She’s no longer a gypsy, part deux
Angela Gheorghiu will not sing Carmen at the Met this season. Says the diva:
“To make so important a debut as Carmen, I want to be as prepared dramatically as I am musically. Therefore, I will postpone my role debut until a later date when I can work intensely with the Richard Eyre production.”
Kate Aldrich will sing the performances on April 28 and May 1. More big news after the jump!
UPDATE: Gheorghiu family news always seems to travel in pairs, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the other shoe dropping: La Cieca hears that Roberto Alagna will sing next season’s Met production of Don Carlo, replacing the previously cast Massimo Giordano.
I don’t think AG’s a fraud. I think she genuinely has a beautiful voice and, when she cares to do so, can give a dramatically potent interpretation of a role. Her voice has held up well over the years. Her problem is that she basically now has the Elisabeth Schwarzkopf dictum – sing five roles, and stick to it. And that’s what she sings — lots of Magdas, Violettas, Mimis, Adinas, and occasionally Amelia in Boccanegra or something else. Which is fine and good, but I do wish she’d give up the pretension that she’s going to learn new roles, even ones that would suit her (like Desdemona).
poisonivy, her voice is most definitely not a fraud. It is for sure a beautiful tone, warm and very ductile. Now, I think that if she did not try to “cover” the tone in such a way that it sounds to to HER ( I think she probably cups her hand to her ears a lot in private and in the studio), it might have more facial resonance and ring out in the house more: it is a small voice which has a difficult time projecting itself. I bet she loves her recording studio. The mike gives her the ability to document the illusion she wishes to foster.
But the way she sings, she has not enough of a voice to do even most of the prima donna leads. Susanna, instead of the Countess; Zerlina, not Elvira and Anna; Pamina; Despina; Ilia. But not Mimi, not even Magda and Adina. Magda is a verismo role – listen to Carteri, you hear the ping and brisk clarity of tone – Gheorghiu’s is too soft grained. Adina requires a first-class coloratura technique – which Gheorghiu does not have. French rep? After hearing Feraldy’s peerless Manon, Gheorghiu’s sounds all wrong – Feraldy has a pealing zing to the tone that sounds so right – and has a natural charm that Gheorghiu cannot even plausibly fake.
And Amelia in Boccanegra? Ahem. Her young Violetta is about right. A bit calculating maybe, but it will be her lasting, veritable document.
Gheorghiu has the kind of warm sound that is right for the Mozart girls – possibly even some of the more lyrical Handel ingenues. But she has no middle-register strength and upper power for most of the prima donna roles. And because she spurns most of the roles that would give her a memorable artistic profile, she will leave behind a vague, confusing legacy.
No fraud, vocally; just delusionally ambitious. Artistically, personally – bona fide fraud.
Very nice, Sig. Rishoi. One of the best comments of the week, and
so well written. Be careful here, though, there are horned toads
behind every rock! I hope you keep your purity!
The compliment of scum is itchy skin. Neil, one of the few good guys on the opera ‘Net, knows that and is also sharp enough to recognize unintentional self revelation when it masquerades as a ‘compliment’. Niel, I am will to bet, sniffs a decaying phony when he sees the droppings of one. He’s got a good nose for the stench of decay.
Let me also remind everyone here of something. Carmen was ONE of TWO new roles Angie was supposed to do this season at the Met.
Originally there was a revival scheduled of Ghosts of Versailles with Angie and Hampsom. I don’t recall if
Ang was going to do Rosina or Marie Antoinette (probably Marie) but what were the odds she was actually going to learn this role in ENGLISH.
Remember that???? Did we really think that was going to happen?
I thought all along this was very unlikely and that
at some point Ang would drop out. Well because of the recession and Gelb’s attempt to cut costs, the revival of Ghosts turned into Traviata with Ang and
tommyhammy. This of course has a much greater chance of actually happening. Of course she was saved from any blame on the Ghosts issue, at least as it appears. It was Gelb’s decision not hers.
Watching the comings and goings on Brad Wilbur’s Met Futures, I see two of Ang’s future castings have been dropped. She was listed for a Tosca revival as well as a revival of Rondine. Both are gone. She is still listed for a Romeo revival as well as a new Faust in the upcomming seasons. Well have to see at what point Ang starts actually burning bridges.
She is supposed to be learning Adriana Lecouvreur for Covent Garden next season with Kaufmann. Pappano was going to record it with them in Rome, but that became Butterfly, so now DG is going to tape live concerts of Adriana with Ange and Jonas in Berlin in the Autumn to be ready for sale in time for the Royal Opera opening. Alberto Veronesi is that conductor – as in the Bob & Ange L’amico Fritz
as for jonas, he’s for me by now a frequent canceller: out of 5 my score is 2 1/2 (the 1/2 is for the Munich Lohengrin he abandoned midway), i.e. 50%.
