Wagner’s Das Rheingold earns praise for its vocal artistry

Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold made a striking impression at the Saaremaa Opera Days, with its singers’ voices and visual design drawing particular praise. In a review for ERR, Tiiu Levald called the July 18, 2026, performance a major event for Estonian opera.

Levald praised conductor Risto Joost for bringing the first part of Wagner’s Ring cycle to the stage in Estonia and for assembling a strong creative team. Michiel Dijkema of the Netherlands directed and designed the production and its lighting, while Martijn Kramp, also from the Netherlands, designed the costumes.

The reviewer described the singing as an exceptional blend of vocal colours and harmony. She credited Joost’s musical instinct and taste with the successful choice of singers, noting his own experience as a countertenor. Sound engineer Tanel Klesment helped ensure clear, differentiated sound in the Kuressaare opera tent.

The staging made the Ring a recurring visual symbol, from a curved wooden staircase linking the gods’ Valhalla with the contrasting worlds of Nibelheim to a circular pool representing the Rhine. The Rhine maidens guarded the gold in the pool, while changing colours on the background screens matched the music and the characters’ moods.

After watching productions in Vienna, Zurich and at the Finnish National Opera, Levald said the Saaremaa staging surpassed them in its concept, visuals and cast. She noted that Estonian bass Ain Anger had sung one of the giants in the Vienna production, while Estonian singer Koit Soasepp had performed the same role in Finland.