It is one of the pinnacle roles in all of opera: Wotan, king of the gods in Wagner’s epic “Ring.” It’s a nearly fathomless part that demands a beautiful voice, power, subtle acting, keen intelligence and stamina. At the Metropolitan Opera, the German baritone Michael Volle has donned an eye patch and picked up a spear to sing his first complete “Ring” cycle (performances continue through May 11). Here, three of The New York Times’s classical music writers — Michael Cooper, a reporter, Joshua Barone, a senior staff editor and critic, and Seth Colter Walls, a critic — discuss his astonishing performance so far. MICHAEL COOPER I was struck by how Mr. Volle navigated a chilling moment in “Die Walküre,” the second “Ring” opera. Wotan has just reluctantly caused the death of his own son by intervening in an earthly battle.

Source: New York Times May 05, 2019 17:55 UTC