Like Ol' Man River, the Rhine "don't plant taters, don't plant cotton, and them that plants 'em, is soon forgotten -- but Ol' Man River, he just keeps rolling along." So when an American stage director comes up with a new approach to Wagner's RING and decides to transpose the story to a contemporary American landscape, the Rhine doesn't necessarily have to become the Mississippi. It can be any American river whose water was once so pure that people didn't hesitate to drink from it but, today, is loaded with industrial waste or contains enough lead to threaten the health of the population of a city like Flint, Michigan.
"Prescient" is a word I have always loved for (a) the way it sounds, and (b) the dramatic weight it imparts. In examining the cultural context of the San Francisco Opera's 2018 RING, it's been astonishing to realize just how prescient Francesca Zambello's artistic vision was when, working with set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Mark McCullough, and projection designers Jan Hartley and S. Katy Tucker, she set about creating a new interpretation of Wagner's RING that would be relevant to modern audiences.
In the process of having written new Supertitles for her American RING, all references to "Rhine Maidens" were changed to "River Maidens." Nevertheless, it's fascinating to see how new uses of familiar words can spark unexpected reactions that mirror today's hookup culture. In Act I of Siegfried, LGBT members of the audience might get a hearty laugh when Mime says "I don't mind if you go romping with bears, but do you have to bring one of them home?" Siegfried later describes Mime as "a disgusting troll."
In 1934, Stanley Adams translated Mexican songwriter Maria Grever's lyrics to "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" in order to create an English-language version of a popular song she had written. Initially made famous by the Dorsey Brothers, the song won Dinah Washington a Grammy Award 25 years later for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance of "What A Difference A Day Makes!"
Instead of pondering what a difference a day makes, let's focus on what a difference a decade has made since the first installment of this RING was seen on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House in 2008.
- As 2008 began, the global economy was teetering on the brink of financial collapse following a plunge in worldwide markets due to a subprime mortgage crisis that led to the bankruptcies of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual before triggering the Great Recession.
- In 2008, a 7.9 Richter scale earthquake in Sichuan, China killed approximately 87,000 people; a cyclone in Myanmar killed approximately 138,000 people.
- The city of Zaragoza, Spain, hosted Expo 2008 (whose theme was "Water and Sustainable Development").
- In November of 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President of the United States.
- New terms entering the English language in 2008 included Bitcoin, burner phone, mansplain, photobomb, and dumpster fire.
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| Greer Grimsley (Wotan) and Jamie Barton (Fricka) in a scene from Die Walkure (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
A key part of the RING's convoluted story involves the reunion of the Volsung twins that Wotan sired and the incestuous product of their forbidden love. It also includes key appearances by the Valkyrie daughters fathered by Wotan with their all-knowing, wisdom-sharing mother, Erda,
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| Ronnita Miller (Erda) and Greer Grimsley (Wotan) in a scene from Das Rheingold (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
As the RING begins, Wotan is in the process of building a new home for the gods, boasting that Valhalla that will be "the biggest, the best" ever built. Although he has a habit of swearing mighty oaths on his sword, he also has a plan in place to shortchange the giants (Fasolt and Fafner) who built his fabulous fortress in the sky. His eventual loss of power leads to the destruction of Valhalla and the end of civilization on earth. Is there anyone here on earth resembling Wotan whose name instantly springs to mind?
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| Greer Grimsley (Wotan), Brandon Jovanovich (Froh), and Brian Mulligan (Donner) in a scene from Das Rheingold (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
- How about a power-hungry real estate developer with a long track record of stiffing his contractors; a man who likes to cover everything in gold in a style interior decorators have labeled "dictator chic"?
- A brooding, bloviating bully who thinks with his dick, lies with each breath, and depends on an army of enablers?
- A homosocial father with a creepy attraction to one of his daughters, whom he has publicly described as "a nice piece of ass"?
- A man whose malignant narcissism makes him believe he should be treated like a god, but whose blazing incompetence could lead to World War III?
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| Greer Grimsley as Wotan in Die Walkure (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
As the world struggles with the dark legacy of Donald Trump's illegitimate Presidency, his corrosive presence helps to focus attention on how the 2018 RING reflects dark and dire changes in both our society and the environment we share with other species. Unlike the kind of disruptive innovation which drives Silicon Valley visionaries, Trump's odious personality (coupled with his horrific disregard for science, facts, logic, and truth) have yanked the world into an era of destructive deregulation designed to cause chaos with absolutely no regard for consequences. Three issues currently challenging humanity allow the 2018 RING to offer strong insights into the misguided world in which we currently live.
