Ring Symposium II

Come and hear from a variety of leading Wagner scholars and authors as they explore the complexities of The Ring. Past symposia have been sell-out events, so we highly encourage you to book your tickets early

Speakers for August 19 include:
10:00 a.m. — Stewart Spencer : My Ideal Alberich: Robson and Wagner in London
This presentation will discuss Wagner’s reactions to Victorian London and the state of the capital’s theaters in 1855. The focus will be on the burlesques and pantomimes that the composer saw, which influenced his thinking about the way the Ring should be staged, with particular reference to stage effects and acting styles. The talk will be illustrated with slides of contemporary prints, engravings, and paintings.
Stewart Spencer is a British author of several Wagner books.

11:00 a.m. — William Berger: Questioning the Gesamtkunstwerk: A Concurrence of Architecture and Richard Wagner
Beginning around the turn of the last century, many leading architects—particularly Louis Sullivan and Richard Neutra—were convinced that their revolutionary work in architecture was an extension of Wagner’s work in theater. Specifically, the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk, the total work of art, became an ideal for these great creators, though people soon found it was not actually possible—or even desirable—to achieve in architecture. In opera, however, people have yet to reassess this goal. Now that we have reached a stalemate in the “traditional vs. avant-garde” debate, shouldn’t we start to question our artistic aims in presenting a work such as the Ring?
William Berger is the author of several books on opera and radio producer for the Metropolitan Opera.

12:00 p.m. — Lunch Break

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Clare Burovac will interview Greer Grimsley (Wotan/The Wanderer) and Maestro Robert Spano about their involvement with Seattle Opera’s production.

Fisher Pavillion, Seattle Center Campus
Admission: $70 per symposium (including refreshments).
This event is open to the public.