Classical Preview: Opera North celebrate Wagner’s bicentenary

To mark the bicentenary of Richard Wagner’s birth in 2013, the opera world is bracing itself for a deluge of performances. Many companies already limbering-up for the event, Opera North’s contribution opening next Saturday with their first installment of the epic cycle of four operas, Der Ring des Nibelungen.

It will form part of Opera North’s hugely successful productions, ‘Opera in Concert’, Peter Mumford’s staging allowing audiences to enjoy the full concert hall impact of the large orchestra that required while visually unfolding the story.

Preliminary Evening was Wagner’s original description of Das Rheingold, just one enormous act lasting two and a half hours to set the scene of a world of scheming Gods seeking wealth and power at any cost.

The concept, under the direction of Opera North’s Music Director, Richard Farnes, is marrying together a core of highly experienced performers in the world of Wagner and younger singers with the famous Wagnerian, Anne Evans, as casting advisor. For Michael Druiett it will mark the culmination of years of vocal preparation for the highly demanding role of Wotan. His wife, Fricka, comes from the familiar voice of Yvonne Howard, while Andrea Eaker is Wotan’s earthly mistress, Erda. Manipulating events are Alberich, taken by Nicholas Folwell, with Austria’s leading character tenor, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, picturing the scornful fire God, Loge.

Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Leeds Town Hall, Jun 18, Jul 1 & Sep 8, 7.30pm. 0844 8482706.