Das Rheingold, Opera North, The Sage Gateshead

The first instalment weighs in at two and a half hours without a break, but time seemed to stand still, from the moment the glistening opening chords introduced the underwater world of the Rhinemaidens; and the source of gold forged into a magic ring that would cause a so much bother. The voices of water nymphs (Jeni Burn, Jennifer Johnston and Sarah Castle) were wonderfully matched, while Nicholas Folwell played a suitably slimy dwarfish Alberich. At the other end of the spectrum was Michael Druiett, whose towering frame and authoritative voice personified the chief of gods, Wotan. His love for grand building projects sees him trade his sister-in-law for work carried out by the giants Fasolt (James Creswell) and Fafner (Gregory Frank). Giselle Allen, as Freia, gave a gut-wrenching performance as the giants hauled her off. Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke put in a convincing and three-dimensional portrayal of Wotan’s acolyte Loge. This was a concert production, shorn of props and costumes. But an ingenious and economic use of lighting by Peter Mumford effectively created the shifting ambiences of the drama. When Alberich gleefully gazed at the gold in his hands his face was bathed in its reflection, the protagonists were picked out in sharp relief from the surrounding darkness and the orchestra burned red in the Nibelung’s furnace. The ebb and flow of the music was conveyed with supreme sensitivity, under the baton of Richard Farnes. It was modulated, so as not to overwhelm the singers. But, when required, Farnes unleashed the full power of more than 100 musicians. Among many musical highlights were Wotan’s descent to the underworld to confront Alberich, the busy clanging of the Nibelung’s anvils and the dramatic entry into Valhalla, complete with thunderclap and lightening. The almighty crescendos were as Wagner had intended and the final climax left the senses reeling. The next instalment will be keenly anticipated - as will the ensuing two.