Previewing the Gelb era
La Cieca, ear to ground as always, has picked up some reliable-sounding scuttlebutt about the incoming Peter Gelb regime at the Met. The first decade will probably be known as “All Villazon All the Time” since (per our source), Rolando Villazon has inked a pledge to sing two operas a year at the Met for the next ten years. A major highlight of this package will be a new Contes d’Hoffmann in ’09, with RV opposite Anna Netrebko, Diana Damrau and Rene Pape. Gelb is ready to put his mark on the house as early as opening night of next season, which he hopes will showcase the new Anthony Minghella production of Madama Butterfly in lieu of the “Tenors” gala currently skedded. (Gueswork on La Cieca’s part: Cristina Gallardo-Domas as Cio-Cio-San opposite Marcello Giordani or Salvatore Licitra?) This project is supposed to inagurate a new policy of unveiling a new production each opening night, e.g., Lucia for Natalie Dessay in 2007 (assuming she pulls Romeo off this year, we guess) and Tosca for Karita Mattila in 2009. In the nearer future? Aprile Millo‘s first staged Gioconda next season, alternating with Violeta Urmana.
Well, well, perhaps Villazon’s path towards heavier repertoire has already started. I just saw a listing for a DVD of Verdi’s Don Carlo with Villazon as Don Carlo. (The Netherlands, Chailly conducting.) Could he possibly match tenors like Corelli and Vickers in the role?
Another piece of surprising casting is Amanda Roocroft as Elisabetta. Hello there, are you guys out of your minds?
I meant to mention that very DVD in one of my previous postings. I have seen most of that exact performance…the one with (my favorite) Violeta Urmana singing the shit out of Eboli. I was a bit shocked to see his cast in such a heavy role…but I will admit that he sang it very beautifully and without any pushing (at least in the portions of the opera that I watched, which was the majority of it). Roocroft didn’t seem to do too badly in the role, sadly, I didn’t have time to watch either of her arias – I was more interested in anything that Urmana was singing. When I saw her do Eboli at the Met, she honestly drowned out the ENTIRE orchestra, Dwayne Croft, and Eduardo Villa (one of the greatest tenor voices you could ever hear! I highly recommend anyone to see him perform and sing – it really is a stunning voice!) during the Storm Trio in Act III. F*$%ing AWESOME!
But I agree with you, ITDG, the young man needs to be very careful – especially if he intends to sing that role in a much larger house like the Met (which, I’m sure we’ll see him do at some point in his supposed 10-yr contract).
ITDG, I haven’t forgotten about contacting you – things have been so crazy and busy for me…but be expecting an email from me sometime in the near future!
Ciao tutti!