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In this interview with Anna-Louise Cole she goes into detail about being in The Ring Cycle for the second time in her career, being mentored by Lise Lindstrom, and her time in Opera in Germany. Although this is her second Ring Cycle, this specific one is a world first and she explains why she is so excited to be apart of it.
I remember being overwhelmed, but also so deeply delighted. Rehearsing both Sieglinde and Brünnhilde in March 2020, as Covid was starting to really shut down the world (and the opera company), I and everyone else had the sense that Brünnhilde I could certainly sing. I have never loved a role more than Brünnhilde and I cannot wait to bring her to life!
Once you have been involved in a full Ring cycle, it changes you forever. In 2016 I was also lucky to understudy Sieglinde, which meant I felt I was really connected to the whole Cycle. Working on the smaller roles, you really get a sense of the epic scale of the thing – the Valkyries and the Norns would be much bigger roles in regular sized operas! It‘s also special to realise that all of the roles I will have played by the time this finishes, are all sisters or half sisters, through Wotan!
Opening night was quite surreal – and I definitely had nerves!!! We have worked together for so long on this, and I just really wanted the audience to feel the journey we wanted to bring them on. The applause after the end of act 1 was incredible – it was so overwhelming that Rosario and I walked to our dressing rooms, then heard how loud it still was, then came back to the side of the stage, and it was still going! We watched it through the conductors‘ monitor, it was just incredible. We were just so thrilled that we had moved the audience so much – and of course, Rosario sang just so beautifully!
Lise is such an inspiring artist and person, in so many ways. Once of the recent pieces of advice she gave me was to make sure that my heart is the first thing that I lift with my voice – such a beautiful idea, and so correct.
I have been helped along the way by so, so many people! In musically preparing the Ring, at OA my journey has been guided and supported particularly by Tony Legge in 2016, and Tahu Matheson since 2020. It has been so wonderful to work with both Tony and Tahu on this Ring. Another hugely important person for me is my coach in Melbourne, Raymond Lawrence, who continues to help me to this day. He is an incredible coach and musician.
Being in a children‘s opera is so much fun – the major difference is they are MUCH shorter than any of the operas in the Ring! Performing for kids is wonderful because it pushes you to hone your capacity to communicate as a performer – kids will not pay attention if you‘re not giving them a top notch performance, vocally and dramatically!
I‘m at the beginning of my time in Germany, and I can‘t wait to embark on a big audition tour when I get back! I studied German, and also studied singing in Austria when I was at University, so moving to Germany to sing has always been a dream of mine.
So many people in Australia have known me for years, whereas at this stage I am relatively unknown in Europe. It’s interesting to note though that especially in the Wagner Fach, any new colleagues are always friends with former colleagues! Another big difference is rehearsal times – in Australia, we usually work 10:30 – 1:30 and then 2:30 – 5:30, whereas in Austria and Germany there‘s a tradition of an afternoon pause, so rehearsals are often split into a call in the morning, and a call in the evening, so people can pick up kids from school before coming back for nighttime rehearsals. In Germany I also love that going to the opera isn‘t such a big deal for young people who aren‘t musicians, it‘s just another thing that people do, like going to the movies or a concert. I hope one day we can get to that point in Australia too!
It‘s been really special to work with Daniel, who is having a triumph in his Wotan debut. Before Lise arrived in Australia I was lucky to be able to rehearse the scenes in Walküre with him. I know from previous productions that he always arrives incredibly well prepared for every role, and Wotan was no exception, so it was wonderful to be able to get straight into the detail, discussing the characters‘ motivations and feelings right from the very beginning.
I think this production is so special because it shows you the universality of opera. Some people dismiss it as irrelevant, or an old, European museum art form. But Shi-Zheng‘s production throws that absolutely out the window – while at the same time, bringing a beautiful respect and love for the words and the music. Opera has a bright future and is so relevant to us today, and it deserves to be experienced by everyone for decades into the future, no matter where you are from. This production shows it absolutely can be!
This experience has been pretty amazing! I will never forget being completely blown away by the first design presentation we had in March 2020, and then by seeing the technology up close in rehearsals in Sydney in October 2023! I love opera and I would love to be in more groundbreaking productions that show how modern and universal this beautiful art form is.
It has been fascinating to listen to the pearls of wisdom Maestro Auguin has gained from working with some of the absolute giants of the conducting world in the 20th century, including Sir Georg Solti and Herbert von Karajan. When he discovered I learn a lot from recordings, he advised me to be picky about the recordings I listen to when I‘m preparing to perform a role, because not all recordings are equally accurate (especially live ones, although they can be wonderful too). In preparing for Brünnhilde, he advised me to listen to the Solti centenary Ring with Birgit Nilsson as much as I like, which I’m happy about, because it‘s also one of my favourites!
Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew's favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.
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