Keeping it in the Family: Richard Laing is moved by an insightful production of ‘Die Walküre’ on Blu-ray

Review of Die Walküre, directed Warner, conducted Pappano, Royal Opera House, London, 2018 (Opus Arte, 1 Blu-ray disc).

July 2020, Volume 14, Number 2, 70–74.

Die Walküre is oddly named. On the surface, this is not a story about Brünnhilde, but about her father. Within this drama, Wotan’s arc is much broader than that of his daughter, as he moves from carefree delusion, through angry denial, to a grudging acceptance that comes some way towards what will ultimately be a grateful relinquishment of power. In contrast, the journey that the Valkyrie begins will take another two operas to complete. The only other character who undergoes as much as Wotan here is Sieglinde, who begins in slavery, finds love and family, loses her mind in grief, and finally achieves ecstasy. The remarkable performances of John Lundgren and Emily Magee in these two extraordinary roles are such that Brünnhilde, even one as experienced and expressive as Nina Stemme, becomes almost a secondary character.