Posted September 08, 2011

September 8, 2011

Could the pendulum be swinging in the other direction?  Director Willy Decker and Set Designer Wolfgang Gussman have created stark sets for this new production in Bochum which is taking Germany by storm.  It is a Buddhist perspective with spare sets – two angled walls and a disc (does this sound like Wieland Wagner?) and a series of arresting videos.  The production is part of the Ruhrtrienalle Festival.

The real star of the show is superstar conductor Kirill Petrenko – according to both the Financial Times (September 3) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (August 29).

Starring as the lovers Anja Kampe (Sieglinde in the recent San Francisco Ring) and Christian Franz. with Claudia Mahnke as Brangane and the always magnificent Stephen Milling as Konig Marke.

Financial Times  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/abf90dc2-d253-11e0-9137-00144feab49a.html#axzz1XP9nqRIS