the art of the euphemism
La Cieca never knows quite how far to go in repeating what she “is told,” but since some of it seems to be leaking out anyway, well, she’ll try to be tactful. Apparently sometimes opera companies choose to use terminology like “laryngitis” and “knee injury” in order to avoid having to say “exhibited bizarre behavior at rehearsals” or “arrived obviously unprepared.”
I’d also like to add, that, with a few exceptions, I find that those truly “in the know” often don’t say anything, out of respect for the artists or organization. For instance Met archivist Robert Tuggle (great guy) works in a charmingly messy office right beneath the Met rehearsal rooms. I’ve been there, and you really can here everything. So he would probably be a gold mine for gossip, including any and all rehearsal fights, diva tantrums, who is sounding great, who is sounding awful, etc. But he doesn’t do that sort of thing.
PoisonIvy, we need to give Mr Tuggle a series on ‘unnatural acts’!
I apologize for calling Brian an “opiniated ignoramus”.
I meant, of course, an “opinionated ignoramus”.
Fanciulla:
MC was well-known, at least in the first part of her career when she was singing frequently, for going blank on the text while singing.
Some of her greatest triumphs (Puritani, Armida) were drilled into her brain in a matter of days, up to and including opening night.
Wouldn’t it depend on the director? If (s)he has set an “open rehearsal” policy, then anything goes. But often a “closed rehearsal” is declared; that means “what happens here STAYS here!”, in which case leaks would be cause for dismissal.
brian: I could believe that the net cost of engaging Polaski to jump into three performances could esaily top $100,000. First there would probably be some premium or bonus built into Polaski’s fee, then presumably the Met have to cover at least some of the costs of finding a replacement Kostelicka for Munich’s Jenufa, the production Polaski would have to abandon to go into the Met’s Ring.
I would guess, though, that the speculation is moot, because it’s a new production in Munich, to be repeated in that company’s summer festival, a very high-profile assignment for Polaski. Plus, world-class Kostelkickas don’t exactly grow on bushes. Surely, too, Polaski understands that her Brunnhilde days are mostly behind her, and that whatever future she has as a singer will be in roles like the Kostelnicka.
gosh, nerva it took you long enough to get the spelling right.
Brian, it’s taken me a while, but I’ve got to say you delight me. You’ve got a “chips-fall-where-they-may” attitude which is both abrading and exhilarating, like those Finnish saunas.
But that doesn’t mean you can call on me to pick up your broken bleeding body out of some alley.
caballe also could show up unprepared. her ariadne at the MET was famous for having the score pasted all over the set. she did not remember the role at all.
Ahaha–I was at a concert recital of Caballe’ in 1988 [9? 90?]–she gave “O Mio Babbino”–as an encore, I think–and sang “GRAN DIO, VORREI MORIR.” Awesome, right? I could not have made that up XD