The Power of Wagner’s Epic Operas

The Power of Wagner’s Epic Operas
(L-R) Ain Anger as Hagen, Ileana Montalbetti as Gutrune, Andreas Schager as Siegfried, and Martin Gantner as Gunther in the Canadian Opera Company’s 2017 production of "Götterdämmerung." Director Tim Albery has set the epic story in the corporate world to better resonate with modern audiences.Michael Cooper
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TORONTO—There’s something about Wagner’s operas. It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain, keeping you on the edge of your seat, breathlessly hanging on to every note and word.

“There’s just something that gets inside and grabs on, and you just want to hear it more and more and follow the story over and over,” says Canadian soprano Ileana Montalbetti, who is currently performing in “Götterdämmerung”—the last opera in Wagner’s epic Ring cycle—with the Canadian Opera Company (COC).

Soprano Ileana Montalbetti (Bo Huang)
Soprano Ileana Montalbetti Bo Huang