Perfectly Balanced: Dominic McHugh gives his verdict on Covent Garden’s first ‘Ring’ for over a decade

Just as Wagner himself was paradoxically balanced by his drive and intellect despite constantly experiencing extreme artistic and personal conflicts, so balance is a guiding force for Keith Warner’s intelligent production of the Ring for the Royal Opera. After the unveiling of the individual instalments of the cycle between December 2004 and April 2006, the production was performed complete for the first time in October 2007 and delivers almost everything it promised during its gestation period. Warner has a grasp of the grand sweep of the piece, his sheer sense of adventure providing us with all the dramaturgical elements prescribed by Wagner and much more besides, but the impressive stage effects are always counterbalanced by an arguably even more stimulating attention to small details and intimacy.