DAVENPORT, IOWA (November 26, 2019) — Nothing quite captures passion like the throes of forbidden love. The QCSO will take on Peter Mumford’s multimedia production of Wagner’s Die Walküre, Act 1 on Dec. 7 and 8, combining orchestra, vocalists, and captivating video projections across three different screens to bring to life Siegmund and Sieglinde’s passion for one another.
A Total Work of Art Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre is the second of four parts that make up his opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. It was first performed in its entirety in 1876 at the inaugural Bayreuth Festival. “Twins separated at birth. A warrior being chased down to somehow find himself in the home of the twin from whom he was separated, and they weirdly fall in love. It’s a super complicated story,” said QCSO Music Director and Conductor Mark Russell Smith. “Yet what Wagner does musically and dramatically is something that nobody else had ever done to that degree.” Siegmund and Sieglinde are in fact twins separated by their father Wotan, the god of battle. Despite being related, the two cannot help but fall for each other, a forbidden love that angers the gods. The story is heavily inspired by Norse mythology, carefully toeing the line that separates the worlds of mortal and god. It is a classic drama, perfectly encapsulating the themes of war, passion, and love. “The way Wagner could use the orchestral sound to portray passion, to get things stirred up, the way he would take music and make it so symbolic…” Smith said. “What Wagner does musically is unbelievable.” QCSO Executive Director Brian Baxter agrees, adding, “This was Wagner’s idea of a total work of art. It is absolute perfection.” Bringing to Life Wagner’s Full Vision Undoubtedly Masterworks III is one of the season’s most unique performances. Not only is it an opera, but it’s multimedia in nature through the talents and expertise of acclaimed director and lighting and projection manager Peter Mumford. “Peter Mumford is extraordinarily talented,” Baxter said. “He has done the entire Ring Cycle in the UK, but never here. So this is the North American premiere.” Mumford’s re-imagining of Die Walküre blends the orchestra and vocalists with visual and lighting effects, the aim of which is to tell the narrative in a way that truly captures the splendor of this mythical world. “We’ll have screens over the orchestra with visualizations that will be paired with the action on the stage,” Baxter described. “The three singers are very simply dressed. They’re not wearing full costumes; there’s not a big set with a giant tree and a sword. The singers are not conversing with each other; instead, they’re singing directly to the audience.” All the while the screens will add to the story, helping the audience track what’s happening. Because there are no props or costumes, the visualizations will amplify these aspects, too. “All of the Ring Cycle is about storytelling with the characters. It makes sense the way it’s being done. It’s an evocative way to do it,” Baxter concludes. An Epic Treat Aside from Mumford’s fresh take on a classic opera, the vocalists bring a powerful element to Masterworks III. Issachah Savage will perform as Siegmund; Heidi Melton as Sieglinde; and finally, Stefan Szkafarowsky as Sieglinde’s husband, Hunding. “They are Wagnerian singers,” Smith said. “It’s an utterly unique thing. You have to have such power in your voice and be able to ride over a full orchestra. Wagnerian singers are very rare. Finding three vocalists in the world who can sing these roles — to have the physical apparatus — is almost superhuman.” For Smith, he has no doubt the evening will end in triumph. “With multimedia, with screens, with singers, with lighting, with the orchestra, we are able to present a theatrical evening. And this is what Wagner was all about: the combination and potency of music and drama.” Event Details Masterworks III: Passion December 7, 2019 | 8PM Adler Theatre | Davenport, IA December 8, 2019 | 2PM Adler Theatre | Davenport, IA Tickets start at $18 for Adults and $10 for Children/Students, and can be purchased online at QCSO.org, by phone at 563.322.7276, and in person at the QCSO Box Office located at 327 Brady Street in Davenport. Tickets will also be sold at the venue beginning 90 minutes before each performance. Enrich Your Experience INSIDE THE MUSIC
Join QCSO Music Director Mark Russell Smith in an exploration of the Masterworks programs on the Thursday evening preceding each Masterworks concert. Doors open at 4:45PM. Free Admission. Cash Bar. Hosted at the Adler Theatre. CONCERT CONVERSATIONS
One hour prior to each Masterworks performance, concert goers are invited to attend informal pre-concert conversations to hear about the works being presented. Hosted by Kai Swanson. Sponsored by Chris Connoly, Wells Fargo Advisors. AFTERGLOW
Mingle with Maestro Mark Russell Smith, guest artists, and members of the QCSO immediately following the Saturday Masterworks performances. Free Admission. Cash Bar. Hosted at the Hotel Blackhawk.
About the Quad City Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1915, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is among the 20 longest-established, continuously-operating orchestral associations in the United States. The QCSO presents a full season each year supplemented by pops and special events. The orchestra has demonstrated steady artistic growth measured by the depth of the repertoire performed. Iowa and Illinois subscribers to QCSO performances are residents of more than 70 cities and towns. The orchestra consists of an average of 80 players. The QCSO provides programs and community service to a market of more than 450,000 residents of eastern Iowa and western Illinois, staging performances in both Iowa and Illinois. In 1958, the QCSO founded the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra and since has added four additional training ensembles: the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Youth String Ensemble, Prelude Strings, and Youth Choir. Music education outreach programming includes dozens of education programs delivered to over 10,000 area students annually and more than 250,000 over the years to students in Iowa and Illinois. The League of American Orchestras has recognized the QCSO Volunteers for Symphony for its role in implementing these innovative educational programs uplifting youth through music and the arts. The QCSO receives contributions from more than 1000 families, businesses, and foundations.
