Aiminghigh
When Lise Davidsen arrived in New York in October, she was embarking on her newest role, as Eva in the Metropolitan Opera’s six-performance run of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger. Between rehearsals, something offstage caught the Norwegian soprano’s eye: people were strutting around the west side of Manhattan dressed as characters from comic books, video games and superhero movies. Comic-Con was in full swing at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Only when Davidsen spoke at a meeting of the Wagner Society of New York did the connection to her own line of work become obvious. ‘This was like a Star Wars meeting,’ she says, marveling at the passion and knowledge of Wagner enthusiasts. ‘It’s the same as Comic-Con. It’s just that, with Wagner, these people are a bit older and they don’t dress up like the characters.’
The 34-year-old from Stokke, Norway is quickly learning about the world – including the hardcore fans – whose upper echelons she has come to inhabit. Critics on multiple continents have hailed her as the next great Wagnerian soprano, whose clarion, multi-hued voice can soar above the densest orchestrations and fill 3,500-seat halls.
Her demeanour in a wide-ranging interview is focused and matter-of-fact, yet she claims to thrive on characters in harrowing circumstances. ‘That’s what I love most about opera,’ she
