Silvana Dussmann: A Study In Dramatic Soprano Vocal Prowess

Born in Vienna, soprano Silvana Dussmann was destined to perform the German repertoire of Mozart and Strauss. After studying with Rita Streich and Gerhard Kahry, she won first prize for operetta at the Vienna Belvedere Competition in 1987. Her debut was as Lisa in Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns at the Volksoper Wien opposite Nicolai Gedda. She soon became an ensemble member of the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck, where she sang

roles such as Ilia (Idomeneo), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Micaëla (Carmen), Laura (Der Bettelstudent), and Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus). Subsequently in 1990 she debuted in the title role of Emmerich Kálmán's Die Csárdásfürstin at the Seefestspielen Mörbisch. By 1992 she was engaged by Opernhaus Graz where she extended her repertoire to roles like Violetta (La Traviata), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Agathe (Der Freischütz), and Angèle Didier (Der Graf von Luxemburg). Beginning in 1994, Ms. Dussmann began performing at the Wiener Volksoper as Musetta (La bohème), Marchesa del Poggio (Un Giorno di Regno), Frau Fluth (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), and the title role in Norma. In 1996 she was reviving her portrayals of Musetta and Rosalinde for the Wiener Staatsoper. She went on to perform at the Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, the Bayerischen Staatsoper in München, Israel Philharmonic in Tel Aviv, and Opera Bonn. At Wiener Festwochen in

Christine Goerke Celebrates Dramatic Voice Change

Goerke is all smiles after a four-year absence
from the MET stage, she will return in
Wagner during the 2018-19 season.

"The change, when it came, took her by surprise. 'I noticed it during the run of Alcina at City Opera (in 2003),' Goerke said. 'Handel always felt easy and comfortable, and it didn't feel easy. I went home and told my then-fiance: 'I broke it.' . And it turned out that in fact, my voice was just changing . and I had disconnected from my support, because my voice got so big and I was trying to keep it very slim.' Once she corrected the problem, she said, her voice became 'immediately twice the size, then three times, and my coach said, 'My God, there's still more in there!' It wasn't something that was broken, just something I had to grow into.' At the same time, Goerke was growing into a new personal life. She married her fiance (whom she affectionately refers to as "a tone-deaf construction worker") and had two children, girls now 4 and 7. Her reincarnation as a full-fledged dramatic soprano began when she sang the title role of Strauss' Elektra in Madrid in 2011, a part she has reprised in Chicago and London. But coming back to the Met

The soprano at the beginning
of her career (Photo: Christian Steiner)

was special. Born on Long Island, she had apprenticed with the Met's program for young artists. Her Met debut came in 1995 and she sang there regularly for a while. But since 2004, her only appearances had been in 2009 as the Foreign Princess in Dvorak's Rusalka. 'Singers should never think of a house as a 'home' because it's all business,' Goerke said. 'But this will always be home to me. I grew up here.' Within days of the Frau opening, the Met announced it had signed her to sing Brünnhilde in Wagner's Ring cycle in 2018-19, as well as to appear in Elektra and as Ortrud in Wagner's Lohengrin. Other Ring cycles are on her calendar, including one in Houston. And she's studying new roles, among them Isolde, Lady Macbeth and Cassandra in Berlioz's Les Troyens. And she looks forward to many years of singing at the top of her game. 'It's very rare at 44 to be able to say I'm a baby,' Goerke said. 'It's just at the beginning of where things start to get comfy in this repertoire.'" [Source] Find a fun photo, that may have foreshadowed Christine Goerke's future singing endeavors, after the jump.

What the FACH? Christine Goerke Transitions From Mozart to Strauss

"What the FACH?" is a new addition to the Opera Fresh blog that examines the transition from one vocal category to another of a completely different nature. Up first is a performance of Christine Goerke singing "Come Scoglio" from Così fan Tutte by Mozart in 2001 and the other taken from a 2008 performance that honors her upcoming opening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the title role of Elektra by Strauss.