The Performer Long before Matthew Best was even a twinkle in the
Wotan. How did the reality of playing The King's main bad guy match up to the fantasy'.’ ‘lt's been at least as challenging as l thotrght it would be. both physically and mentally.‘ says the singer. ‘And now. of course. I'm having to leam how to sing all three operas in four days. I have to keep myself very lit and eat well. and almost live the life
of an athlete.‘
In keeping with Albcry's vision. Best has irnbtred Wotan with everyday qualities which we may not identify with. bttt can at least find some semblance of s)rnl‘athy for. ‘I think the dilemmas he faces and the knots he gets himself into are very humanf says Best. '()bviously. some of the issues are very serious. but I think there should be times when we find him loathsome but then. as time moves on. we should understand his dilemma.‘
Flushed with success from the four individual operas. the cast and crew almost all of whom were tackling the Ring for the first time —— can relax a little and enjoy the moment. As Best says: "I'he support the production has had. in tenns of making it happen and the trenieridous audience reaction. has made trs feel that this is something we want to make the best of.‘
The Set Designer Watching Rllt’fll‘L’Uld nearly ptrt Hildegard Bechtler on a stretcher. So full of nervous tension was the (ierman designer. that mid-way through the king's opening opera. her back gave way. ‘I was sitting in the auditorium watching proceedings. fill] of fear. and suddenly it just went.‘ she says. ‘But in some ways it stopped me from worrying. because I was in so much pain.’ She needn‘t have worried. The sets have been one of the most striking aspects: each causing an audible ‘ooh' as the curtain rose.
Two enormous walls form the basis of all the Ring 3‘ locations. and from that. Bechtler has created several diverse 'worlds‘ — from the everyday (a
casting director‘s eye. he was practising for the role of
hotel bedroom) to the mythical (a vast dragon's mouth). "l'hat's exactly what e\cited us about the production] says Bechtler. 'If you jll\lltp(lSC things. they speak differently from having everyone strutting about in a timeless uniform.‘
The complev machinery required to move mountains and light bla/ing tires has kept the technical crew on its toes throughout. but now comes the real test. with esliausting turnaround times and rapid scene changes packed into six days. But Bechtler has complete faith in the Scottish ()pera team: ‘When we went back to rehearse R/rt'ingo/(l this summer. the very thing which gave me my bad back seemed so easy. But compared to what they achieved in (h‘irrvn/r'immw'mre. it was nothing. I take my hat off to them.‘
The Conductor
Of all the people involved in the Ring ('vrlt'. no one works harder than Richard Armstrong. For the ftrll l7 hour's. Armstrong will be on his feet. conducting. ‘There's the odd silence when I can stop waving a stick.‘ he latrghs. 'Btrt the demands on you are so erior'riious r physically. mentally and emotionally — that you can't just live life normally inbetween. You have to shirt yourself off. not get distracted or lose energy on trivia.‘
This is Armstrong's baby and he knew the key to success was complete involvement. 'It was crucial that from day one I would be leading the whole artistic process.’ he says. ‘You need the confidence to know you can bring it off. And so rntrch of that is to do with decision-making in the early stages. I chose all the singers to cultivate a unity of performance style. both in the orchestral playing and the singing. which adds up to a real whole. as opposed to a load of people coming together and doing their own thing. And that's what makes a project like this special.'
Festival Theatre, 1 1-16 and 25-30 Aug, various times, SOLD OUT. There are 50 tickets available for £20 each performance from the Hub at 9am on the 1 1 Aug and 25 Aug. Limited to two per customer.
" a: A x: j?" - THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 55