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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Review: Welser-Moest gives magic to Wagner By GEORGE JAHN,Associated Press Writer AP - Sunday, May 3 VIENNA - The gods were OK. The giants looked neat and the evil dwarf was scary. ADVERTISEMENT But it took a magician in the orchestra pit of the Vienna State Opera on Saturday to transfix the mortals in the audience attending a new production of Wagner's "Das Rheingold." From the opening sonorous and extended E flat of the double-basses to the last thunderous and crashing fortissimo as the gods take procession of Walhalla, it was Franz Welser-Moest's evening. The Austrian conductor is to take over next year as music director of the storied Vienna opera house. So the notoriously finicky audience in the Austrian capital had its ears pricked for every tiny possible mistake in the new production of Wagner's first installment of the four-part Ring Cycle. Instead, they were treated to a State Opera orchestra that was simply too hairy-chested to bother about niceties. Under Welser-Moest's baton, the brooding undercurrents of the River Rhine grew to a crashing intensity that was just a step away from leaving those next to the pit physically drenched; the Walhalla motive wed trombones, tuba and the trumpet fanfare to lofty heights worthy of the gods, and the metallic hammer-on-anvil clink-clink of the elves toiling in thrall to the evil Alberich mutated seamlessly to the harmonic orchestral mix that brings Wotan and Loge to the lair of the evil dwarf bent on dominating the world. Apropos Wotan: the king of the gods just wasn't in this performance. The Wotan in Rheingold has to project the all-powerful and wise figure who at the same time exhibits enough human frailties to set up the action for what ultimately proves to be the demise of the gods in the last of the four epic musical dramas that make up the Ring Cycle. But Juha Uusitalo's voice lacked the gravitas, the breadth and the volume needed for the role. He was more baritone than bass and was frequently drowned out by the orchestra _ and it wasn't the orchestra's fault. Instead, the top performers were Adrian Eroed as Loge, the wily half-god of fire who outwits Alberich to gain possession of the magic ring of power for Wotan _ and Alberich himself, played by Tomasz Konieczny. Not the usual troglodyte, Konieczny's Alberich is virile, bare-chested _ and sorely in need of female companionship. His attempt to gain the favor of one _ or all _ of the Rhine maidens guarding the gold that he later uses for his ring is a very effective piece of sultry theater that makes his rejection by the maidens _ and his ultimate renunciation of love for world domination _ all the more effective. And his vocals matched his strong dramatic performance. Eroed was captivating as the demigod and general wise-guy of the evening, clambering over the props, mugging behind Wotan's back and providing frequent comic relief. The real surprise, however, was how he managed to own the role _ Eroed usually sings a robust baritone but he managed without effort to master the thin and reedy tenor vocals associated with Loge. Janina Baechle was persuasive as Fricka, Wotan's godly consort a.k.a. nagging wife. Also good; Ileana Tonca, Michaela Selinger and Elisabeth Kulman as the Rhine maidens; Anna Larsson as Erda, Herwig Pecoraro as Mime and Sorin Coliban and Ain Anger as the giants who gain possession of the ring only to have its curse turn on them _ Fafner kills Fasolt for the bauble. Instead of winged helmets, the cast was in contemporary garb, and the staging was subdued, not overbearing. Greens and blues and underwater video backdrops worked well for the Rhine River scene. But elsewhere, the restraint ordained by director Sven-Eric Bechtolf was too much _ no hint of the majestic Walhalla built for the gods by the giants; and no rainbow bridge for the gods to cross as they finally claim their heavenly home. No wonder Loge doesn't go with them. What's more he foretells their demise. "They are hastening to their end," he proclaims. But that's another story _ the rest of the Ring story. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article 0 users recommend Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Comedian Robert Schimmel arrested in assault caseAP - Sunday, May 3 Review: Welser-Moest gives magic to WagnerAP - Sunday, May 3 WWOZ gives New Orleans Jazz Fest to the worldAP - Sunday, May 3 Girl's father does not want Madonna to adopt herAP - Sunday, May 3 `Wolverine' has box-office bite with $35M debutAP - Sunday, May 3 Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Chrysler begins court bid for quick bankruptcy exit Citigroup may need $10 bln more: report Kenyan women to sex-starve men -- for politics Swine flu spreads economic shivers Google fields low-tech wildfire prevention: goats View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). 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