Austrian tenor Andreas Schager is making his Royal Opera debut as Siegfried in the third instalment of the Ring Cycle. Known for his powerful voice and sudden rise to fame, Schager explains how his background in operetta prepared him for Wagner's epic demands.
Schager's career took an unexpected turn in 2013 when he was rehearsing at the Berlin State Opera for a role in Götterdämmerung. With minutes' notice, he was drafted in to sing the much more demanding Siegfried after the scheduled tenor went missing. His performance in Act I, a 90-minute feat of power-singing, earned him a special curtain call from conductor Daniel Barenboim and a roaring approval from the audience.
Growing up on a farm in rural Austria, Schager initially studied history and theology before joining a chorus. He spent a decade performing in operetta, which he credits with teaching him to act and hold the stage. 'I never had sharp elbows,' he says, but when invited to audition for his first Siegfried in 2012, he accepted, seeing similarities to his operetta roles.
Now 54, Schager acknowledges the physical demands of Wagner, but insists that his operetta training made the transition natural. 'I went into it like I was just doing a new operetta role,' he says. His schedule quickly became busy, as 'there are not many Siegfrieds and Tristans around.'
