alla cantata ancor manca la diva gossip?
According to Musical Criticism, Deborah Voigt has canceled her run of Tosca performances at the Royal Opera “due to ‘acute colitis’.” As it happens, your doyenne had a tip on that cancellation late last week and for whatever reason (Michael Jackson fatigue?) she didn’t share that gossip with you.
So, cher public, here’s a chance for you to sound off on this journalistic lacuna and (by extension) on the mission of parterre.com in general. Take the poll after the jump. Comments are welcome as well.
I was not personally impressed with Gheorghiu as Tosca at Met (drastically underpowered) but the audience ate it up.
I know she cancelled her Germany Tosca’s and I understand that she has cancelled her Met Tosca’s so I was also a bit surprised to see her jumping in here….
So Cieca darling, where ARE the nekkid baritones, anyway? You haven’t given us any for a while. So how about it, huh? (And the more NSFW the better.)
Bill S Preston Esq. quite simply you have to admit Britain as a economic center is now completely and frankly ‘on its arse’. Coming at a time when finally the ‘engine house’ connection of recordings-performances -and concert tie-ins are a closed thing of the past as an attraction for artists to make Britain their main port of call. Back in 1860 it was Paris, it could be said 1960 was Britain….It is now finito…over!
The devastating effect, on long term cultural pursuits will not be fully known for some years but faced with the financial figures I quoted, it will be severe if not disastrous. But then, Britain always has tried to say ‘British is best’. All we need to do, as they kid themselves, is laugh and get out the many strait-jackets ready and needed. ‘Our own resources’ hars mir gelobt (comment 3#)as talked about……let’s get down to tin tacks as they say….. What natural resources DOES Britain have, to pull itself out of the merde’? None!…. The days of plundering its Empire colonies for any resources you care to name, is over. So all it has is to recycle its own imploding and now tarnished form of culture. Sell the inherited silver from Lady ‘what’s her name’………oh dear!
I expect the Vicar of Wakefield in years to come, to tell us that a provincial Ms Primsole from some Brighton Light Opera company, gave a remarkable debut as Tosca in some new budget conscious production, intended to keep the doors open of some of the British opera companies. As well I expect remarks that she was paid out in clothes and food vouchers.
Grimgerde (15#)…..and as we would have had to reputably say in the past ” plenty of spray deodorant, because some of those patrons did’nt probably have their Saturday nigh bath at the Council bath houses before they came!”
I’m trying (without success) to think of any currently performing artist I would eagerly want to hear sing Tosca. Any. Really. Voigt may or may not have colitis; she is certainly unable to sing any operatic role satisfactorily, and I doubt she ever will again. Elisabeth was the last, and that wasn’t great. Gheorghiu ain’t no Tosca. Millo too can no longer sing anything much. Who does that leave? Dull as dishwater Urmana? Retire this opera for ten years, please.
Harry, please tell me you’re not an American. Because with that talk you’re an embarrassment to whatever nation gave you birth.
Alto : One’s nationality is immaterial. What is important is to examine whether the abrasive points I made are justifed ,fact, or have been experienced in some way. Otherwise let’s all go off to P.C. polite la-la land which of course we know the Brits are drowning in it.
I walked out of Voigt’s Tosca at the MET – boring! I have hopes for Mattila – though I am apparently the only one on the planet who like her Manon Lescaut (seen in Chicago; and Galouzine was screaming better than usual that night)
@26 Alto, I think Harry is a Kiwi, an endangered species (and disgruntled former colonist) still raging against the dying of the light.
Graciella Scusi: Sorry Dear, I am not ‘into sheep’ as they say!