British baritone too ill to sing in Toronto Ring Cycle

British baritone Pavlo Hunka, who was scheduled to sing in the Canadian Opera Company's production of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, is unable to perform due to illness.

The Toronto-based opera company was forced to make a last-minute casting change in its production ofone of the most ambitious undertakingsin its history — Wagner's four operas telling the tale of The Ring of the Nibelungs.

TheCOClifts the curtain Tuesday evening as it becomesthe first professional company in the country to mount the full Ring Cycle — all four operasperformed in order.

The first cyclewill end Sunday, a 16-hour marathon for opera-goers and singers alike. Then it is to be repeated,two times, over the following two weeks for a total of three complete Ring Cycles.

Hunka, who walked out of a rehearsal last week because of illness, was to sing Wotan, who appears in three of the four operas.

The COC said Monday that Canadian baritone John Fanning would appear as Wotan onTuesday in Das Rheingold, the first opera,and American baritone Peteris Eglitis will sing the role on Wednesday in Die Walkure.

Understudy prepared for performance

Fanning has been understudy for the role, so he is prepared to give a first-class performance, the COC's Phillip Boswell said in an interview with CBC Radio.

"It’s a difficult thing, but he has been rehearsing, so he is prepared. He’s not really coming in out of the blue," he said.

Boswell said he didn't know whether Hunka would be able to return to the stage for the third of the operas on Thursday or for another cycle.

Hunka had complained of laryngitis and has had medical testing.

"It is dangerous for a singer to perform to sing if they're not in great shape. In particular, as I was mentioning, the role of Woltan is very long and difficult, and you have to be in great shape to do the role," Boswell said.

The $11-million production is the first of the season in the newly built Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Wagner's tale tells of gods and mortals, giants and dwarves fighting over a magic ring that grants power to rule the world.

Richard Bradshaw is conducting a 109-piece orchestra to master Wagner's score.

There are 34 singing roles over the four nights. Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonda and American tenor Clifton Forbis portray Wotan's mortal twin children, Sieglinde and Siegmund.

Canadian soprano Frances Ginzer and British soprano Susan Bullock share the role of Brunnhilde, while German heldentenor Christian Franz is Siegfried.

A chorus of 50 singers has been recruited for Gotterdammerung, the final chapter.

Directorsinclude filmmakers Egoyan, Girard

The COC has brought in high-powered directing talent to guide the epic production:

• Atom Egoyan, the Toronto-based director of films such as The Sweet Hereafter and, recently,Where the Truth Lies, will direct Die Walkure, the second of the operas.
• Quebec filmmaker François Girard, of The Red Violin (Le Violin rouge), will direct Siegfried, the third.
• Designer Michael Levine makes his directorial debut with Das Rheingold, the first opera.
• Theatre and opera director Tim Albery is directing Gotterdammerung.

"It's ultimately about the power of love versus the love of power," Egoyansaid.

Histake on Die Walkurefeatures characters wearing tattered gowns inhabiting a postwar set.

"There's some really extreme things going on," Egoyan said.

"There's a brother and sister sort of falling in love, there's a father kind of putting his daughter to sleep forever, there's these signature pieces like the Ride of the Valkyries. I'm trying to make sure that everything has a sense of psychological urgency and detail."

Girard has Siegfried appearing in pyjamas, and said he takes a Jungian approach to his interpretation of the character.

Despite these different approaches, Girard said he believes the final production, all but sold out, would be an overwhelming and "organic" experience for audiences.

Girardsaid thedirectors have been working together and feel charged with unifying the story.

"We all realized quite early on that we already had in our hands a very organic Ring, very well-connected, and our initial worry of disconnection, if I may say, disappeared," Girard says.

"It might also be richer than if any of us had been staging it alone."

The full Ring Cycle will be broadcast live on CBC Radio Two on Sept. 12, 13, 15 and 17.