The stupendous climax to Wagnerâs four-part Ring cycle is brilliantly realized by the Otto Schenk/GĂŒnther Schneider-Siemssen production and byJames Levineâs monumental conducting. The Met orchestra, chorus, and an all-star cast make this GötterdĂ€mmerung one that truly rises to the occasion. Hildegard Behrensâs BrĂŒnnhilde must be experienced to be believed, as does Matti Salminenâs richly sung, domineering Hagen. At the center of the drama is Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegfried, who does not realize he has been drawn into a plot of betrayal until it is too late. Christa Ludwig is magnetic as Waltraute and Ekkehard Wlaschiha is a compelling Alberich.
1990-05-05