Greetings loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is a great Wagnerian as you might have guessed from the Wagner link on the sidebar. Well, last Friday night your Maximum Leader and some of his close associates went to see the Washington Opera’s performance of Die Walkure. (If you are interested, read the Washington Post review here.) During one of the intermissions your Maximum Leader was able to have a quick word with National Security Advisor Dr. Condolezza Rice and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (As they were also in attendance. You see, your Maximum Leader travels in all the right circles. And I will add, Dr. Rice is both taller and more attractive than you might guess from TV. Justice Ginsburg is just what you would expect from the photos.)

Your Maximum Leader has decided to pronounce his own review of the opera. Placido Domingo was absolutely fantastic. Your Maximum Leader saw him earlier in the year and he seemed tired and his voice a little thin. But Friday night he was spot on as Sigmund. He had a dramatic presence that filled the hall, and his voice was strong. (It reminded me of some of his recordings I’ve heard that were made over 20 years ago.) And I was blown away by Alan Held’s Wotan. He was great! Easily one of the best Wotan’s your Maximum Leader has heard. But, there were two downfalls to an otherwise great performance. The first was Carolyn Thomas’ Brunnhilde. She was the understudy to Linda Watson (who sprained her ankle the night before and wasn’t able to perform). Ms. Thomas’ voice was a thin and your Maximum Leader wasn’t able to hear her when she wasn’t directly facing him. (But she did well all thngs considered.) The greatest problem with the whole performance was the set. Or should your Maximum Leader say, lack of sets. The sets were awful. They reminded me of the Villainschloss’ torture chambers. (Lots of very uncomfortable steel chairs.) Wagner’s music doesn’t need to be supported by grand sets; but it generally is. Wagner wrote grand spectacles. It was disappointing not to get one. Thus endeth the review.

Long after the opera has ended, your Maximum Leader has one line of Wotan’s in his mind. The line was in Act II, Scene two. Wotan says (sings): …denn selbst muss der Freie sich schaffen;… Your Maximum Leader likes this particular translation: …the free man creates himself;… “The free man creates himself.” A very deep thought. One that fits with Wagner’s belief in the Germanic Ubermench. But perhaps one that we should reflect on in a less Nietzcheian way. As Americans we should be free to create ourselves. Our nation was founded without the burdens of history that continue to shackle Europe and the rest of the world. Americans are free to create themselves by their own abilities and drive. Humm… I think there is a longer essay here. I’ll have to ruminate on it for a while.

Carry on.