Press Release
9 May 2016
RING CYCLE CAST CHANGE NOTICE:
· ALWYN MELLOR WITHDRAWS FROM TOUR PERFORMANCES AS SIEGLINDE AND BRÜNNHILDE
· LEE BISSET SINGS ALL PERFORMANCES OF SIEGLINDE
· KELLY CAE HOGAN SINGS ADDITIONAL BRÜNNHILDE DATES
British soprano Alwyn Mellor has withdrawn from scheduled performances in Opera North’s Ring for personal reasons.
Alwyn Mellor was due to appear at tour venues* in the Company’s upcoming cycles of the Ring, as Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung, roles she performed with Opera North in 2012 and 2014 during individual instalments of the Ring operas.
She has been replaced as Sieglinde by Scottish soprano Lee Bisset. Originally scheduled to perform the role in the first two cycles of the Ring in Leeds, Lee opened in Die Walküre on 30 April, and is also due to sing Third Norn in Götterdämmerung. Born and brought up on the banks of Loch Lomond, Lee Bisset studied at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, the RNCM, and National Opera Studio, where she was sponsored by ENO. Roles have included Mimì in La boheme (ENO); title role in Tosca (Opera Memphis); title role in Jenůfa (Scottish Opera); Sieglinde, title role Kát’a Kabanová, and Isolde in Tristan and Isolde (all Longborough Festival Opera).
American soprano Kelly Cae Hogan will now give all performances as Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung. She is already scheduled to sing the role in Leeds, in addition to playing Brünnhilde in all performances of Die Walküre and tour performances of Siegfried.**
Kelly Cae Hogan’s previous roles for Opera North are Brünnhilde Die Walküre (2012) and Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth (2014). A native of Iowa who has performed widely in the U.S. and Germany, she has attracted attention for her dramatic portrayals, particularly in Wagner and Strauss. Her credits include Brünnhilde and Salome (Virginia Opera); Leonore in Fidelio, Elisabeth in Tannhauser and title role Turandot (Kassel); and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, Norma and Salome (Bremen). At the Metropolitan Opera in New York, she has recently sung the title role in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and previously sang Gerhilde in Die Walküre in both the Robert LePage and Otto Schenk productions.
Richard Mantle, General Director, Opera North, comments:
“Whilst we are sad to announce today that Alwyn Mellor will not be able to join the Ring company for tour dates as originally planned, we are delighted that Kelly Cae Hogan and Lee Bisset have both been able to add these additional performances to their schedules. Kelly and Lee are already integral members of our Ring family; they are both tremendously exciting singers who bring true dramatic focus and emotional intensity to these roles.
“We are especially grateful to Longborough Festival Opera, who have generously released Lee Bisset from upcoming rehearsals to allow her to take on these extra dates.
“We know that many of our audience members were looking forward to seeing Alwyn perform with us again in the Ring. She withdraws from these performances with great regret and with our full support, and we hope very much to bring her back to Opera North again in the future.”
Alwyn Mellor comments:
“It is with much sadness that personal circumstances mean that I need to withdraw from Opera North’s Ring cycles. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of the Opera North Ring: it is a hugely collaborative effort and I know it will be a huge success. The journey will end without me on this occasion but I am confident that it will be a triumph for all involved and memorable both for those who perform it and for those who experience it.”
Conducted by Richard Farnes, in his last appearance as Opera North’s Music Director, and with atmospheric staging and design by Peter Mumford, the Ring is currently running at Leeds Town Hall. After a second cycle in Leeds (23 - 29 May), Opera North takes the full Ring on tour to Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, The Lowry in Salford, London’s Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre, and Sage Gateshead.
*Alwyn Mellor was scheduled to sing Sieglinde Die Walküre and Brünnhilde Götterdämmerung at Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham; The Lowry, Salford Quays; Southbank Centre, London; and Sage Gateshead.
**Katherine Broderick sings Brünnhilde in the first two performances of Siegfried in Leeds, as originally billed.
/Ends
For further information, please contact:
Julia O’Sullivan, Head of Communications
0113 223 3526 | 07956 647573 | julia.o’
Elizabeth Simmonds, Press Officer
0113 213 5641|
Rowland Thomas, Press Officer
0113 213 3528 |
www.operanorth.co.uk/press-centre
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Richard Wagner (1876)
Sung in German with English titles
Orchestra of Opera North
Conductor Richard Farnes
Concert Staging & Design Concept Peter Mumford
Lighting & Projection Designer Peter Mumford
Associate Director Joe Austin
Das Rheingold
The ‘preliminary evening’ of The Ring begins with music that evokes the dawn of time, starting a journey which travels from the watery twilight beneath the river Rhine, to the rainbow bridge that leads to Valhalla, fortress home of the gods. Set in a world populated by dwarfs and giants, gods and river-maidens, Das Rheingold sets the whole epic cycle in motion in thrilling fashion.
Wotan Michael Druiett
Loge Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke
Alberich Jo Pohlheim
Fricka Yvonne Howard
Mime Richard Roberts
Freia Giselle Allen
Donner Andrew Foster-Williams
Froh Mark Le Brocq
Fasolt James Creswell
Fafner Mats Almgren
Erda Ceri Williams
Claudia Huckle (Leeds Cycle 2)
Woglinde Jeni Bern
Wellgunde Madeleine Shaw
Flosshilde Sarah Castle
Die Walküre
In Die Walküre, it is human emotion that takes centre stage. The musical highlights are many: ‘Winterstürme’, Siegmund’s hymn of praise to the coming of Spring and the awakening of love; the Ride of the Valkyries; the Magic Fire music; and, above all, the great confrontation between the god Wotan and his favourite daughter, Brünnhilde – the Valkyrie of the title.
