Seattle Opera Presents Broadcast of Richard Wagner's RING Cycle

Seattle Opera will offer a broadcast of its most popular production of all time-Richard Wagner's Ring cycle this February. Tune in to Classical KING FM 98.1 or king.org to enjoy a 2005 recording of the four-day opera. This "cycle" includes: Das Rheingold on Feb. 6, Die Walküre on Feb. 9, Siegfried on Feb. 11, and Götterdämmerung on Feb. 13.

From 1973 to 2013, Seattle Opera built a reputation for its grand presentations of Wagner's Ring. Bringing in fans from all over the world, Seattle's production received acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Opera News. Now, diehard Wagnerians, as well as newcomers to opera, can give their pandemic listening an epic upgrade with this exclusive radio broadcast.

"We've had many memorable Rings in Seattle, but this 2005 production was special and one to remember," said General Director Christina Scheppelmann. "It includes some of the greatest singers you could wish for in a Ring cycle and some of the best this company has ever known. These artists are singing at their peaks and recorded at a high-quality level. I hope you tune in this February and enjoy!"

The 2005 recording stars Jane Eaglen (Brünnhilde), Greer Grimsley (in his debut performance as Wotan), Alan Woodrow (Siegfried), Richard Paul Fink (Alberich), Margaret Jane Wray (Sieglinde/Third Norn), Richard Berkeley-Steele (Siegmund), Stephanie Blythe (Fricka/Second Norn), Ewa Podleś (Erda/First Norn), Peter Kazaras (Loge) and Gordon Hawkins (Donner/Gunther), among others. The performance was conducted by Robert Spano, music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and directed by Stephen Wadsworth, Head of Operatic Studies at The Juilliard School and a Staff Director of the Metropolitan Opera. Matthew Sutton, audio engineer, helped to create the recording.

Speight Jenkins, Seattle Opera General Director from 1983-2014 singled out Jane Eaglen's Brünnhilde for praise: "Ms. Eaglen brought to the part a marvelous voice, complete dedication to the Ring, good diction, and a desire to do exactly what the director and conductor wanted," Jenkins said. "She was an anchor to the whole cast: a great artist with a superb voice and a real feeling for the personality of Brünnhilde. We were more than fortunate to have her in that role."

Seattle Opera is not only continuing to produce streaming operas for subscribers and single-ticket buyers. The company is prioritizing free content such as the Ring broadcast on KING FM, radio broadcasts of other operas, and recitals that can be enjoyed on social media. During the pandemic, more than 240,000 listeners have enjoyed a Seattle Opera/KING FM broadcast, and the company has presented 18 free recitals featuring popular company singers.

"All of us at KING FM have been thrilled to work in close partnership with Seattle Opera to ensure our opera fans can hear performances by the organization they love," said Brenda Barnes, KING FM CEO. "We are grateful to the Opera and the unions for making it possible for us to broadcast The Ring in its entirety."

Learn more about Seattle Opera's upcoming offerings at seattleopera.org.

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