The cast were uniformly vocally strong, and in fact mostly superb – in particular the trio of Loge, Wotan and Alberich, who between them carry the bulk of the singing – but also well supported by excellent vocals across the whole cast. The directorial decisions aside, there was a huge amount to admire in this production. In fact, this was a sustained thread through the whole production – each character was clearly defined, even in the minor roles such as Blake Denson's aggressive Donner (brilliant casting – his hugely powerful bass boomed across the stage exactly as you'd expect from the god of thunder) and the golden voice and flowing locks of Julian Hubbard's hot-headed but ineffective Froh. His performance was a consistent delight from start to finish, whether facing down the demands of the giants, lecturing a defeated Alberich or intervening to protect Loge, his characterisation of Wotan's tortured decision making, as he tries to escape the problems he has created for himself, was enthralling, both vocally and in his physical depiction. Three substantial geometrical cloudshapes, supported on sturdy struts formed the set for the first scene, as the action moved from the depths of the Rhine to the realm of the gods, led with gravitas by John Relyea's Wotan, who's unflagging and powerful bass is ideally suited to this role.
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