Artist Of The Week: Anja Kampe

Leading Wagner Interpreter to Make Metropolitan Opera Debut

By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera)

This week, the Metropolitan Opera opens a new production of “Der Fliegende Holländer” bringing a superb cast and a stellar team to one of the great German operas. One of the most anticipated parts of this new production, however, is undoubtedly the long overdue debut of soprano Anja Kampe.

The German-Italian dramatic soprano is one of the most important Wagner interpreters in the world, having performed his music in such cities as Munich, Barcelona, Berlin, Washington, Vienna, Budapest and of course, Bayreuth. Kampe is a leading interpreter of Kundry, Sieglinde, Isolde, and Brünnhilde.

For her Met debut, Kampe will sing the role of Senta, a part she has already done in more than 10 productions in Barcelona, Dallas, Munich, Zürich, London, and Dresden, among others. Critics have raved about her interpretation stating, she brings “natural lyricism with vast reserves of vocal power, producing an intensity of emotion and brilliance of characterization.” OperaWire also praised the soprano in her Dallas performances noting, her ballad “was arguably the highlight of the evening. Not only did it give the audience the necessary story about the Dutchman and his curse, but it convincingly articulated her infatuation and its haunted roots.”

And for audiences not in New York for her performances, the production will be transmitted through the Met’s Live in HD series as well as broadcast on the company’s Sirius radio station.

Kampe is also set to return to Munich for Minnie in “La Faniculla del West” and Kundry in “Parsifal.” In the summer she is also set to make her role debut as Marie in the new production of “Wozzeck” at the Festival d‘ Aix-en-Provence.

Recordings

For those not familiar with the soprano’s artistry, Kampe has a recording of “Der Fliegende Holländer” with Bryn Terfel from the Opernhaus Zürich. The soprano also has two recordings of “Die Walküre,” one from the Mariinsky Theatre and the other from the Salzburg Easter Festival. 

Here she is singing Senta’s Ballad.

And here is a preview of the Met’s new production.

Finally, here she is “Die Walküre.”

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