sister act
Christine Brewer and Linda Watson will share the role of Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in all performances at the Met this season. Lisa Gasteen was originally scheduled to sing Brünnhilde in the second and third cycles, but has withdrawn from the performances due to a back injury. Brewer will replace her in the second cycle, and Watson will replace her in the third.
Hmmm. Now the Ring is cursed with casting changes like Tristan und Isolde was.
“back injury” is the new “indisposed”.
jatm: Actually, I think this is a necessary pre-emptive move on the Met’s part (from what I’ve heard of Ms Gasteen’s current vocal estate).
They have had to make a lot of major and pretty last minute cast changes that they should have been able to avoid!
Well, Christine has just gotten a helluva lot richer — and the grand lady with a great voice has earned it!!
Good for her. I suppose this is no great surprise, as everyone has been speculating that Gasteen no longer (if ever) had the top range of voice to handle Brunnhilde — good old Commonwelath casting from the Ingpen-inspred (still) casting office of the Met. When will they ever learn?
But on Mme Brewer, when I say she has earned it, the grapevine has long been thrumming with word of the Illinois-born, St. Louis-trained soprano’s impressive preparation for her climactic Wagnerian roles. It is no secret that in the San Francisco Isoldes of several seasons ago, C. B. had some problems of memory and text; the first night was rather compromised. In addition, her talent did not quite shine through in the Disney Hall concert Isoldes as she was still so on-book. This changed last year when she conquored Dyer’s Wife for Chicago and Paris — she had made major efforts to upgrade memorization and preparation. And she had a triumph. This year we hear of similar preparations, January in London (spelled by a few concerts) and later lots of time in California, in both places working intesely with renowed coaches of Wagnerian performance. I am glad she is getting the second Ring — out of the two full Rings and, as I hear, an extra Gott. and extra Walk., some very fine vocal perforrmances should be recorded. She is participating in some important history in the upcoming Rings: the final presentation of the long-standing traditional staging of the Met, which is beautiful and in every way worthy of the Wagnerian masterworks. Godspeed to all concerned!
The upcoming Ring weeks could be the shot-in-the-arm the Met’s somewhat lacklustre season this year can use to restore excitement and quality to its reputation. In any case, it’s your last chance to hear Levine conduct the memorable Met Ring. Go for it!
mrmyster don’t be such a bloody old bitch. There was never any doubt that Gasteen did have the top range and was an excellent Brunhilde – and while you take snide swipes at “Commonwealth casting” just remind yourself that your lot don’t seem to need any help with creating their own casting disasters.
But, Karnal, a prerequisite to become part of our “lot” is to have the Commonwealth all over one’s CV. Eva Wagner scouts on the Continent but doesn’t do the actual casting. That’s mostly done by Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Jonathan Friend, who are from ‘Down Under’ and ‘Old Blighty’, right?
YIPPEE! And the second cycle is the one I got! Fabu!
Skinnydip, the idea that Billinghurst, who has been in the US since the early 70s (1974?), and has built her entire professional career in the US, would cast a crappy singer because of some deep-rooted patriotic sentiment is absurd. Besides, Gasteen is Australian and Billinghurst is a New Zealander. That’s like an American being sentimental for casting a Canadian, or a French for casting a Belgian.
There is some argument that a newly arrived expatriate would cast those they were familiar with from their old territory Billinghurst’s ‘territory’ has been New York and San Francisco since the 70s.
Oh, I hasten to add, Gasteen has had problems recently but I would not consider her a ‘crappy’ singer by any means.