The 'Ring' reaches first plateau

The L.A. “Ring,” which began over the weekend with “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre,” is a no-host event.  The Music Center is a poor place for hanging out; Patina's dinner break options are pathetic (the lines for the beer garden in front of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Sunday night were outrageous). 

In the television capital of the world, this “Ring’ is not televised.  In a city of riches, the support of arts is sadly inadequate.  But the “Ring” sprawls like no other in the performing arts repertory, and it fits the Southland sprawl in many intriguing ways.  Achim Freyer’s crazy “Ring,” loved and loathed, is upon us, as is an anarchic city-wide festival with activities that put Wagner in perspective and those that jubilantly rob his work of perspective altogether.

Los Angeles Opera has now reached the first base camp of this particular lyric stage Everest, and the view is mostly inspiring, if the oxygen occasionally thin. 

-- Mark Swed

Related:

Theater critic Charles McNulty on Freyer's “Die Walküre” and “Das Rheingold,”

Complete Times coverage of the 'Ring'

Photo: Michelle DeYoung as Sieglinde in the Los Angeles Opera production of "Die Walküre." Credit: Lawrence K. Ho.

Comments

[michael]

Great observations Mark! Sadly, Los Angeles never had great civic leadership in Master Cultural Planning; making the Music Center an isolated island of culture unlike Lincoln Center which is a vibrant place to throw cultural festivals. The Met Opera presents free plaza broadcasts of performances; LA Opera has yet to invite the general public to taste what opera is all about. No wonder they are struggling to find and engage audiences. If it wasn't for the wonderful Board of Directors to commit $30,000,000 to secure the company, we would have no professional opera here in the City of Angels.
City Council will be making key Cultural Leadership decisions today, regarding stabilized nonprofit rents at City owned venues. What if the County were to try this trick also with the tenants at the Music Center; we would have no culture at all in our fair city!

[Sally MacAller]

Thank you for your positive review in this morning's Times. From my point of view, the Ring Cycle is spectacular, an LA event not to be missed by anyone! The rich and sometimes witty symbolism Freyer has created is magical, steeped in a beauty enlightened by a tremendous imagination. I viewed the previous Ring from the 7th row orchestra. This time I seem to be parked in balcony B, but it has turned out to be a glorious vantage point. The orchestra is clearer, more rich and textured, while the magic truly happens up there in the heights. Cloth becomes water, the steam rises, the effects, in turn, appear to be real. I was swept away into the mythical world's emotions, oddly finding that tears were welling up during Sigmund's last aria. The Ring Cycle is a gift to Los Angeles and should be suppported by the entire community. It is a wonderful uniquely presented production, especially if you let go and allow yourself to be enfolded by the entire work. LA Opera has developed into a 'world class' company. Bravo!

[Katherine]

I'm loving the Ring Cycle so far, but I do have to agree with the Music Center being a poor place to hang out. Sunday some of the restaurants in the Music Center were closed and across the street the little coffee shop and yogurt place apparently had no clue they were right across from the Music Center. They were surprised at the number of people walking across during intermission. The lone worker in a coffee shop even made an announcement saying there was only 1 of him and service would be slow since he wasn't expecting all of us. I cannot figure out why those managers haven't looked online at the music center schedule to notice The Ring Cycle and South Pacific will be running all week. The plus side in all this was 1. The lack of food choices made for good conversation among patrons and 2. Subway made a killing.