“Her problem is that she basically now has the Elisabeth Schwarzkopf dictum” poison ivy says:
No, I find it strange giving A.G, that dictum.
(whether one likes or dislikes Betty Blackhead /’Schwartz’). A person, who more gravitated to concerts and recitals whilst continuong recording operatic roles for recordings -courtesy of her hubbie Legge. The last thing Schwartzkopf could be accused of was, signing on and cancelling off engagements. Diligence to her career was her number one calling card, if nothing else. Her well known preparation was almost what could be called a manic obsessiion with her. A.G is indisputably at the total opposite end of that scale measure.
A.G is operating like a difficult ‘old opera broad of the boards’ who is coming to the end of a tempestuous career. The big joke is ,in her case: ‘What fuckin’ career’?. A make believe cloned one! Even by mimicing Callas: being in the same type of chic French clothes (already period!) on one of early recital albums. Play the CD……….a cloned performance of chunks and pieces derived from those, of real divas’. If people can claim A>G has an individual style to remember, I will be glad to drop my pants in the street. Have peoples’ ears deteriorated lately or are they still besotted with Opera’s ‘greatest romantic couple’ that broke up?
EMI missed when they were together, by not putting out a combined album of AG and Alagna doing a ‘Sweethearts’ CD morphing Jeanette Mc D. & Nelson Eddy
Oh! woe!!!! I am sure that silly dribbling English Gramophone magazine would have made it Opera Record of the Year!
In times to come the ‘tragic’ A.G will be relegated to the ‘forgettable’. If mentioned at all, it will be for more, her non operatic behaviour performances.
I thought the comparison was meant with regard to the limited number of roles they sang, rather than to the other aspects you mention…
Schwartzkopf ‘a limited number of roles’ ? But people fail to forget that Schwarzkopf (like or loath her!) by that time around the start of the 60′s HAD already sung so many roles. Dating back many years that would leave AG’s role call and resume’ looking very miniscule by comparision. Her then mainly and active concert recital career went on into the middle of the next decade. .
Opera singers in those days WORKED. They did not sit around and play media promotion games, be renowned more for cancelling than singing or tease managements (well, if they did they got the arse!). It appears people are forgetting the jesttisoing of ‘hard plans’ in any business – cost money which is down the drain.. Fucking up and shutting options managements may have had, if they had known her real intentions. I don’t think she would be putting out her hand to compensate for her nervous or neurotic whims, too readily. AG deserves ‘to walk the plank’ in the public spotlight. Even Terfel of all people- allegedly complained that AG/Alagna were the ‘hold- up’ on Covent Garden Faust, he performed in, from being recorded.
Who knows whether ‘their present incompatability’ could be that Alagna suddenly realized : being as closely connected to her, she was ‘bad for business’ as far as his career was concerned? Notice the possible hint: his noticable severings of ties by him, from EMI …and yet markedly -not her, also. It is alleged AG did a similar thing to that of Kathleen Battle (and her DG Handel Semele CD cover). AG reputedly jumped up and down over Alagna’s Boheme ( without A.G in the cast ) cover……’No embrace with ‘another soprano’…. no, no, NO!…..It finished up as a unpassionate display of ‘the clasping of two pairs of hands’to her satisfaction.
Anyone notice yet how Ms.Angela copy cat Mimic( AG )has done IT again. Notice the stunning likeness pose position and depiction on her EMI Madame Butterfly cover – to that taken for the Tebaldi Decca /London set back around 1958.
“Opera singers in those days WORKED. They did not sit around and play media promotion games, be renowned more for cancelling than singing or tease managements (well, if they did they got the arse!).”
With all due respect that’s a load of shit. Opera has always had its fair share of cancelers (Giuseppe di Stefano, anyone?), divas (read biographies of Nellie Melba), difficult personalities (Callas), and neurotics (Corelli), drunks (Bjoerling, Steber), and personal trainwrecks (Gisueppina Strepponi, Verdi’s wife, who had four children with four different babydaddies in four years, and abandoned them all). It seems as if the difference is back then these backstage troubles were often covered up by management and recording companies. Nowadays with the internet this backstage drama leaks to the public quickly, and many backstage antics are not tolerated nowadays.
One thing is clear – in the last generation and previously, many opera singers in repertory opera houses had to have 8 or 10 roles prepared for a season, sometimes more, might sing 3 different roles within a week. Earlier in her career Schwarzkopf was one of those as well. Nowadays many prima donnas just parade around the same role in a season to the Met, Vienna, Covent Garden etc. Fleming sings very few different roles in one calendar year -AG as well. The Met or Covent Garden have an entire string of performances of the same opera these days. In the late 60′s or early 70′s a Jess Thomas would sing ALL of his Wagner roles within one month at the Wiener Festwochen, Rysanek 7 quite different roles within 30 days – that is work.
La Cieca is more clever than some of us give her credit for. That picture of Natalie Wood from the film Gypsy: suggests ‘now you see it…now you don’t’ whilst singing Let Me Entertain You (not!).
