Conductor Pietari Inkinen in a rehearsal with Chinese singers for the National Centre for the Performing Arts production of Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie, which will be staged from Tuesday to Saturday at the NCPA in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Opera by one of history's most influential composers takes the stage to transport audiences into a magical universe, Chen Nan reports.
The second opera in Richard Wagner's epic Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung or The Ring Cycle), Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), is one of the most significant works in the operatic canon, for both its thematic depth and musical innovation.
From Tuesday to Saturday, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing will present a breathtaking musical experience of Wagner's The Valkyrie.
Under the baton of renowned Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen and the direction of Davide Livermore, The Valkyrie will transport audiences into the heart of Wagner's mythical universe, says Zhang Yao, vice-president of the NCPA.
The Ring Cycle, consisting of four operas, is one of the most ambitious musical works in opera history. Created over 26 years, this monumental cycle spans more than 14 hours and explores profound themes of power, love, betrayal and fate through a complex web of gods, mortals and mythical creatures. Zhang adds that The Valkyrie is the second installment of Wagner's The Ring Cycle, following the monumental prologue The Rhinegold staged by the NCPA in 2024.
Based on ancient Norse mythology, The Ring Cycle weaves a rich tapestry of social, philosophical, and aesthetic perspectives of music and drama, offering timeless themes that evoke discussion and reflection.
With the premiere of The Valkyrie at the NCPA, audiences will encounter a plot filled with passion, familial conflict and heroic battles that define Wagner's mythical world. The opera's themes — fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, siblings and lovers — are interwoven within the vast framework of Norse legends, making it a deeply personal and universally resonant work.
A rehearsal for the upcoming opera The Valkyrie, which follows the successful staging of Das Rheingold, the first of Wagner's The Ring Cycle, in Beijing in August 2024. [Photo provided to China Daily]
The performance will be conducted by Inkinen, an esteemed conductor known for his profound affinity for Wagner's works. In 2023, he conducted The Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival, the prestigious German opera festival famous for performing Wagner's works. In 2013 and 2016, he also conducted it with Opera Australia.
"The Valkyrie holds immense significance for me," says the conductor. "Although I have conducted it on many stages, such as the Bayreuth Festival, this is my first time presenting it in China. It's also my first collaboration with the NCPA, and I can't wait to see this production come to life.
"Wagner poured deep love into his music, conducting a profound exploration of the human soul," he adds.
One of the most iconic scenes in Wagner's The Valkyrie occurs in the third act, where eight Valkyries ride their horses through a stormy sky, preparing to carry fallen warriors to Valhalla, the legendary hall. The music is exhilarating and powerful, with its fast-paced, thunderous rhythms and soaring brass section evoking the sounds of galloping horses and a dramatic, violent storm. This scene has become so famous that it is often used in films, television and other media to replicate themes of battle, heroism and energy.
With Italian director Livermore, the striking imagery of this iconic scene will be brought to life in the upcoming NCPA production.
"I believe even Wagner himself would be stunned by everything happening on the stage today," says Inkinen.
"This work contains profound love and represents humanity's exploration of the deepest layers of the soul. In creating this production, we've employed many high-tech methods but the technology serves the piece by allowing the audience to experience the same emotional impact that this work has on our souls," says Livermore, who previously collaborated with the NCPA on Leo Delibes' opera Lakme.
Costumes of the NCPA production of Wagner's The Valkyrie on display. [Photo provided to China Daily]
"With powerful technical support, this stage will achieve extraordinary things," Livermore adds. "Wagner creates a world that is entirely different from everyday life. We want to capture and present everything he left on the score and in the music for the audience."
Productions as grand and magnificent as The Valkyrie come with immense challenges in faithfully interpreting them. The performance schedule reflects the heavy physical demands on the performers, as there is a day of rest between every two shows.
Among the lead singers, many of whom have extensive experience performing Wagner's operas, Latvian-born bass-baritone Egils Silins stands out. He portrays Wotan, the king of the gods, a role he has performed many times, including last year's The Rhinegold at the NCPA. He has portrayed Wotan in 14 different productions of The Valkyrie.
"Performing as Wotan is every bass-baritone's dream. He is both a father and a god, filled with the brilliance of humanity," Silins says.
Fricka, Wotan's wife, will be portrayed by German mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau. "I love Wagner's works because they express the warmth and brilliance of humanity beneath grand narratives. I am very much looking forward to this production, as it will deepen the audience's understanding of Wagner's music," she says.
Italian director Davide Livermore at a news conference on April 16. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Finnish conductor Inkinen at a news conference on April 16. [Photo provided to China Daily]
