Author : Jos Hermans
As could be expected, Bryn Terfel once again showed all facets of his artistic profile during this gala. The first part, with excerpts from Die Meistersinger and Die Walküre, was the dream program to witness the Welshman, whom many consider the Wotan of his generation, at work as a Wagner interpreter. In the more frivolous second part after the intermission, he was able to indulge his dramatic talent, giving shape to such villains as Pizarro and Mefistofele. As the proud interpreter of the national popular soul, he dipped into the cookie jar of English traditionals with priestly allure finishing up as an entertainer who does not hesitate to descend into the trivial universe of the musical. That's a lot of souls in one chest. The Queen Elisabeth Hall filled to the brim was able to enjoy the colorful show and the maskless spectators seemed to catapult this concert experience back to pre-covid times. One would dare to hope it will last.
The celebrated bass baritone handles his Wagner repertoire very sparingly. He has not sung a single Wotan since 2017, and Hans Sachs he seems to have put away for good without ever being in front of a camera. Nor has he ever appeared in Bayreuth, despite his status. So it has never quite dawned on me how eager he is to be in the shoes of one of Wagner's characters. His take on the Wagner roles is still slightly mannered with odd accents that make his delivery seem somewhat artificial. The timbre is clear and pleasant though I still prefer it with a touch more warmth. The command of the German text was flawless including all consonants. You sometimes hear it quite differently. The voice projects well and reinforces his natural authority which he plays out during his recitation. Taking back the voice did not always happen flawlessly. "Was dufted doch der Flieder" was congenially fueled by the warm glow of the strings. Wotan's "Abschied und Feuerzauber" turned into a highlight like you rarely hear it better sung, from the restrained lyricism of "Der Augen leuchtendes Paar" to the ever-impressive finale of "Wer meines Speeres Spitze fürchtet."
Meanwhile, it had also become clear that the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra had emerged as an outstanding Wagner orchestra under young German conductor Marcus Merkel. Here was no playing on automatic pilot but making music with a great sense of dynamic and agogic differentiation. The overture to Die Meistersinger was given an excellent jubilant finale. The flawlessly playing brass gloried in the Walkürenritt. The Feuerzauber received a reading with great attention to detail and musicality.
With "Le veau d'or"(Faust), Terfel showed that he does not master French to the same degree as German. With "Ha, welch ein Augenblick"(Fidelio) he was able to revel in sadism. The amazing "Son lo spirito che nega" (Mefistofele), with which he drives his three dogs at home to despair, showed his dramatic talent; now completely uninhibited and in rubato mode, meanwhile also demonstrating his surprising virtuosity at finger whistling. You're either the son of a Welsh farmer or you're not!
The charming overture to "Orphée aux enfers," with its fine solo moments and sparkling finale, became the stepping stone to the lighthearted program section. The three traditionals that followed were rather corny but with the solemn, compelling Scottish hymn "Loch Lomond" he actually got some of the audience to sing along. A Red Dragon flag even showed up in the audience. "If I were a rich man" became the predictable finale.