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Opera

Die Walküre

A triumphant performance from Melbourne Opera
by •
ABR Arts • 11 February 2022
Opera

Die Walküre

A triumphant performance from Melbourne Opera
by •
ABR Arts • 11 February 2022
Warwick Fyfe as Wotan in <em>Die Walküre</em> (photograph courtesy of Melbourne Opera)
Warwick Fyfe as Wotan in Die Walküre (photograph courtesy of Melbourne Opera)

Richard Wagner’s famous pronouncement, ‘Kinder, schafft Neues!’ (‘Children, create something new!’), has often been the inspiration to take daring creative risks, particularly (but not exclusively) with productions of his works. Using The Ring as a starting point, directorial licence has been extended in all sorts of intriguing ways that have, over the years, seen Valkyries roaring around on motorcycles, Rhinemaidens as strutting Victorian doxies, the dragon Fafner at the turret of an army tank, Wotan as a Texan oligarch, Siegfried as a hippie, and Gunther and the Gibichungs as Nazis.

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Michael Shmith

Michael Shmith is a Melbourne-based writer and editor. His latest book, Merlyn (Hardie Grant, 2021) is a biography of the widow of Sidney Myer.

Leave a comment
Michael Shmith

Michael Shmith is a Melbourne-based writer and editor. His latest book, Merlyn (Hardie Grant, 2021) is a biography of the widow of Sidney Myer.

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Comments (3)

  • Agree, agree!
    Posted by Emma Bell
    15 February 2022
  • Bravo, Melbourne Opera and to Michael Shmith, whose review was excellent. I wanted to be there, and let's never forget that Her Majesty’s Theatre is the best for grand opera, which I know you know only too well Good on you Mike Walsh for preserving this treasure. At last we have a production with ab Australian flair, as in in Adelaide years ago! Antony Negus is a treasure. I felt honoured to meet him in London before Christmas. I would have booked but felt a bit nervous about being in lockdown! But it won’t keep me away next time. Thanks for a splendid review.
    Posted by Isla Baring
    14 February 2022
  • I can’t express how wonderful this performance was. Congratulations
    Melbourne Opera. Perfect.
    Regards Christine Malcolm
    Sydney
    Posted by Christine Malcolm
    12 February 2022