Four Soloists Announced for Pacific Symphony ‘Gurrelieder’

Pacific Symphony has announced the soloists for the performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Gurrelieder,” May 19 and 20 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Soprano Rita Hunter will sing the role of Tove, tenor James McCracken will be Waldemar, mezzo-soprano Marvellee Cariaga will be the Wood Dove and baritone James Johnson will sing the Bauer. Heldenbariton Hans Hotter will be the narrator. A fifth soloist, to sing Klaus the Jester, will be announced.

Hotter, 79, has been associated with the composers Richard Strauss and Paul Hindemith, as well as with conductors Herbert von Karajan, Fritz Reiner, Wilhelm Furtwangler, Erich Kleiber and Clemens Krauss. During his two-decade association with the Bayreuth Festival in Germany, Hotter became widely recognized as the world’s leading Wagnerian bass-baritone. He retired from the operatic stage in 1972 and since then has appeared in recitals and in speaking roles.

McCracken has performed with the Metopolitan Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Zurich Opera and the San Francisco Opera, among other worldwide companies.

Hunter made her operatic debut with Sadler’s Wells Opera in 1951 and joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1976, appearing with that company as Brunnhilde in “Gotterdammerung” and as Aida.

Cariaga has sung Wagnerian roles with the Seattle and the San Diego operas and has appeared in Los Angeles Music Center Opera productions, including Strauss’ “Salome,” Prokofiev’s “Fiery Angel” and, recently, Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.”

Johnson appeared in the title role of Szymanowski’s “King Roger” with the Long Beach Opera in January and sang the role of Wotan in a complete “Ring” at the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris earlier this year.

Information: (714) 973-1322.