A digital 'Ring' in Brisbane
VO Board member Stanis Smith reflects on a massive new rendition of Wagner's masterwork
Review by Stanis Smith, VO Board Member – Dec 2023
Every few years I meet with friends to attend a production of Wagner‘s Ring Cycle somewhere in the world. We call ourselves the Ring-Nuts. This year we met in Brisbane for Opera Australia’s Covid-postponed and much anticipated Ring, directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and designed by Leigh Sachwitz.
This has been billed as the “World’s First Digital Ring” and it certainly lived up to that promise. The set consisted of 23 massive LED panels, each 10m (30 feet) high and 2m (6 feet) wide, that moved, tracked, twisted and flew around the stage. The screens were used to create a kaleidoscopic series of images, some abstract, some representational, that provided the backdrops to the action, and that transitioned seamlessly from one image to another much as Wagner’s music transitions from leitmotif to leitmotif.
According to the Director’s program note, he wanted to “expand the work’s references beyond European history to our shared universe, making it relevant to all people - a new world myth”. Whether or not he achieved that lofty goal, the overall result was hypnotically beautiful to watch, and often spectacular. For the most part the digital imagery complemented the storyline and supported the action appropriately, in some cases interacting and changing in real-time as the performers moved across the stage. The few physical props that appeared onstage were Asian inspired, including a large amorphous form inspired by the Scholars Rocks in Zen gardens, a super-sized white Bonsai tree, and a stunning silvery Phoenix that descended from the heavens with all of the Valkyries on board for their famous Ride.
The singers were uniformly good, and in a few cases were great. Conductor Philippe Auguin drew power and conviction from the Queensland Orchestra.
While there can never be a definitive or “perfect” Ring Cycle, this one delivered visceral punches when appropriate, and was visually memorable with its unique aesthetic approach. It certainly set a high benchmark for digital technology and imagery, as demonstrated by the following images:
Architect by day, musician by night, Stanis Smith’s professional career has included leading major architectural firms, with a particular specialty in airport design. His musical career includes being a clarinettist in orchestras and chamber ensembles. He is on the board of Vancouver Opera and the Rick Hansen Foundation, and previously was on the boards of the Vancouver Symphony and Friends of Chamber Music.