made Gutrune an appealing, if a passive character. Among the Norns, Mme. Votipka gave their prophecies their best vocal investiture. Mme. Browning found the music rather taxing.

Karin Branzell's deeply felt and eloquent voicing of Waltraute's appeal to Brünnhilde, and her nobly tragic account of the woes of Wotan and Walhalla was one of the memorable features of this season's first "Götterdämmerung," whose audience listened with attentiveness and devotion and gave their due meed of applause to all the principals concerned.

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