Lehman saves Walküre: the proofs

Tommasini wrote for The NY Times

Mr. Domingo’s cries to the father who abandoned him, “Wälse! Wälse!” were thrillingly rendered. He sang the “Winterstürme” love ode to Sieglinde with the tenderness of a beguiling Schubert lied. At the end of Act I, when he defiantly claimed Sieglinde as both sister and bride, Mr. Domingo nailed that climactic high A, a note that gave him trouble even a decade ago. Though he looked his age when he first appeared, he conveyed the impetuousness, sadness and passion of this young demigod with such commitment that he soon seemed the embodiment of Siegmund.

But then on the 5th of May

Plácido Domingo withdrew in midperformance at the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Die Walküre” on Tuesday evening and was replaced by Gary Lehman in the role of Siegmund, the Met said. Mr. Domingo advised the staff before the performance that he was not feeling well, the Met said, and a curtain announcement was made that Mr. Domingo would perform in spite of this, but Mr. Lehman was put into costume and makeup as a backup. He stepped into the production right away when Mr. Domingo withdrew about 40 minutes into the performance.

Lehman as Samson

What that might have sounded like?

Click HERE
to listen to Placi stepping out of stage after his powerful Wälse!Wälse!
and Gary Lehman, a helden-tenor (literally) stepping in...