Yuval Sharon’s quest for new operatic horizons continues. This time, he has revamped Götterdämmerung, the final chapter of Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen, as an English-language drive-through experience uniquely “recontextualized” for our present moment of blighted isolation. You watch from your car, driving from scene to apocalyptic scene, followed by other viewers on the same track. (Pity the performers, condemned to crank up to peak intensity for each new convoy. Groundhog Day: Götterdämmerung.) Of Wagner’s four-and-a-half hours of music some 60 minutes remain. In place of the gargantuan orchestra, there’s an ensemble of nine pieces. Critics who caught Twilight: Gods at its premiere in a Detroit garage last fall went bananas. For the record, the show had the briefest of runs, and tickets were like hen’s teeth. Bragging rights for those who were there skyrocketed accordingly. Call it the Sharon Effect. Trust but verify! —M.G.
The Arts Intel Report
Twilight: Gods
When
Apr 28 – May 2, 2021