Bayreuth audiences had a surprise this week when Catherine Foster sustained an injury during Götterdämmerung.

The curse of the Ring? British soprano Catherine Foster has sustained her second injury while playing Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Ring cycle – and this time the show went on thanks to a man gamely stepping into her shoes (and a gold lamé frock).

On Monday night, during the final performance of the current season of Götterdämmerung in Frank Castorf’s controversial Ring cycle, Foster hurt her foot at the end of Act I. As reported by Slipped Discassistant director Andreas Rosar donned a sparkling golden gown and went on stage in her place for the next two acts, while she sang from the wings in a wheelchair.

Catherine Foster and Andreas Rosar. Photograph from Catherine Foster’s Facebook page

Foster posted a message on her Facebook page saying: “Twisted too fast left to come out for a bow and calf went ‘pop’ so a ripped muscle – nowhere near as bad as the right leg last year though! Lots of ice and Arnica and it’ll be fine”.

Last May, during a dress rehearsal for Francesca Zambello’s Ring cycle at Washington National Opera, Foster sustained a leg injury and missed making her American debut in Die Walküre. Instead she had to wait until two days later when she appeared in Siegfried.

In a follow-up message on her Facebook page regarding her latest injury, Foster wrote: “And so my 49th Bayreuth performance coincided with my 49th Götterdämmerung! Certainly not one I will forget and a huge thank you to Andreas for stepping into my shoes (literally!) and playing so well – to my colleagues and friends on stage who simply sang and played superbly taking it all in their professional stride and of course to Wolfgang for chauffeuring me around backstage in the wheel chair and all the backstage crew, makeup, costume department everyone who made it possible for the show to continue. Simply amazing! And simply… thank you Bayreuther Festspiele – Bayreuth Festival.”


 

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