Chicago On the Aisle - Recommended
"...Owens’ masterful performance put a strengthening dramatic line under the comedy. So did Davis and the orchestra, whose enchanting “Forest Murmurs” scene, with the magical sounds of the trees and grasses gently rustling, sounded abundant and plush in the quiet. One might have wished for a few more strings, they played so beautifully, but the moment was pristine. Siegfried attempted to “speak” to the wildlife, trying first to play on a flute, then on a horn (assisted by the superb John Zirbel). The young hero seemed sweetly engaged; in all, it was the perfect idyll."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Beautiful. Exhausting. Whimsical. That’s how I would describe Siegfried — in that order. The third installment of Richard Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle has all the gorgeous music you would expect, played by an excellent orchestra and sung by an international cast of musician-actors. At a run-time of five hours, including two 30-minute intermissions, Siegfried wears out audiences, performers, crew, and staff alike — some more than others. It also moves in a more whimsical and comical direction than the earlier Ring operas."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The most amusing of the tetralogy, Siegfried provides Pountney and his cast, including several Lyric debuts, with opportunities for adventure, humor, and whimsy, as well as drama and dazzling set pieces. Conductor Sir Andrew Davis and the Lyric’s orchestra continue their loving and passionate rendition of Wagner’s complex weaving of leitmotifs, but tenors Burkhard Firtz as Siegfried and Matthias Klink as Mime provide this production’s most distinctive charm."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Somewhat Recommended
"...The issue in this production is that Siegfried’s infantilization makes his character-establishing first scene inspire annoyance with his childish cruelty and sympathy with the piece’s villain. It’s the same pity you feel watching a parent deal with an unruly two-year-old at Starbucks, which makes it difficult to reconcile with the following action, in which Siegfried is meant to rise to the role of hero."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by David Pountney and surrounded by the storybook-style scenery conceived by the original designer, the late Johan Engels, and further developed by Robert Innes Hopkins, the drama's three acts are strewed with fanciful touches and the characters are everything hoped for when a mythological tale comes to life."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...To say that this Lyric production features superlative singing and music seems to this reviewer to be a bit redundant. Do you expect anything less than that ! Burkhard Fritz as Siegfried sings in nearly every scene with an energizer bunny type consistency. The entire cast matches his energy, though in the first scenes it seemed to this reviewer that we could hear the singing much more clearly when the performers were positioned towards the front of the stage. At other times, they seemed drowned out a bit by the orchestra. (Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis)"
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Esteemed director David Pountney continues his exploration of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at Lyric Opera of Chicago with “Siegfried.” There is much to adore. Set designer Robert Innes Hopkins’ work, expanding upon earlier work of Johan Engels, is sometimes invigorating. His setpieces for the section of the first act when Siegfried restores his father’s broken sword takes a passage that can feel overly long and infuses it with a sense of fun. The dragon Fafner and the forest bird take puppetry to a new level, where the means quickly disappear, and the creatures become as magically real as any fairy tale lover could imagine. Costume designer Marie-Jeanne Lecca’s dress for Erda is, appropriately, out of this world."
