Or not to be?
That popular and versatile artist TBA will enjoy a busy December at the Met alternating the roles of Mimi and Musetta in La boheme. La Cieca wonders if Cristina Gallardo-Domâs is “indisposed” with the same “health” “problems” that beset Susannah Glanville. Anyway, G-D is out of the rest of 2006, though she’s still on the schedule for the return of the production in late January. As for Ms. Glanville, it looks like this erstwhile Blanche DuBois may have to rely on the kindness of strangers once again, since all the influence a Friend could bring to bear didn’t get her past the dress rehearsal.
I believe Cassanova severed his ties with the MET by his choice. He was tired of only being offered second casts and revivals when he was being offered major roles in new productions and important revivals in Europe. they treated him the same way they treated Soviero, who also was starring in new productions in Europe all the time (Manon Lescaut at the Bastille for example) but who the MET would offer only Musetta and Nedda most of the time, and second casting for most other roles.
i don’t know i would characterize borodina as a dramatic mezzo. also, she doesn’t like to dwell on high notes, and in things like amneris and eboli, she really comes up a bit short on top — she just doesn’t have that uppper extension like zajick (or bumbry or verrett).
I was just thinking the same thing after hearing the broadcasts of Gioconda and Don Carlo with Borodina. Those high notes are a stretch for her. I’ll take Zajick’s Eboli any day over Borodina’s.
Borodina didn´t sing well in the broadcast of “Don Carlo”. When she first appeared in the veil song she was, hmm, not bad. But as the performance progressed, she sounded more and more tired, and the “O don fatale” was, indeed, fatal, with strained high notes. What a difference with Urmana in the last Met broadcast of “Don Carlo”. She was in glorious voice
Her Amneris on the frankly weird Harnoncourt Aida is underwhelming, too. I know overuse of the chest voice can be vulgar, but I think Act 4 requires at least a little, Borodina might as well be singing Schubert at that point.
Verrett’s autobiography, which I’ve recently finished, lets slip that if she hadn’t walked out of RCA she’d have been their Azucena and Amneris on the Price/ Domingo recordings of the early 70s. What a loss.
“I just checked again and Lopardo was originally listed for the Magic Flutes.”
May I ask what official MET publication did you “just check” and find that he was “originally listed?”
I cannot find that information anywhere and don’t believe he was ever signed for that role. And his agent doesn’t think so either so I’m curious where, officially, this information is still listed for you to “check it?”
Il Tenore Di grazia is absolutely correct. When this season was originally announced Frank Lopardo was listed for the English-language flutes. You can access the original Met Press Release here:
http://www.metmaniac.com/metplansrelease.htm
I suggest Bill Bookbinder get better sources…and if Mr. Lopardo’s agent indeed knew nothing about this (which I doubt), it says pretty much all you need to know about how his career is being handled.
You are correct. Lopardo’s name was in the original release but I am also correct. He didn’t know about it because no contract was signed and he was singing elsewhere at that time so it as never going to happen. Methinks the MET just made a mistake in including his name.
I find the proposition that a major Opera house woulld announce an artist’s participation in a production without that artist’s knowledge a pretty hard one to swallow. If it is true, it’s a disgraceful piece of mismanagement.
Funny you would say that…as the MET announced that Marcello Alvarez would sing the 2006 spring MANON’s with Fleming. In fact, he was NEVER offered a contract and was busy. Yet, the MET put his name in the all the releases. That’s why Mr. Massimo Giordano sang the spring performances. I guess the MET “assumed” Mr. Alvarez would be “free” at that time.