Brewer & Watson To Share Role In Der Ring Des Nibelungen

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 Lisa Gasteen was originally scheduled to sing Brünnhilde in the second and third cycles (see dates below), but has withdrawn from the performances due to a back injury. Christine Brewer will replace her in the second cycle, and Linda Watson will replace her in the third. Brewer was already scheduled to sing this role in Cycle 1; she will also sing it in the April 6 performance of Die Walküre, which is not part of a cycle.

Christine Brewer made her Met debut in the title role of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos in 2003. A renowned dramatic soprano who frequently appears in concert, Brewer will be singing her first staged performances of the Ring with these performances.

Earlier this season, Watson sang Isolde in Tristan und Isolde at the Met, replacing an ailing colleague on short notice. She is also a noted Brünnhilde and has performed the role at the Bayreuth Festival for the last three summers, from 2006 to 2008. Watson made her Met debut as Kundry in Wagner's Parsifal in April, 2003.

This season's revival will be the final presentation of Otto Schenk's classic production of Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Cycle performance dates are as follows:

Cycle 1: Das Rheingold, March 28 (1:00 pm); Die Walküre, April 11 (12:00 pm); Siegfried, April 18 (12:00 pm); Götterdämmerung, April 25 (12:00 pm)

Cycle 2: Das Rheingold, April 27 (8:00 pm); Die Walküre, April 28 (6:30 pm); Siegfried, April 30 (6:00 pm); Götterdämmerung, May 2 (6:00 pm)

Cycle 3: Das Rheingold, May 4 (8:00 pm); Die Walküre, May 5 (6:00 pm); Siegfried, May 7 (6:00 pm); Götterdämmerung, May 9 (6:30 pm)

Performances not part of a cycle:
Das Rheingold, March 25 (8:00 pm)
Die Walküre, April 6 (6:30 pm)