Focusing on the Details

Did you guess this item that is featured in a 2017/18 Lyric production?

Answer

Wotan's coat from Die Walküre

In the second installment of Wagner’s Ring cycle, Die Walküre, Wotan’s coat is one of many extraordinary costumes created by London-based costume designer Marie-Jeanne Lecca. I had a chance to speak with Lyric costume director Maureen Reilly, who was able to give me exclusive details into Marie-Jeanne’s costume-design process for this new production.

Maureen finds it exciting working on the costumes for a new production such as Die Walküre, because things are still being figured out and possibly changed or adapted, based on the visual elements onstage. Examples of costumes that received modifications during the rehearsal process, after being seen onstage for the first time, are those worn by the mortuary attendants. During the scene in which they collect dead bodies after the battle, their headpieces were changed from white to red, and their aprons were splattered with additional blood to appear even more gruesome.

Marie-Jeanne is a brilliant designer, and her work is extremely thorough. She finds it very important to take into consideration the artists who will be performing each role. Her inspiration to illustrate a tree on Wotan’s coat came from a photo by photographer Jerry Uelsmann’s silver print, Untitled, 1982.

Maureen believes the tree portrayed on the coat symbolizes the tree of life and the metaphorical fabric of life intertwining. The tree was first printed onto the fabric using a silk screen. After sampling a number of different fabrics and textures to lay over the print, Marie-Jeanne settled on a lighter fabric entwined with ribbon. It is important to note that the red pattern printed on the coat, which intertwines to form the tree visual, is continuous and never breaks. This might also symbolize Wotan’s strength and his position as king of the gods.

We hope you’ll attend in person to see Wotan’s coat and all the incredible costumes from this new production during the run of Die Walküre, playing at the Lyric Opera House through November 30.