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| Greer Grimsley (Wotan) and Daniel Brenna (Siegfried) have a fateful encounter in a scene from Siegfried (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
TOXIC MASCULINITY
In her famous comic riff on Der Ring des Nibelungen, Anna Russell loved to describe Siegfried (the fearless son born of the incestuous love between Siegmund and Sieglinde) as follows: "He's very young, and he's very handsome, and he's very strong, and he's very brave, and he's very stupid!"
During Trump's campaign for the Presidency, his cult-like rallies unleashed dangerous amounts of toxic masculinity (as well as some unbelievable eruptions of idiocy) that had previously been somewhat controlled. Sacha Baron Cohen's new show entitled Who Is America? painfully demonstrated how a fetid combination of ignorance, xenophobia, gullibility, and fear has warped the minds of many Republicans.
As one views men acting on their worst impulses in order to bolster their fragile masculinity by attempting to mimic the action heroes they imagine conquering the world and dominating women, a metastatic spread of bullying, homophobia, misogyny, and racial violence has given rise to such grass-roots legislation as "right to carry" and "stand your ground" laws. While the story of the RING focuses on the never-ending lust for gold and power, Zambello's RING is the first I can recall which clearly paints Hunding as a domestic abuser and Sieglinde as a battered wife.
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| Brandon Jovanovich (Siegmund), Raymond Aceto (Hunding), and Karita Mattila (Sieglinde) in a scene from Act I of Die Walkure (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
As the RING progresses, traditional manly habits (stealing, lying, fighting, and killing) only make matters worse. But if one looks carefully, it's possible to notice how Trump's dysfunctional behavior combines Wotan's brains with Alberich's brawn and why it is only Siegfried (someone who has never known fear) who can pierce the magic fire that surrounds the sleeping Brünnhilde.
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| Daniel Brenna as Siegfried in Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
All of this leads to the critical scene in Gotterdammerung during which the gullible Siegfried is easily manipulated by the evil Alberich's son, Hagen, into swearing an oath to become blood brothers with Hagen's stepbrother, Gunther. Once Siegfried uses the Tarnhelm to disguise himself and reclaim the ring he gave to Brünnhilde, Alberich's quest to rule the world can resume.
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| Daniel Brenna (Siegfried), Andrea Silvestrelli (Hagen) and Brian Mulligan (Gunther) in a scene from Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
THE PERSISTENCE OF NASTY WOMEN
Whether they be gods, mortals, or nixies, most of the women in the RING undergo a noticeable transformation during Wagner’s tetralogy. For some, the change is physical; for others, it is more emotional. Zambello’s production lays down a clear path from women being treated as chattel and mere sex objects to mentors who are respected by men for their wisdom, strength, and ability to act as rescuers rather than enablers.
With the growth of the #Me Too movement between the 2011 and 2018 stagings of the RING in San Francisco, it’s interesting to see how (without necessarily changing any Supertitles) the audience witnesses women once presumed to be powerless (or having no choice but to obey the commands of their male superiors) start to seize power and learn how to use it.
Whereas the Rhinemaidens begin the RING as beautiful water sirens clad in blue, by Act III, Scene I of Gotterdammerung (when they try to coerce Siegfrield into giving them the Ring), their clothes have turned brown from the river's polluted waters and they are preoccupied with picking up trash and placing it into plastic garbage bags.
In Das Rheingold, Fricka plays a passive role as Wotan’s wife -- her curiosity only aroused when she learns that the Ring could be used to make jewelry. Freia, however, has quite an awakening. When Wotan reneges on his contract to pay the giants, the goddess of love, sex, fertility, beauty, and gold (whose golden apples keep the gods young) is taken hostage by Fafner and Fasolt.
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| Greer Grimsley (Wotan), Julie Adams (Freia), Brian Mulligan (Donner) and Andrea Silvestrelli (Fasolt) in a scene from Das Rhengold (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
In most productions, Freia has no personality whatsoever. However, when the giants return to claim the Nibelungen gold in Zambello’s RING, Freia is transformed into an extremely sensual figure who can’t keep her hands off Fasolt’s body. This leaves the audience wondering if one night in his powerful arms was enough to infect Freia with Stockholm syndrome or if getting ravaged by Fasolt caused Freia to cry out “How do you like them apples, Mr. Goldstone?”