Angela, Get the big muff and the pasties out as well as the nipple ‘butterfly bows’ Ms Lee wore.
Vaudeville might just be ready for reviving and you do want to be prepare for the authenic roles you play. Or so Angela says.
Withdrew?
31.2 is on to something
A Gheorghiu withdrawal is always a tragedy for the opera world, but even worse – Alagna is going to sing DON CARLO?
31.1.11 – Anyone else puzzled by this comment?
Would it be the Voice of the Turtle?
I have a feeling Neil understood very well indeed. And how fun, a John Van Druten reference. Eerie how scum fouls talent simply by naming it. But I hope the posts of this non entity, the loon Betsy Ann and the amazingly shallow “Cerquetti-Farrell” (the nom de net is an insult to two great ladies) delight their fans at Parterre. This is my last post here and I hope ALL the others are erased. My best to Henry Holland too, a profound mind indeed. And by all means eradicate this too moderatrix while leaving the attacks of others.
Mrs. JC – why would this be your last post? There are some good souls who have interesting thoughts to put to pen and you are one of them. Why be bothered by gnomes? It is our loss if you don’t occasionally elicit your ideas (a living history to be sure).
So come on – be a sport – do not abandon your fans in the arena which is this blog.
Regards Bill
I echo Bill’s sentiments. I’ll gladly serve as the — sole — target for her attacks if that will allow others to continue partaking of her erudition.
As a much cleverer poet than I once put it,
Parto, ma tu ben mio,
Meco ritorna in pace;
Sarò qual più ti piace,
Quel che vorrai farò.
She’ll be back. What diva can resist the stage, even when it isn’t her own?
gnomes?
Oy, it’s my late grandmother all over again! I love that old Polish-Jewish grandeur (sorry Liana) so many memories come drifting back
MrsJC: You have much to contribute to the discussion and often display brilliant insight. But please spare us your weekly farewell announcements (not to mention the regular digs at other posters).
Another farewell tour?
How touching!
Melba reincarneated?
I’m sure most people are tired of Carmen for this season, but is anyone else listening to the Sirius broadcast at the moment? Borodina is singing pretty well tonight, although she didn’t warm up until after the “Habanera.”
I’m listening too. Actually, the whole cast seems to be better than the one of the HD broadcast. BTW, is this Will in the intermission? I can’t understand half of what he’s saying (well, i’m not trying too hard) and his French (was he quoting Bizet’s directions for the torreador song? I’m not sure I understood correctly) is really dreadful. Shouldn’t a radio guy speak clearly?
I think they’re generally singing better than the HD Broadcast cast, although it seems to me that Garanca’s voice is more agile than Borodina’s, but it might be due to the latter’s being a “true” mezzo (as I’ve seen her described here). I don’t know how that works, to be honest, but I’m giving Borodina the benefit of the doubt because I (generally) like her.
That is Will next to Margaret. Others usually describe his voice as having a “drunk” quality, which might explain why he’s hard to understand.
Back to the singers: I like Jovanovich, but I think Alagna could communicate madness and desperation better, at least so far tonight.
Isn’t it quite late for you, Liana?
Actually, it’s early
; 4 a.m; but this long winter has brought some kind of contagious insomnia, and the met provides a nice pastime (well, a friend of mine says that she discovered the best sleeping pill possible – assessing students’ tests, but i definitely prefer Carmen). I like Ivanovich’ singing more than Alagna’s, but you’re right, Alagna communicated the passion, and Jovanovich doesn’t. But Rhodes improved dramatically from the HD; actually the torreador song was quite good. I like Borodina’s singing, but again, I can’t find much passion or seduction or whatever in it. And I like Micaela very much, apart from her bad French. Don’t you think that she’s better than Frittoli? Oh, and Will simply mumbles.
I agree that tonight’s Micaela is better than Frittoli was in the HD Broadcast (I’m sorry, I don’t know tonight’s singer’s name).
I agree too about Rhodes. To be honest, I didn’t understand the hype about Rhodes when I saw/heard him in the HD. He seemed to have a wide-eyed fear throughout his entire first scene, and his voice in the Toreador song seemed pushed. (But that might have been due to the 3 hour notice he was given that he’d be on stage.) He’s much better tonight (more natural, I really mean) and seemed more comfortable in Acts III and IV of the HD performance.
Oh, Liana! My friend is here for dinner so I must go. Enjoy the rest of Carmen.
Just checked, it’s Kovalewska. And the interview with Nina Stemme is quite interesting. How does this woman cope with tree children and an operatic career??? That must be really tough. BTW, I showed to an opera-hating friend of mine this extraordinary Carmen duet posted by Monty; he found it great and said that if there was more of it in the opera, he would become a fan. And was very disapointed when I told him that there was little chance that an opera singer appears drunk (or whatever it was) on the Met’s stage and can’t get one phrase correctly, even given the sometimes weird casting…