The ‘Ring’ Nordic Style: Katherine Syer admires a striking new production at the Royal Swedish Opera

Sweden has produced many fine Wagner singers: a core ingredient in its ability to realise Wagner repertoire with mostly resident ensembles. Complete cycles of the Ring have claimed the stage in Stockholm in clearly delimited periods. After building up to its first complete cycle in 1907, only individual Ring operas were performed at the Royal Swedish Opera until the next complete cycle came together in 1970. Folke Abenius and his designer Jan Brazda emerged in the wake of Wieland Wagner with a dark production permeated by a sense of brooding. The cycle was revived three times by 1974, and also toured to Malmö (1971), Copenhagen (1975), Moscow (1975) and Warsaw (1978).