The Rhinemaidens

It still has not quite dawned on me that the Met's Ring season has -- as a post at Anne Midgette's new WaPo blog called to mind -- in fact begun, though it's a week until the next iteration (Iréne Theorin's unexpected Met debut in Valkyrie). The last presentation here in New York was from Gergiev and his neon goth caveman production for the Mariinsky. (Actually, it's not half as interesting as that may sound -- basically just cheesy hodgepodge -- though some improvement may have been accomplished before its London appearance this summer.)

The last Met ring was in spring 2004 -- before this blog began -- but the 2007 Mariinsky visit did inspire some general thoughts on Wagner's cycle.

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Meanwhile, two of this revival's three Rhinemaidens -- Lisette Oropesa, Kate Lindsey, and Tamara Mumford (Lindemann grads all, from high to low) -- were engaged by the other Met for its spring concert series. Mumford's recital was two Saturdays ago: an excellently sung but underattended event. Perhaps Lindsey's recital this Friday will get better turnout. Lindsey is more than just a great characterizer of pants roles -- though she certainly is that -- just as Mumford is more than the full-voiced character mezzo that's been her Met career to date (continuing tonight with her Maddalena in Rigoletto).