"Das Rheingold" from the Met

There's gold in them dar hills, so the saying goes. Weighing in at 45 tons, the gigantic set for the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Wagner's "Das Rheingold" was impressive more for its technological wonders than it was for its imaginative capabilities. The strength of the production was the fact that the cast was so strong, both vocally and dramatically, that it captured all the inherent drama of this morality tale with gold stars of their own.

A new production of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" is always a world event. Having seen the Met's last production of the four opera cycle eight years ago, my overiding memory is of sore legs from almost 19 hours of sitting in four evenings. The casting of that run was in no way comparable to the current cast, which includes the amazing Eric Owens' portrayal of Alberich, the madman who steals the gold from the Rhinemaidens at the bottom of the Rhine. The big thing about his portrayal was his intensity and great theatrical flair, wedded to probably the best bass-baritone in opera. The scene where he transforms himself first into a dragon, and then a toad, was the best one in the entire opera, and the visiual effects were stunning.

Bryn Terfel, the amazing Welshman with the beautiful base- baritone voice, just now coming to grips with heavier roles, impressed by his sensitivity, and the beauty of his highly polished German diction. He succeeds is giving a lieder-like intimacy to certain passages, and his monumental girth is an asset is protraying Wotan, the King of the Gods. Stephanie Blythe as his wife Fricka uses her huge voice with authority and poise, overcoming a terrible costume that makes her look far too frilly and frumpy. I loved Richard Croft as Loge, keeper of the flame so to speak, who handled this role with the mercurical temperment it so needs.

Getting back to that set. Here we have a giant steel frame of vertical girders that somehow manages to assume all sorts of geometrical shapes and sizes. When closed it becomes a giant screen, on which images of water, fire, and sky add enormously to the scenic effects. My favorite was the final tableaux, where Wotan leads his family over the rainbow bridge to Valhalla and his newly constructed castle. The singers are suspended in air on a huge platform that slants in a 70 degree angle to the right, a good 25 feet above the floor of the stage. The twilight sky gives way to thousand of stars, leaving the audience breathless, soon erupting into the biggest ovation I have witnessed at the Met in many years.

The true genius behind all this is James Levine. Up and about after months of back torture and operations, he was simply amazing with his magisterial approach to this score. One of the best accompanists for singers today, he molded the orchestra into a velvet glove of sound, at once luxurious but malleable and full of strength. So many details emerged, all showing superior judgment of great musicianship and character. The overriding feeling was one of great spaciousness and poise, allowing the music to unfold with wave after wave of sonic splendor.

Oh! Those Charlestonians are so Smooth.

Charlestonias have a certain quality. One can tell they were around long before the rest of us here in South Carolina. I love their genteel ways, and the conversation that always has a different slant. One lady said its because of the light. "Painters come heah to study the light!", she remarked as I gazed out the window at one of those pink low country sunsets. I was at Charleston Southern University for a "Piano Portrait" featuring the music of Chopin and Schumann. I didn't really know what kind of audience would show up, but in the end it was a mix of students, piano teachers, faculty and Charlestonians. The Charlestonians sat in front, and the students aimed for the back rows, probably to Twitter away, of keep up with Facebook. I had a funny thought. Perhaps I should have stayed home and just streamed from my living room.

Now that would have been a mistake. Once again I proved to myself the power of live communication, and the use of PowerPoint to make many points in a powerful way. I am now the Master of PowerPoint, having transfered the knowledge gainned working with a slide projector in hundreds of presentations. In fact, my "Piano Portraits" have long since passed 150 performances. I know alot about how long an image can stay on the screen, where to place a slide that will allow time for a musical interlude, or an expanded explanation. It is difficult for many to be artistic with this medium. So many PowerPoint presentations I have seem at music converntions and workshops are really quite amateurish, as they aim solely to mark the points of the presentation. For me, PowerPoint is a fluid state of mind, able to travel quickly when you need it, and slow down for a curve.

I had a strange feeling giving this presentation. The students seemed noncommmittal at first, although very quiet. After the first selection..."Traumerai" of Schumann, I heard a distinct SIGH from one of the "genteels". Then when I pointed out the accompaniment pattern of Schumann's "Intermezzo", with its rolling left hand figurations and powerful harmonies, I glanced up and saw a young man with his mouth open, as if transfixed. When I then played the melody soaring over the accompaniment like a beautiful viola solo, I felt the whole room was right in the palm of my hand. So simple an illustration, but through the power of music, a sublime moment.

I think today we need to go back a few decades as far as how we approach the appreciation and explanation of music. Leonard Bernstein was a genius with his programs for young audiences in the early days of TV. But there have been many others who have done this well. The problem today lies with a certain low regard schools have for teaching the subject. Often grad students are handed music appreciation classes, and often it is regarded as a chore, not an opportunity. It has to be a PASSION, and that is more important than ever in the current cultural malaise. It is no secret that most young people are ill imformed about the arts and humanities, and often have no exposure to classical music. What needs to happen is for the arts to become a normal part of the routine of growing up, integrated fully into the learning process. It pains me that most people making big decisions today, expecially Representatives, Senators, Governors, and even PRESIDENTS seem ill at ease with the arts. That's because they had none or little along the way. So much of our culture today is hand-to-mouth.

That's why "Piano Portraits" have ended up the biggest thing I have done in my career. People came up Tuesday after the performance and said.."I loved the integration of art with music". Perhaps what seems so normal to me is a revelation to others. Is that not the true nature of teaching?