Berkeley Opera Production of the Condensed Version of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen

One of the most frequent complaints folks have about composer Richard Wagner's epic four-opera cycle based on the old Germanic legends of Der Ring des Nibelungen is that it's sooo long!

A thought I've long harbored regarding the irascible 19th-century German composer-author of the vaunted "Ring" Cycle is that the fellow could have greatly benefited from the condense and/or delete philosophy of some of my skilled editors.

Fortunately, David Seaman, a witty Welsh chap from that country's National Opera, has committed a sort of coup de grace upon Wagner's long-windedness by condensing the whole four-performance epic into a single brilliant, cogent three-hour masterpiece called The Legend of the Ring.

Following the premiere of Seaman's version, given by Pocket Opera Nuremberg, the country's prestigious Die Welt newspaper pronounced it a dramatic compression that brings the characters more sharply into focus, adding the caveat that, "Every bar is original Wagner in seamless juxtaposition."

After its 2004 Berkeley Opera premiere, the late great Bay Area music critic Stephanie von Buchau (who was never accused of being easy to impress,) wrote that the show produced "more goose bumps and emotion than many of the 17 cycles of Wagner's masterwork that I have attended in 55 years of international opera-going."

Moreover, the daring endeavor even has the blessings of the Wagner Society of Northern California.

Starting at 8 p.m. July 31, the Berkeley Opera will repeat its 2004 Ring blockbuster with four performances at the state-of-the-art El Cerrito Performing Arts Theater, on the El Cerrito High School campus. The current performances are under the direction of Mark Streshinsky, who also served as the director/production designer of the acclaimed 2004 production.

The youthful, energetic Streshinsky, recently named Berkeley Opera's new artistic director, elaborates about his production innovations of the Wagner condensation.

"David Seaman's version is just three hours long and uses eight performers and a reduced orchestra. With the help of a video artist, I designed projected scenery that used video, photo montage, (including) extensive use of shadow, and still photography to suggest the locales and magic."

The musical director is Wagner-savvy Jonathan Khuner, with projections by Jeremy Knight, lighting by Lucas Kresch and costumes by Romy Douglass. Alex Kort serves as production manager.

The show has also attracted a stellar cast, all of whom are Wagner veterans familiar on many of the world's great operatic stages. Three are graduates of San Francisco Opera's Merola program. Merola alum Richard Paul Fink, a baritone and renowned Wagnerian, will sing the role of Wotan, the chief Germanic god. Dramatic soprano Christine Springer will repeat her performance from the 2004 Berkeley Opera production of The Legend of the Ring of the three Brünnhilde roles and also sing Rhinemaiden Wellgune in the opening scene.

Soprano Marie Plette, a 1992 Merola alumna and Streshinsky's wife, will sing the roles of Sieglinde, Freia, Gutrune, Woglinde and the Forest Bird. Jay Hunter Morris, an appropriately Nordic-looking tenor, is cast in the role of Siegfried. Another Merolini, the splendid actor/bass-baritone Bojan Knezevic, will likely produce a fascinating portrayal of Alberich. A mesmerizing powerhouse on stage, Knezevic recently reaped rave reviews singing the title role of the acclaimed Ensemble Parallele's production of Alban Berg's Wozzeck at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Bass Dean Peterson will sing the challenging role of Hagen, and tenor Stephen Rumph will sing both Loge and Mime. Valentina Osinski, mezzo-soprano, will sing the roles of Fricka and Flosshilde. Interestingly, the glamorous Osinski, although considered a specialist in modern works, claims the witch in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel as her signature role. Stephen Rumph will sing the tenor roles on Loge and Mime.

Berkeley Opera has garnered a luminous reputation since its 1979 founding by Richard Goodman. Jonathan Khuner assumed leadership in 1994 and was joined this season by Streshinsky as artistic director.

From its genesis, the plucky company has been committed to presenting opera as lively, compelling musical theater, fusing music and drama in ways that both delight and challenge audiences. The company's originality has earned it a reputation of being one of the most interesting small companies in the nation.