A Brünnhilde for the ages

Christine Goerke's upcoming portrayal of Brünnhilde in the Houston Grand Opera's "Die Walküre" is a step in a larger journey.

The journey began on a cold January night in Toronto, when she strode on stage at the Canadian Opera Company's Four Seasons Centre.

Previously, the 45-year-old soprano from Long Island had sung the role of the rebellious Valkyrie only in a concert performance in New Zealand. The Toronto engagement was her first foray as Brünnhilde in a fully staged production. And in the opera world, that's what really counts.

Costumed in an imposing black dress, Goerke brandished both her sword and her voice with fearsome intensity. From her first outburst of "Hojotoho!," she owned the stage.

The critics were unanimously impressed.

The Toronto Star credited her with "dignity, stature, and a voice of molten gold."

The Globe and Mail praised her "powerful, supple soprano voice."

Canada's National Post called her "a Brünnhilde who will be in demand around the world."

And the New York Times, which flew in a critic for the evening, declared, "She certainly has the voice for Brünnhilde," adding, "Vocal concerns never seemed to distract her."

The Times took an interest because Goerke already has been hired as the Metropolitan Opera's next Brünnhilde, when the New York company stages Wagner's "Ring" cycle in the 2018-19 season.

Goerke is no stranger to the Met. In 2013, she earned ovations as the Dyer's Wife in Richard Strauss' "Die Frau ohne Schatten." The big-voiced role was a breakthrough for her.

The Met's "Ring" will be a revival of the company's 2012 production. The controversial staging was dominated by a 45-ton kinetic set-piece (known simply as "the machine") that moved as singers stood on it.

In 2012, superstar soprano Deborah Voigt sang the role of Brünnhilde for the Met. The New York Times said, "She invested energy, feeling and character in every phrase."

Voigt will be a hard act to follow. But before that happens, Goerke will appear as Brünnhilde in Houston, and also at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

It's a roundabout route to Lincoln Center in New York - but that's how it's done in the opera business.