In Die Walkure, Sieglinde progresses from being seen as Hunding’s intimidated [and probably battered] wife to joyous rapture as she discovers that the stranger to whom she has given shelter is none other than her twin brother. Enthralled by the change in her situation, she flees from Hunding’s home and heads out with her savior (who is not only her brother, but is soon to become the doomed father of their child). Sieglinde’s transformation from a depressed housewife to the mother of a legendary hero demonstrates the courage needed for a submissive woman to ease on down the road less traveled.
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| Brandon Jovanovich (Siegmund) and Karita Mattila (Sieglinde) in Act I of Die Walkure (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
Erda is respected as the guardian of wisdom -- a figure who is revered for her knowledge yet wants little more than a long and peaceful night's sleep. First appearing in Das Rheingold to warn Wotan about Alberich’s curse, she has a remarkably tender encounter with Wotan during Act I of Gotterdammerung in a duet which reminds the audience that these two gods did more than foster eight noisy daughters. They were once lovers.
Instead of giving the Forest Bird the "Tinkerbell" treatment (a speck of light flitting back and forth across a painted drop), Zambello has the soprano singing the role appear onstage as a spiritual guide who convinces Siegfried not to torch Fafner's body and monster truck. After Siegfried tastes a drop of Fafner's blood, the Forest Bird becomes the first female with whom the young hero has ever been able to communicate.
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| Stacey Tappan as The Forest Bird in Act II of Siegfried (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
Following Alberich’s advice, Hagen plots for Gunther to marry Brünnhilde so that Siegfried can marry Gutrune. In more traditional RING productions, it’s difficult to figure out what makes Gutrune (the "Tiffany" of the Gibichung clan) appealing. However, Zambello’s characterization of her as a ditsy blonde who gets pimped out by her brother and stepbrother changes when Gutrune’s utter vapidity fades and she becomes aware of the evil machinations of her brothers.
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| Melissa Citro as Gutrune in Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
Zambello has added an amusing piece of business for Gutrune in 2018, which has soprano Melissa Citro prancing around in an effort to portray Gutrune as some kind of blonde bimbo before she begins to understand how deeply she and Brünnhilde had been betrayed by the men in their lives. The scene reminded me of a skit that Michael McDonald and Jennifer Coolidge performed on MADtv several years ago.
Without doubt, Brunnehilde’s emotional journey has the most depth and breadth of any character in the RING. After Fricka demands that Wotan let Siegmund be killed by Hunding in order to preserve the sanctity of marriage, Brünnhilde (who first appears as Wotan’s favorite Valkyrie daughter) disobeys her father and does what Wotan’s heart truly desires.
Coming from a proud warrior maiden, Brünnhilde’s refusal to obey Wotan is perfectly in character. Not only does she end up paying a stiff price for disobeying his command, she eventually bears the burden of trying to clean up his mess. Brünnhilde’s punishment is to be stripped of her godly status and reduced to a mere mortal. A key Supertitle shows Wotan saying “Look what you made me do to you” (an accusation familiar to women who have been physically abused by men that was echoed in the reports leading up to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s recent resignation on charges of sexual harassment).
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| Daniel Brenna (Siegfried) and Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde in a scene from Gotterdamamerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
When Brünnhilde is awakened by a hero's kiss in the final scene of Siegfried, not only does her body language convey the character's acute confusion at feeling vulnerable and unsure for the first time in her life, her costuming reveals some physical changes that took place while she slept. Brunnehilde's torso seems a bit more ripe and, finding herself in the position of having to impart wisdom and comfort to Siegfried, she comes across as more matronly than before. Her hair has also grown while she slept, to the point where she now looks like a full-bodied Cougar whose long curly tresses resemble Cher's.
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| Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde in Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
When Gunther drags Brünnhilde onstage in Act II of Gotterdammerung, the former Valkyrie (still wearing her warrior boots) is so obviously ill at ease in an utterly inappropriate and ill-fitting white gown that she looks like a mighty Amazon who has been tarted up for a reception at an upscale country club. Not only does the visual impact allow the audience to grasp the depth of Brünnhilde's humiliation and craving for revenge, it helps to redefine the term "trophy wife." As Hagen and Brünnhilde swear to take revenge on Siegfried, adding italics to one word in a Supertitle (“Now hear my vow!”) adds weight to the moment’s dramatic urgency.
