Halle/Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
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Your support makes all the difference.A wild place at the foot of a rocky mountain, a wall of flames, a sleeping horse and a prostrate figure in shining armour are essential, you might think, to a convincing performance of even one act of Wagner's Siegfried. But with no set, props or special effects, this concert performance by the Hallé and Mark Elder of the final act of the third part of the Ring cycle lacked nothing in dramatic intensity.
Bleeding chunks of Wagner get a bad press, but when an isolated act is presented with such conviction and meticulous attention by conductor, orchestra and soloists, it can - as it did here - let us concentrate purely on thrilling performances.
Ben Heppner made a much-anticipated appearance in the title role, leading a dream cast. Whatever it cost the Hallé to assemble this starry line-up, it was worth every penny. Not surprisingly for a singer whose reputation in German heroic roles is unmatched, this glimpse into Heppner's interpretation of Siegfried left one desperate to hear his first staged performances, promised for 2008 with Sir Simon Rattle in Aix-en-Provence. On the evidence of this night, his wonderfully vital Siegfried is as polished and penetrating as his character is rough-and-ready and naive.
Every inch a Nordic goddess, Iréne Theorin brought Brünnhilde to vivid life, poignancy, fear and ecstasy all colouring the mounting fervour with which she bade farewell to the world of the gods. She was magnificently ardent, yet able to fine down her burnished tone to the sweetest pianissimo. Together, she and Heppner sounded perfectly matched.
A clear-sighted reading of the score conveyed theatrical excitement from the prelude and opening scene between the Wanderer (a sonorous Johan Reuter) and the earth goddess Erda (a thrillingly dark-toned Anna Larsson) to the ecstatic end.
Elder never forced the pace, but he galvanised the orchestra into hugely committed playing. Beautifully sustained string-sound, fine brass contributions and the most eloquent woodwind murmurs were topped by six harps, glittering as Brünnhilde greeted the day. This was one of those great Manchester nights, a triumph for the Hallé and its dynamic music director.
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