'Die Walküre': a pulse-pounding night for 'Ring' fans

Nothing gets the pulse pounding for "Ring" fans like the opening of "Die Walküre," a viscerally exciting musical depiction of a warrior on the run: pounding footsteps, thunder and lightning. We all know the warrior, Siegmund, is about to run into more excitement than he bargained for at the hut of the nasty Hunding.

And Seattle Opera audiences were in for plenty of excitement, too, in a "Die Walküre" that bristled with theatrical urgency and musical energy. Robert Spano's orchestra was in considerably better form than in the opening "Das Rheingold" on Sunday, with beautiful winds, noble horns and some very fine string playing.

Greer Grimsley went from strength to strength as a noble, fallible Wotan who made every word and gesture count. His performance was full of rich details; an extra-long pause in the repeated phrase, "Das Ende," had the audience holding its breath too. At the opera's end, when Wotan has renounced his beloved daughter, Grimsley makes clear his total devastation.

Seldom does the role of Fricka dominate a "Walküre" so compellingly as when Stephanie Blythe is singing. Her voice just gets more amazing with each performance: huge, sumptuous, beautifully crafted waves of mezzo-soprano brilliance. Each note was a thrill. Never has one wished more fervently that Fricka had been given more to sing.

The ill-fated lovers, Siegmund (Stuart Skelton) and Sieglinde (Margaret Jane Wray), were a perfectly matched pair in every respect. Vocally resplendent and exciting to hear, the duo even looked alike, and their acting produced as incandescent an Act I as Seattle Opera has ever presented. The drama was enhanced by the genuinely scary, commandingly dark-voiced Hunding of Andrea Silvestrelli.

It is the role of Brünnhilde that gives this opera its title ("The Valkyrie"), and Janice Baird — a seasoned Wagnerian — is new to this year's cast. Her Seattle debut last season in "Elektra" already made it clear that she is a compelling actress and a solid dramatic soprano; on Monday night, her "Walküre" performance was a little more variable. At her best, she is a remarkable Brünnhilde who got steadily better as the performance went on; she has looks, acting ability, and impressive high notes. Less effective were the register shifts that pushed hard on the lower tones, and a few pitch issues. Her farewell scene with Wotan was remarkably moving.

The Valkyries were in terrific form. A tip of the winged helmet to Valkyries Miriam Murphy, Sally Wolf, Luretta Bybee, Jennifer Hines, Marie Plette, Sarah Heltzel, Michele Losier and Maria Streijffert.

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@aol.com