Brünnhilde Kelly Cae Hogan
Sieglinde Lee Bisset
Siegmund Michael Weinius (Leeds, Lowry, Southbank Centre, Sage Gateshead)
Mark Le Brocq (Nottingham)
Wotan Robert Hayward (Leeds, Sage Gateshead)
Béla Perencz (Nottingham, Lowry, Southbank Centre)
Fricka Susan Bickley (Leeds, Nottingham)
Yvonne Howard (Lowry, Southbank Centre, Sage Gateshead)
Hunding James Creswell
Gerhilde Giselle Allen
Helmwige Katherine Broderick
Waltraute Heather Shipp
Schwertleite Claudia Huckle
Ortlinde Kate Valentine
Siegrune Sarah Castle
Grimgerde Fiona Kimm
Rossweisse Madeleine Shaw
Siegfried
Wagner’s unparalleled orchestral scene-painting reaches new heights as the youthful hero Siegfried, mortal grandson of Wotan, the king of the gods, forges an unbreakable sword. He slays the dragon Fafner, seizes the ring from the dragon’s hoard, and braves the magic fire that encircles the sleeping Brünnhilde.
Siegfried Lars Cleveman
Brünnhilde Katherine Broderick (Leeds)
Kelly Cae Hogan (Nottingham, Lowry, Southbank Centre, Gateshead)
Mime Richard Roberts
Wanderer Béla Perencz
Fafner Mats Almgren
Woodbird Jeni Bern
Erda Ceri Williams
Claudia Huckle (Leeds Cycle 2)
Götterdämmerung
In the overwhelming conclusion of the cycle, the all-consuming love of Siegfried and Brünnhilde is broken in bitter betrayal; the scheming Hagen, son of Alberich, seals Siegfried’s doom; and Brünnhilde’s self-sacrifice precipitates the end of the old world order and the beginning of a new era. The musical and dramatic power of Götterdämmerung is awe-inspiring – sweeping from Siegfried’s Rhine Journey to his Funeral March, and, finally, to Brünnhilde’s immolation and the work’s titanic orchestral climax.
Brünnhilde Kelly Cae Hogan
Siegfried Mati Turi
Hagen Mats Almgren
Gutrune Giselle Allen
Gunther Andrew Foster-Williams
Waltraute Susan Bickley (Leeds, Sage Gateshead)
Heather Shipp (Nottingham, Lowry, Southbank Centre)
Alberich Jo Pohlheim
First Norn Fiona Kimm
Second Norn Heather Shipp (Leeds, Sage Gateshead)
Yvonne Howard (Nottingham, Lowry, Southbank Centre)
Third Norn Lee Bisset
Woglinde Jeni Bern
Wellgunde Madeleine Shaw
Flosshilde Sarah Castle
Chorus of Opera North
The Ring Cycle is financially supported by the Opera North Future Fund, The Ring Fellowship 2016, Ring Circle and The Emerald Foundation.
The original instalments of Das Rheingold (2011), Die Walküre (2012), Siegfried (2013) and Götterdämmerung (2014) were presented in collaboration with Sage Gateshead and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
www.theringcycle.co.uk
List of performances:
Leeds Town Hall LIMITED TICKETS
Cycle 1
Sat 23 April 2016 7.30pm Das Rheingold
Sat 30 April 2016 5.00pm Die Walküre
Sat 14 May 2016 5.00pm Siegfried
Sat 21 May 2016 3.30pm Götterdämmerung
Cycle 2 SOLD OUT
Tue 24 May 2016 7.30pm Das Rheingold
Wed 25 May 2016 5.00pm Die Walküre
Fri 27 May 2016 5.00pm Siegfried
Sun 29 May 2016 3.30pm Götterdämmerung
Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham BEST AVAILABILITY
Mon 6 June 2016 7.00pm Das Rheingold
Tue 7 June 2016 3.00pm Die Walküre
Thu 9 June 2016 3.00pm Siegfried
Sat 11 June 2016 3.00pm Götterdämmerung
The Lowry, Salford Quays LIMITED TICKETS
Mon 13 June 2016 7.30pm Das Rheingold
Tue 14 June 2016 4.30pm Die Walküre
Thu 16 June 2016 4.30pm Siegfried
Sat 18 June 2016 3.30pm Götterdämmerung
Southbank Centre, London SOLD OUT
(All performances also relayed live to Clore Ballroom)
Tue 28 June 2016 7.00pm Das Rheingold
Wed 29 June 2016 5.00pm Die Walküre
Fri 1 July 2016 5.00pm Siegfried
Sun 3 July 2016 3.00pm Götterdämmerung
Sage Gateshead SOLD OUT
Tue 5 July 2016 7.30pm Das Rheingold
Wed 6 July 2016 4.30pm Die Walküre
Fri 8 July 2016 4.30pm Siegfried
Sun 10 July 2016 3.30pm Götterdämmerung
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