Hootojoho!

If your Wagnerian opera last more than 4.5 hours, please consult your physician.  Excessive exposure to Wagnerian horns may lead to irritation, exhaustion, and bleeding from the ears.

I’m not a Wagner fan.  I imagine I’ve made that clear.  My opera company is starting the Ring cycle next year, and I will go see ‘Das Rheingold’ because they’re doing a crazy new avant-garde production involving cranes and water and god knows what and I feel like I should probably sit through it at some point in my life.  I totally skipped ‘Tristan und Isolde’ this season, even though I never pass up free theatre tickets, because blech.  4+ hours, Wagner, and the production was a sea of dudes in suits.  If I’m going to sit through Wagner, at least give me something to look at!  I’m not saying Wagner sucks. . . I’m just saying that I do not like.  Give me Rossini or Verdi or Mozart (Yay Mozart!) or Puccini or almost anyone else any day.  That being said, I’m also a little over ‘Carmen’ just because I’ve seen it so many tiiiiiiiiimes, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it immensely anyway.

The good news is, we’re doing a Sondheim next season too.  I will suffer through ‘Aida’ and Wagner and also an attack of tiny velociraptors to get Sondheim.

Addendum:  I can’t believe I managed this whole post without bitching about the fact that Wagner was a virulent anti-semite, but now I’m gonna, mainly because this link came in my work email today and reminded me that I really didn’t explain all of  the reasons Wagner makes me deeply uncomfortable.  I’m not going to be rational or forgiving on this, so instead I’m linking to a very balanced article here.  Hopefully that will explain why I’m so conflicted about seeing ‘Das Rheingold’ when we produce it next year.