Representation
North America
Jon Aaron
Managing Director
Aaron Concert Artists
331 West 57th St. #344
New York 10019
Phone: 212-665-0313
E-mail: jon@aaronconcert.com
Europe
Valérie Lafont
Cinquièmes Cordes
42, rue des Vinaigriers
F-75010 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 40 35 71 56
E-mail: valerie@cinquiemescordes.com
Programs
The Rheingold Curse
A Germanic Saga of Greed and Vengeance from the Medieval Icelandic Edda
Reconstruction, by Benjamin Bagby, of the ancient Germanic Rheingold story from the Old Icelandic Edda. This is the oldest-known witness to the story of gold, greed and revenge which captivated Europe for centuries and which served as the basis for Richard Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen cycle. Three singers are joined by two instrumentalists to tell the story of Fafnir the dragon, the dwarf Regin, Sigurd the young hero, the Valkyrie Brünnhild and her beautiful rival, Gudrun; Atli the murderous Hunnish chieftain and many others. The story is framed by the visionary prophecy of the Seeress, telling of the beginning and ending of the world.
Released as a double CD in 2001. For more details on this program, see: Music theater: Ping Chong’s staging of the ‘Rheingold Curse’
| Benjamin Bagby | voice, lyre |
| Agnethe Christensen | voice (Brynhild), drum |
| Lena Susanne Norin | voice (Gudrun) |
| Elizabeth Gaver | fiddle |
| Norbert Rodenkirchen | flutes, lyre |
Concept, musical direction, final text versions, musical reconstructions of the sung texts: Benjamin Bagby.
Instrumental arrangements and accompaniments by Elizabeth Gaver (fiddle) and Norbert Rodenkirchen (flutes), in collaboration with Benjamin Bagby (lyre).
Pronounciation and language consultation (before and during the production): Heimir Palsson (Reykjavik).
Sources: sungs texts from the Codex Regius (Reykjavik, Iceland, Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, Gl.kgl.sml.2365 4to.) in the editions of Gustav Neckel / Hans Kuhn (Heidelberg, 1962), with editorial adjustments made by Heimir Palsson based on the facsimile of Codex Regius.
Instruments: 6-string lyres by Rainer Thurau (Wiesbaden, 1997 and 2001); 4-string fiddle by Richard Earle (Basel, 2001); wooden flutes by Neidhart Bousset (Berlin, 1992-98); swan’s bone flute by Friedrich van Huene (Boston, 1998); caribou-skin frame drum, traditional, Kwakiutl culture (Vancouver, B.C., ca. 1998).
Thanks ro the following people and institutions in Iceland who helped Sequentia to realize this project:
Heimir Pálsson (Reykjavík, Iceland) for his inspiring and patient help with these difficult texts and their pronounciation.
The Stofnun Árna Magnússonar (Reykjavík), in particular to Rosa Thorsteinsdottir, Vesteinn Olason and Gisli Sigurdsson, for generous assistance and use of its historical sound archives during three research visits to Iceland.
The Pieces
1. Hliods bid ek allar kindir (Voluspa / The Prophecy of the Seeress, part 1)
Rodenkirchen (swan’s bone flute); Christensen & Norin (voices)
2. Odinn ok Hoenir ok Loki (Reginsmal / The Lay of Regin)
Bagby (voice & lyre)
3. Sveinn oc sveinn (Fafnismal / The Lay of Fafnir)
Gaver (fiddle); Christensen, Norin, & Bagby (voices); Rodenkirchen (flute)
4. Hvat beit brynio, hvi bra ec svefni? (Sigrdrifomal / The Lay of Sigrdrifa (Brynhild)
Christensen & Bagby (voices); Rodenkirchen (flute)
5. [Instrumental interlude]
Gaver (fiddle) & Rodenkirchen (flute)
6. Ar var, thatz Sigurdr sotti Giuka (Sigurdarkvida in Scamma / The Lay of Sigurd, part 1)
Gaver (fiddle); Bagby, Christensen & Norin (voices)
7. Ar var, thatz Gudrun gordiz at deyia (Gudrunarkvida in Fyrsta / The First Lay of Gudrun)
Bagby & Rodenkirchen (lyres); Norin (voice)
8. Kona varp ondo, enn konungr fiorvi (Sigurdarkvida in Scamma / The Lay of Sigurd, part 2)
Bagby & Christensen (voices)
9. Maer var ec meyia, modir mic foeddi (Gudrunarkvida Onnor / The Second Lay of Gudrun)
Gaver (fiddle); Norin & Christensen (voices)
10. Atli sendi ar til Gunnars (Atlakvida / The Lay of Atli)
Rodenkirchen (flute); Christensen (drum); Bagby (voice & lyre); Norin (voice)
11. That man hon folkvig fyrst i heimi (Voluspa / The Prophecy of the Seeress, part 2)
Gaver (fiddle); Christensen, Norin & Bagby (voices); Rodenkirchen (swan’s bone flute)
Further Reading
The Rheingold Curse: Introduction
The Reconstruction of Eddic Performance
Excerpts from reviews of ‘Rheingold Curse’ performances in the USA (January-February 2010)
Program Archive
Lost Songs of a Rhineland Harper
Upcoming Concerts
19 June 2010
Montalbâne Festival, Germany
Fragments for the End of Time
24 September 2010
Cité de la Musique, Paris
The Rheingold Curse
News
Early Music America Annual Award
Early Music America, the national service organization for the field of early music, has announced the winners of its 2010 awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments in early music. Benjamin Bagby will receive the Howard Mayer Brown Award for lifetime achievement in the field of early music. The awards will be presented at the EMA Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Berkeley Early Music Festival on 11 June 2010.
Visions of Paradise
In September 2009 a new film about the life of Hildegard von Bingen, directed by Margarethe von Trotta and starring Barbara Sukowa, was released in Germany. More
Interview with Benjamin Bagby
WNYC, New York Public Radio, aired an interview with the ‘Beowulf’ performer, B. Bagby. Listen to the show
Beowulf on DVD
Benjamin Bagby’s legendary performance of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf (part I) recorded live in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Visit the Beowulf website