The work places “The Ring” in the metaverse and uses Valhalla as a digital creation, the backstory of which is told by Sigourney Weaver in a video introduction. Having the sci-fi queen make this cameo is the show’s flamboyant, like Carlos J. Soto’s winking outfit reminiscent of “Tron” and her 1970s and her ’80s low-budget cousins. Touch her one.
On a branching stage, the singers (accompanied by Andrew Davis, leading a reduced but not reduced orchestration by David Karp, corresponding to a small pit in the theater) performed in front of a green screen. Masu — a green prop supported by stage hands in green bodysuits. For example, the man who wields the cloak in “Ride of the Valkyries.” At the same time, films are shown above that reflect changes in scale and placement on the digital landscape. Singers, especially the soprano Christine Goerke, who still holds the title of Brünnhilde, face the challenge of close-up like an actor. Facing an indefinite sleep on top of a mountain as punishment, she sobs with audibly shallow breaths.
At first glance, Sharon’s work looks like a window decoration. The action finally unfolds in a traditional way. But as always, the medium is the message.
Valkyrie can be viewed as a reflection on 21st century opera. The explosion of video on staging, his live streams during the pandemic, and the studios that spawned them are the genres of his productions. what now teeth live performance? Sharon creates a perceptual strain, her eyes and ears unsure whether to focus on the singer or the screen. What is lost and what is gained in their interaction? He doesn’t offer enough answers to lay out the balance sheet left for the audience to work out.
Sharon argues, it is to sustain the essence of the opera. Whatever the format, Valkyrie is a tearing portrait of love, family and regret. Sunday’s performance was no different. And like “Fiddler,” the emotional core of “Valkyrie” was brought out in ways that were unforced and honest, yet stylistically unique. is.