Wie alles war, weiss ich; wie alles wird, wie alles sein wird
The Met’s press office just sent this out:
New York, NY (May 8, 2007) – Bizet’s Carmen with Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina in the title role will be revived during the Met’s 2007-08 season, replacing the previously announced performances of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. The change in repertory is due to the decision by Argentine tenor Marcelo Álvarez to retire the title role of Hoffmann from his repertory. Mr. Álvarez will instead make his Met role debut singing Don José in Carmen opposite Ms. Borodina. Nancy Fabiola Herrera will sing the title role in one performance. Krassimira Stoyanova sings the role of Micaëla at the Met for the first time. Emmanuel Villaume conducts all eight performances from February 4 to March 1, 2008.
I was very upset that Stoyanova was not going to be singing Antonia at the Met, as it was her only scheduled role there (why not a few Normas?), and I am glad to have her as Micaela, though it’s not much of a part for her and does not, IMHO, play to her strengths. Guess I’ll have to save up and go to Vienna for her Amelia Grimaldi.
i saw them replacing all the posters for next season….what a waste of paper. Alvarez dropping hoffman but keeping jose….right….
He also sang manrico, perhaps calaf will be next or otello?
Seriously, why not just get another Tenor. You’ve probably got the whole production booked. I was really looking forward to the Hoffmanns, especially because someone told me that Bernard Fitch was bringing back his Spalanzani, which I’ve always enjoyed, and I LOVE the production. Now I have to wait until 2010? Not Fair!
Isn’t it true that Gelp is planning a new production of Tales of H. in the near future with Villazon and Netrebko singing all the female heroines? Is Alvarez concerned of comparisons?
Evenhanded – PLEASE tell me where you got them!!! I would love to do anything to get my hands on something like that!
I understand Maschado was the cover for Hoffman. He mentioned something backstage about coming back to the MET in Hoffman.
It does seem awfully strange, doesn’t it? Someone who said “does Alvarez really have that much clout”, my thoughts exactly. I don’t really get it. There MUST be more reasons than this. Any one have an inside scoop?
ITDCS:
You can find Devia’s Bolena at Verona’s Teatro Filarmonico here:
http://parsifal79.blogspot.com/
(you need to go to the post on April 10th. No idea how our Greek friend got this, but many thanks to him for this treat).
I saw the last performance of the run on April 4th, and Devia was spectacular, especially in the more lyrical moments. ‘Al dolce guidami’ was to die for. Of course the voice lacks the ideal weight for the more aggressive parts, but certainly not thrust or bite. And there was something profoundly honest and imaginative about her approach to the role: she didn’t try to hide her discomfort with the lower-lying bits, but used it for characterization instead, to portray Anna’s frustration at not being listened to, as if she weren’t being heard (which in fact she wasn’t in those bits).
I shouted myself hoarse with bravas at the end, as did the many Spaniards, Germans and Austrians who had come for her. (They also booed the boring conductor, and rightly so. I just muttered under my breath ‘noioso’ and ‘senza palle’…).
Enjoy!
In terms of hiring a different tenor to keep Hoffmann on the schedule, this is a considerable challenge at this late date. The Met needed to find someone who:
a) is available for all the performances plus the 3 weeks prior for rehearsal
b) wants to (and can) sing Hoffmann
c) has sufficient box office appeal. The Met is unwilling to put on Hoffmann with an unknown singer in the title role.
This set of constraints makes the problem nearly impossible.
Hehehe, its great to know that somebody reads my blog!