The Rhinemaiden trio was hauntingly melodic and Richard Paul Fink‘s Alberich was sung with dramatic attention to the foil he plays.

Their taunting of Alberich was actually humorous and drew laughter from the knowledgeable and involved audience. The Rhinemaidens swimming in the depths (suspended from above) were very effective. From the opening E-flat major chord, which conductor Asher Fisch developed in a leisurely manner from virtually nothing to the gloriously rippling Rhine, I was impressed by his handling of the 100-plus piece orchestra, drawn from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and incorporating Wagner specialists from near and far. I saw the first of this summer’s three cycles with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. The Rhinemaidens hover over their gold (Elise Bakketun) In that sense, it may be closer to Wagner’s original concept than any Ring currently being performed. The Seattle Opera’s latest Ring cycle, directed by Stephen Wadsworth, shows the influence of the northwest environment – lots of trees, cliffs, etc. The lush Pacific Northwest was the inspiration for the Seattle Opera Ring Cycle, revived in August 2013 (Elise Bakketun) By Ken Hoover

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