Alagnas go pfft?
According to Opera Chic, the Alagnas will announce their plans to divorce tomorrow. (That is, they will make an announcement tomorrow; the actual proceedings are likely a little farther down the road.) You may remember that La Cieca hinted at this sad eventuality several months ago. [UPDATE: As noted in the comments below, Alagna is calling it a separation and "Angela ne veut pas entendre parler de divorce," which could mean a whole range of things.] Image based on a photo by Ken Howard, Metropolitan Opera.
Harry – your perceptions are so distorted you are actually referring to what most people now call “the golden years” of “The Australian Opera” (as they were then).”
Today we can only look back at a time when we had many wonderful productions with many excellent artists including a healthy number of imports – a far cry from what we’ve got now. The suggestion that the Bonynge’s “fucked up” anything let alone the programme, is an urban myth perpetuated mostly by a small number of self-grandising old queens striving for attention and relevence at dinner parties. It has nothing to do with reality but it does make good copy.
http://www.angelagheorghiu.com/news/2009/oct/10/statement/
Manou – thanks – is that a wedding dress?
Buster (33) – It is her second act Tosca dress (ROH present production). It is very striking and also quite heavy, and has an unwieldy train (hard to handle when being raped).
But it could double up as a wedding dress if our gracious hostess would divulge the name of the younger tenor she is apparently involved with.
Thanks Manou – I wonder what Ricardo Chailly will wear!
Ruxton;(31#) Gee I always suspected you were part of what is known as the ‘dizzy Australian Opera Chardonnay Set’. So very Sydney! Drinking in, those ridiculous joke productions at the Sydney Opera House with 6 th rate (definitely NOT the 5th rate!)singers at prices comparable to the top quoted prices at the MET!!! Ever gone backstage and seen its primitive local Parish Hall facilities to serve a stage that compliments a ‘narrow alley’ width, stage depth about the same. The place is a internal complete ‘non- facility’. Taking their made up sets to other Australian States and there, laughably -the sets sit alone, miniaturized / dwarfed on those proper ‘super – Max’ sized stages with top facilities capable of doing any opera, justice. Some of their singers find the same fate trying to tackle roles they thought possible back in the Sydney ‘Hut’ with the shells on top. To think they wanted the Government to give them a billion to renovate the joint.and got turned down. Someone had sense for a change! Cut it loose and let it float away down Sydney Habour.The Sydney Opera in 36 years has never done or attempted a Ring!!!! They once pathetically started and then aborted after Walkure! Says it all!
Subtitle the term ‘F…k up’ with the term ‘Suck….up; regarding the Bonygnes -firstly in financial sense terms and it is smack on the mark. The money they dragged out of Opera Australia was obscene, balanced against what was available overall, at the time. I knew people that were privy to the Account Books. A lesson of how not to run an opera company. What Bonygne wanted, Bonygne got… pushing a personal agenda bandwagon ‘on behalf of Joan -Ha!’ Joan In Otello? anyone, Joan in Trovatore with U.S Civil War styled sets anyone? It was never going to end….’this euphoria’. It finally did. Joan stops singing and he hangs around pushing other tacky vehicles like Kalmann’s Gypsy Princess.Yes he then records it for low budget label. Even on freebies, I fled it as many others did, too. And Opera Australia have just finished having their Hickox experiment as well. Pushing the Brit influence………Shit Vicar! Are you reading , too!
Postscript: Sutherland was one of the greatest singing technicians. Pity though!..if only she could have formed intelligible words, with any of the sounds, she made.
Harry, I have to ask…. why is it so hard to express yourself without all of the vitriol?
POT CALLS KETTLE VITRIOLIC
Well personally I like him better than her in every way. He’s a generous performer and I always feel like even if a note was off he’s tried his best and given it his all. She’s a rather calculating singer with an enchanting timbre, but after awhile I need more.
That being said, I’m sorry to see that their tempestuous marriage seems to be over. They were always entertaining in print.