Long days

These are rather long days. I haven’t spent much time on Siegfried, but I like this performance quite a lot, so I neither can nor will keep my self completely away from it. Yesterday I had rehearsals on Die Götterdämmerung from 11 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on Siegfried from 6 to 10 p.m. on stage. With Siegfried I think everybody has underestimated how challenging it is, since it’s just a revival. But we are getting ahead with it.

Tomorrow we will have worked our way through the whole Die Götterdämmerung and I really believe it is all coming together. I have had my doubts about several parts, but we have found good solutions for all of them. Today we came up with a really emotional and strong idea regarding Siegfrieds’ death. It is SO funny working with this stuff, but it is a long opera, so there are still a lot of things that have to be done!! Anyway, we’ll make it in time, even though we’re in a hurry.

It’s strange suddenly getting the feeling that this will soon be over. It already feels kind of sad, since it is so wonderful working with the Ring.

Johnny van Hal is really good as a new Siegfried - a highly impressive performance. I wish I could have been more there for him during the rehearsals – I really should have been! – But he is doing a great job coming up with a lot of personal ideas and suggestions himself!