He becomes quite querulous вЂ“ more Mime-like than Mime вЂ“ after his entrapment and loss of the Ring. He brought a physicality to the role that we have not seen in other productions.Д«aritone Johannes Martin Kranzle, as Alberich, was suitably evil, but less threatening than others portraying the role. Bass-baritone John Lundgren, despite some issues in the first Ring, had real presence as Wotan. A good part of the staging involved what we referred to as the Wall вЂ“ either rotating and suspended below WotanвЂ™s feet or separating the divine from the human on the fire mountain. And вЂ“ like father, like son вЂ“ when Hagan grabs the ring at the end of вЂњGГ¶tterdГ¤mmerung,вЂќ the Rhine Maidens beat him up and get it back. Not only was AlberichвЂ™s amorous intentions rebuffed by the Rhinemaidens, they positively beat the stuffing out of him. There were some surprisingly contemporary touches вЂ“ the Rhine maidens seemed to be very aware of the #metoo movement. In вЂњGГ¶tterdГ¤mmerung,вЂќ he appears to Hagen sucking on a respirator on a hospital bed in a suspended boat вЂ“ too much time in the mines apparently resulting in Black Lung disease. And the mystery of the disappearance of Alberich is solved. Siegfried uses the fuel from the plane to heat up the forge. Warner leaves little to the imagination вЂ“ there is a large crashed plane prominently featured in вЂњSiegfried,вЂќ perhaps to explain how Wotan landed on earth from Vallhalla. Costumes were the mix of medieval rags and modern dress, with Alberich and Mime attired as mad scientists.

Der ring der nibelungen