175,000 left waiting for Met techies to fix the ‘Die Walküre’ planks
The massive set for Wagner’s “Ring” being staged at the Metropolitan Opera picked a fine time to misbehave. A technical problem left an estimated 175,000 people sitting in movie theaters around the world (and nearly 4,000 people at the Met itself) twiddling their thumbs while waiting for the start of a live high-definition broadcast of “Die Walküre,” the cycle’s second installment. Finally, after about 45 minutes, the performance started.
The 45-ton set consists of a row of giant planks that revolve around an axis, which can also move up and down. Each plank has an encoder that transmits information about its position to a computer, the Met’s technical director, John Sellars, explained during the first intermission. One of those encoders was not working and had to be fixed, causing the delay, he said.
The malfunction was reminiscent of the “Ring’s” opening night, the first performance of “Das Rheingold” in September, when a problem prevented the formation of the bridge over which the gods cross into Valhalla.
via NYTimes.com
Photo: © Ken Howard
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
