Richard Wagner had very strong views on how his works should be performed, and he had specific instructions for singers who couldn’t sing them as he intended: Don’t!

Fortunately, soprano Lee Abrahmsen and Heldenbaritone Warwick Fyfe can and do, treating audiences at the opening night of this year’s Handa Opera at Millthorpe to an impromptu masterclass in Wagnerian singing.

I say impromptu, because bass Ferrucio Furnaletto had originally been scheduled to open the festival, but his flight was cancelled due to the war in Iran.

With a last-minute programming change required, Abrahmsen, Fyfe and accompanist Glenn Amer were only too happy to oblige, cobbling together a masterclass in Wagnerian singing that would do the composer proud.

Glenn Amer, Lee Abrahmsen and Warwick Fyfe at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

More impressive still, it isn’t a program they had up their sleeve. This is clear from the get-go, as Fyfe opens with King Marke’s Tatest du’s wirklich? from Tristan und Isolde, a monologue he’s never sung before.

It’s a perfect 10 and the first of many, with Fyfe showcasing his mastery of Wagner’s declamatory, syllabic style and clarity of the character’s motivation and emotions.

The composer valued the latter above all else, and Fyfe maintains the work’s dramatic integrity without compromising any of his impressive high (or low) notes – his German pronunciation on par with a native speaker and demonstrating not only exceptional diction, but also a firm grasp of meaning.

Abrahmsen follows suit with Isolde’s Verklärung (a.k.a. Liebestod), imbuing the opera’s final transcendent scene with a lyrical quality that reflects Wagner’s own love for Bellini and bel canto.

Abrahmsen’s flowing vocal lines and restrained vibrato are exemplary, and together with Fyfe, she promises to make Kate Millet’s upcoming staging of Tristan und Isolde for BK Opera the must-see opera event of the year.

Lee Abrahmsen at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

Together, Abrahmsen and Fyfe are equally impressive, first as Eva and Hans Sachs in Gut’n Abend, Meister! from Act Two of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and later in Wie aus der Ferne – Senta and the Dutchman’s love duet from Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer.

They intonate beautifully, their phrasing perfectly matched, and in such close quarters as Millthorpe Hall, where singers of this calibre are within spitting distance of the audience, there is an almost voyeuristic pleasure in watching them navigate the obstacles and potential traps Wagner sets – something less apparent across a yawning orchestra pit.

Fyfe also delivers an expert, goosebump-inducing reading of the Dutchman’s monologue Die Frist ist um, in which he recounts his invocation of the Devil while attempting to round the Cape of Good Hope – Fyfe’s dynamics adding just the right emotional intensity to his demonic portrayal of the cursed sea captain.

And while his adherence to Wagner’s syllabic writing is faultless, Fyfe’s ear for the German language allows just a hint of melisma in a phrase such as “‘Hier,’ rief ich, ‘zeige deine Taten …’”, transforming it into a mocking yet defiant challenge of hair-raising intensity.

Warwick Fyfe at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

In Der Männer Sippe from Die Walküre, Abrahmsen conveys similar defiance as Sieglinde, singing about her unhappy marriage before transitioning into a joyous expression of love for her twin brother Siegmund in Du bist der Lenz, marking her salvation and emotional reawakening.

Fyfe rounds out the selections from Die Walküre with Wotan’s Farewell, capturing the ambiguity of Wotan’s rage and sorrow as he simultaneously punishes and blesses his disobedient daughter Brünnhilde.

Other highlights include Abrahmsen’s ecstatic reading of Elsa’s dream Einsam in trüben Tagen from Lohengrin and an equally radiant Dich, teure Halle from Tannhäuser, while Fyfe has us in tears with his heartfelt rendition of Wolfram’s O du, mein holder Abendstern from the same opera – both singers impressing us with their breath control and legato as they effortlessly negotiate Wagner’s shifting harmonies.

Glenn Amer at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

Throughout, Abrahmsen and Fyfe develop a rapport with the audience as they introduce each piece – Fyfe’s wit even matching that of the great Anna Russell.

Amer also elicits a hearty laugh as he recounts asking the legendary Rita Hunter, whom he accompanied for many years, how she maintained her stamina through those long Wagnerian operas. Her answer: Cram as many steaks as you can into your Thermos!

This gala might be a last-minute change to the program, but it certainly sets a high standard for the rest of the festival. For those present, it is a night to remember, and you can also catch Abrahmsen, Fyfe and Amer at the Mosman Art Gallery on 17 May, when the Wagner Society in NSW celebrates the composer’s 213th birthday.

Handa Opera at Millthorpe continues until 5 April at Millthorpe Hall, NSW.