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| Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde in Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAGILITY
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, it seemed as if the world was starting to pay more attention to the ravages of climate change. Shocking video of the March 11, 2011 tsunami that followed the 9.1 Richter scale Tohuko earthquake (as well as increased reports of forest fires and melting glaciers due to global warming) have made it clear that battling climate change requires a massive global effort.
Unfortunately, since Donald Trump was inaugurated, the President has announced plans to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, devalued and deleted scientific information from numerous government websites, and has recently set his sights on sabotaging the Endangered Species Act. The Environmental Protection Agency was subjected to the bureaucratic equivalent of rape by its new leadership before Scott Pruitt was booted from office. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is determined to sell off portions of America's national parks to mining interests.
Add in the rabid Dominionism trumpeted by Christian radicals ruled by corporate greed (as opposed to species conservation and environmental protection), and our cultural/environmental crisis seems headed for disaster. Images used in the RING's projections point to America's ongoing problem with industrial waste as once pristine waters are turned muddy with pollutants and grassy river banks start to resemble garbage dumps filled with abandoned plastic water bottles and used tires. What seemed like a novel approach to the RING in 2011 now reflects the loss of a critical increment of time on the Doomsday clock. As Zambello is quick to point out:
"The timeless themes of the RING (the destruction of nature, the quest for power, the cutthroat corruption, the plight of the powerless) are not bound to some leafy, mythical Nordic realm. When you look at the great 19th-century landscapes of the American West, they depict the same feelings of majesty and abundance evoked at the beginning of Das Rheingold, with its world not yet adulterated by man. But when Alberich raids the Rhine for the golden Ring, the contract with nature is broken and the scales become unbalanced. Wotan, too, severs his relationship with nature and sacrifices his integrity to build Valhalla, a fortress he can’t afford, thereby mortgaging nature to realize his ambitions. Valhalla rises like the technically ingenious skyscrapers of the 1930s, while Alberich’s theft mirrors the corruption in 20th-century business and politics. Concern for the environment is replaced by concern for the bottom line."
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| Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde in Act II of Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
"The world scene has changed drastically in terms of politics, social issues, sex and race. Hopefully, at some point in our lives, everything will be born anew. I am an optimist and pray for the country and the world to find its way, the same way that Brünnhilde leads us to positive change at the end of the RING. Brünnhilde is the transformative, life-affirming hero of the RING. She achieves what no man can. She restores the world order and rebalances the scales. Brünnhilde gives rise to a new world from the ashes of her self-sacrifice. She rights the wrongs of Alberich and Wotan, clearing the path for regeneration. When she returns the Ring to the Rhinemaidens, it is a healing gesture that also symbolizes her forgiveness of Gutrune. The gods are gone, but the mortals, especially the women who are left, represent the beginning of a new order. Is it a feminist approach? No, but it suggests the power of female leaders to heal the scars of destruction."
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| Iréne Theorin as Brünnhilde in Act II of Gotterdammerung (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD US
In a rare break from traditional stagings of Gotterdammerung, Zambello has the Rhinemaidens and Gutrune onstage while Brünnhilde is singing her final solo. The scene is staged in such a way that the audience understands exactly why the Rhinemaidens do not snatch the Ring from Brünnhilde's finger while she is still alive. Instead, Gotterdammerung concludes with the appearance of a young girl planting a new ash tree by the shore of the river.
Some might describe this gesture as a tender touch of Teutonic titillation. However, as the students who survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida have demonstrated, it is the nation's youth who must save us from ourselves as they replace older generations with the hope of building a more perfect union.
Despite having to digest so much nonsense from increasingly depressing news cycles, I encountered a surprising ray of hope during the 2018 RING. At the performance I attended of Das Rheingold, a 13-year-old boy two seats away from me was intently watching the opera with his father. In front of me sat a six-year-old boy (who stayed awake for the entire RING) with his parents. Standing by the wall during one intermission was an eight-year-old girl with her mother.
I was flabbergasted that parents would bring such young kids to an opera like Das Rheingold (which runs for two hours and 40 minutes without an intermission). But the kids behaved well and maintained their interest throughout the performance.
Hope springs eternal. And, like Ol' Man River, the Rhine just keeps rolling along.
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