Wagner’s epic tale of gods behaving badly, heroes and giants, dragons and dwarves, and the ubiquitous magical ring, is central to German mythology and has been emulated many times across a range of cultures. Originally created for Wagner’s Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, Der Ring des Nibelungen, universally known as the Ring Cycle, has an international following from music lovers across the globe and still draws crowds wherever it is staged.
Originally scheduled for performances in 2020 and postponed twice due to the COVID pandemic, Opera Australia’s (OA) new production of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle will finally be staged in Brisbane at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in December 2023. It took Wagner 26 years to compose his Ring Cycle with over 2000 pages and 16 hours of music, collectively comprising four separate operas – Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods).
It is a massive operatic challenge for any company, often described as the pinnacle of achievement in the operatic art form. Australia has seen only four fully-staged Ring Cycles to date – two in Adelaide by State Opera of South Australia, one in Melbourne by OA and, most recently, Melbourne Opera’s staging of three cycles in Bendigo earlier this year. OA in conjunction with QPAC will stage three separate cycles of the Ring, the first time that it has been staged in Brisbane.
In addition to requiring both musical and dramatic prowess, any Ring Cycle needs considerable planning and logistics. John Kotzas, CEO of QPAC, says: ‘Even before the Olympics were announced for Brisbane, it took a whole lot of support from the city and the state, from a tourism perspective, to imagine an endeavour like this. It’s really significant and says something about our city that we have the audience, as well as the capability to deliver an event like this.
‘It is one thing to imagine it and quite another thing to pull it off,’ he adds.
Collaboration with creative organisations
It has clearly taken considerable cooperation between many organisations to realise this production of the Ring. It is being presented by OA in partnership with the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, and in collaboration with the broader artistic and cultural community including QPAC, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO), Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University (QCGU), Opera Queensland (OQ) and Dancenorth.
Kotzas says there has been an exceptional coming together of these creative organisations, telling ArtsHub: ‘The Ring offers a marvellous opportunity for collaboration between many Queensland arts organisations, which have understood what it takes to put on something that is as imaginative and exciting as a Ring Cycle.’
Dancenorth is Queensland’s only regional company to be involved in the Ring Cycle, providing the essential dancers required for the production. OQ will be assisting the production with additional chorus members and will also jointly present with OA its production of Aida, slotted in between the Ring performances in the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.
OA CEO, Fiona Allan, tells ArtsHub: ‘In my experience as a producer, I’ve never known such a broad number of partners all come together – both the city and state – in terms of tourism and economic development. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to work with so many cultural groups, because we simply could not have done it by ourselves.
‘We are extremely grateful for their long-standing commitment to this production and thrilled to finally be only six months away from seeing everyone’s hard work shine together onstage,’ she adds.
OA’s cutting edge production
Allan says that OA is excited by some production firsts, including attracting renowned Chinese opera director, Chen Shi-Zheng, as both Director and Production Designer.
‘We are delighted that Chen Shi-Zheng will be directing his first Ring Cycle for us, alongside an impressive team of creative artists. This is an exciting aspect, seeing what he will do with his futuristic version of the work. There is an interweaving between northern European mythology and some Chinese mythological elements too,’ she says.
The costumes by Anita Yavich have futuristic qualities, while the production is fully digital, incorporating the latest immersive technologies with some highly innovative visuals.
Allan continues: ‘It’s a bold thing to do – the music and singing are traditional, but we are telling the story in a modern way, using video content that is being created for 23 LED screens. The screens will be hung from the ceiling and will move around, almost choreographed together.
‘In order to create and rehearse this, we have hired a separate theatre for a month in Sydney for the artists to rehearse technically the 16 hours of moving screens. Some artists will also be flown, while screens will be flown as well, so logistically this is complex. From a health and safely point of view, we also need to ensure that everyone is comfortable both on the stage and flying.’
Kotzas says: ‘What I like about this particular production is its contemporary references. It is the first production to use an all-digital set, alongside a director who has acclaimed achievements in opera and who will bring a unique Asian perspective to the work. That’s a really interesting approach.’
He continues: ‘When we first started talking about this production five years ago, we discussed Australia’s place in the world in terms of our relationship with Southeast Asia and where we fit in, in a global context. Blurring a very European mythical story with an Asian contemporary view that also brings in imagined creatures from Asian culture is an exciting approach.’
Bringing the music together
Central to the Ring Cycle, of course, is Wagner’s glorious music, which will be conducted by French conductor, Philippe Auguin. His impressive opera credentials include many Wagner operas including the Ring Cycle.
The QSO was not available in 2020 but, while delays to the production had many negatives, one positive is that a collaboration with the orchestra is possible in 2023. This doesn’t mean its calendar is completely clear – in fact, the opposite is true. At the same time as the three Ring Cycles, it will be supporting the Aida performances for OA and OQ, The Nutcracker Suite for the Queensland Ballet and Swan Lake for The Australian Ballet.
Chief Executive, Yarmila Alfonzetti, tells ArtsHub: ‘Musically, the Ring is the Mount Everest of musical works. Our orchestral musicians don’t have much opportunity to play in Ring Cycles and for many this will be a first. But they are excited to do it. QSO is a very experienced orchestra with seasoned musicians who have been used to playing in the pit for opera and ballet.
‘This was an opportunity to not only showcase the quality and versatility of our musicians, but also to showcase our administrative business as well. Because putting on something like this is no small feat.’
Alfonzetti reels off a number of issues that have to be managed and the complexities of a schedule being created for four separate productions. The challenges include myriad rehearsals in different venues, plus cover calls, in case any musicians are indisposed. The pit has to be restructured to accommodate more players, while additional instrument stands, chairs and sconces all need to be acquired. Additional orchestral staff will be engaged.
While the QSO has 80 permanent members, 110 players are required to play for the Ring Cycle. Over the entire production schedule a total of 180 musicians will be needed.
Alfonzetti continues: ‘We’re using a lot of good local musicians, who we know well. We’re also bringing in musicians from other states and some key players from other orchestras. Our colleagues have been enormously helpful with this. Approximately 20 skilled Wagnerian musicians will be coming from Europe, while recently retired Concertmaster Warwick Adeney is coming back to play in the Ring.’
Additionally, the orchestra has engaged a specialist to put the Ring Cycle schedule and requirements together. ‘The music has complicated orchestral parts, along with requiring special Wagner horns and anvil players,’ Alfonzetti says.
‘We have created a festival styled orchestra with flexibility in the roster, though for the system to work every musician has to be working every day in some capacity. Once Ring rehearsals start on 10 October, until the season finishes on 21 December, all players will work seven days a week.’
READ: Wagner’s monumental Ring Cycle comes to regional Victoria
Despite the enormous workloads envisaged, the requirements for musicians, the production and rehearsals, entailing separate sets of rehearsals in two different states, and the fact that eight weeks of the Lyric Theatre will be given over entirely to just 19 opera performances, those involved in this Ring Cycle production seem buoyant and undeterred. They recognise it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Kotzas says: ‘Like any big public institution, we must actually connect and work in three spheres. We need to be well-connected locally, nationally and internationally. When you bring those three elements together into one production, that’s a fantastic achievement. It’s an investment by QPAC in the future, because we have to be that ambitious if we are going to capture the imagination of the world in 2032.’
Opera Australia’s production of The Ring Cycle performs in the Lyric Theatre, QPAC between 1 and 21 December 2023.