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Show Soprano Farrell And Wagner Happily Paired B. PIACERE All that went wanting in last Wednesday Wednes-day evening's Wagner epi-"Ring"-cycle was the pictorial immortalization of the grand entrance of Eileen Farrell by some exhuberant Rubens. No Marie de Medicis ever landed on the short with more fanfare fan-fare and enthusiastic reception. AND WHAT WAS lacking in mermaids, mer-maids, cheribum, and velour was more than abundant in Teutonic magnitude. Her arrival had been loudly heralded in the Overture to the Flying Dutchman, and anticipation had been kindled in the darting themes of Die Walkure in a performance per-formance that even the anti-Wagnerian could enjoy. Then, Farrell entered in a tumult of applause. At first sight, she is Brunhilde; and upon hearing her, she is more than Brunhilde. Brun-hilde. Her's is such a voice as amazement is made of. Nothing hinders her. WITH AN EASE that appears nonchalant, noncha-lant, she steps effortlessly over such minor obstacles as Wagner and his full symphony orchestra. Entirely without the drama of a diva, she wore a deceivingly common shyness and a contrasting gown. And, save for the armor, she might have appeared to be Siegfried's Ideal. But when all was sung and done, the audience audi-ence could hardly do enough for her; the heat of their response coming as much from the hope of hearing an encore as from gratitude for what they had just heard. But that response is all past headlines now. About all that can be argued is just how many curtain calls she actually received. re-ceived. She left no doubt that she had triumphed. And though the sheer variety and pyrotechnics of "Brunhilde's Demolition Demoli-tion Scene" provided a smashing conclusion conclu-sion logically and tonally; it was in the Liebestod from Tristan that all was lost to her articulate and powerful ability. Here she showed not only the dynamic level she can master but the more subtle calm she can evoke for a thoroughly moving mov-ing experience. It takes some exceptional doing to save one's "nervous-tedious" system in an all-Wagner splurge. Farrell, fortunately, proved to be that exception. |