Six of one
In a development likely to elicit from aficionados of the tenor voice a resounding “meh,” Dimitri Pittas has withdrawn from all scheduled performances of Verdi’s Macbeth at Lyric Opera of Chicago, to be replaced by Italo-Nutleyite sensation Leonardo Capalbo (pictured).
A charming fellow, every inch the generous colleague.
Totally fuckable from the shoulders down.
Completely kissable from the chin up.
Totaly meh (and to top it all, Kermity) between the chin and the shoulders.
Judge for yourselves:
I am all for casting great looking people, but come on, at least cast someone who will be able to sing the role.
yes, I’ve heard him live, the YouTube clips are flattering—he has a mediocre voice, at best. But I guess casting doesn’t matter anymore at Lyric or anywhere else. It’s not about singing, really.
I never noticed that these first notes of the brass in Donizetti’s Tomb scene may have been in Wagner’s subconscious when he penned the various incarnations of the sword motif in the Ring. Obviously the same intervals have been used by many composers many times, but heralding them the way they were played here, just made me think of that.
As for Capalbo’s voice based on these clips – it’s so much more pleasing to my ears than Villazon & co.
I’ve heard a lot worse. Ryczard Karcikowski anyone?
1. Capalbo – I heard it a few years ago as Macduff in the Holland Park Macbeth and was so impressed I made a note of his name as someone to watch. I have also bet on a very handsome horse at Ascot and it came last.
2. It would be a great help if we could click on the latest comments on the left and be re-directed to that comment in the correct thread. This always happens when you are in the comments feed page, but only sometimes on this page. I have mentioned this before, and I think some others have the same problem, so I am sorry to be going on and on about the same thing – not that I would be the only one to do so here…
Sorry – I mean I heard him…
manou — I have had the same problem with the links to the relevant posting, but wasn’t quite sure how to express it.
I thought I had the same problem, but I figured out that if you click on just the time of the post it works. When you run your mouse over the time, it hyper-texts and then you click and then you are redirected to the post. Hope this works for you!
But I have just discovered this does not work for the video I posted. Interesting.
Thanks louannd – had tried this before. It it just a capricious system. Works fine from the comments feed, but that takes its time to update too. I guess patience is a virtue…
Yes, manou … Jedes Ding hat seine Zeit. But I want it NOW!!!!!!
http://tinyurl.com/2cf7u6e
“…ya, know…”
I once read a quote from Alfredo Kraus saying that one can tell how “Parmi veder le lagrime” is going to turn out from the first attack– and that is sadly true here with Capalbo.
Still I’d rather hear and see him than Pittas, a major non-event propelled by CAMI and some outdated press photos.
Well, you won’t have to worry about having this “major non-event” propelled against you for a while. Poor Dimitri just had a malignant tumor cut out of his chest, and is beginning chemo.It was apparently discovered by accident after he had a fall from a horse during his honeymoon, and they were x-raying his ribs. While i’ve taken the time to actually post i should like to address the issue of singer cancellations, and the bitchy, vitriolic, irrational reactions of some of you here. Opera singing is, especially today, one of the most difficult professions imaginable.If I were a serious singer, and had the SLIGHTEST feeling that I could not deliver my best on a particular night in a particular role, I would cancel. The artist has no “obligation” to exhibit themself to the public – the public that is ready to crucify him or her for any apparent or imagined inadequacies during a performance. That being said, your ire should be directed toward the pimping opera company administrations that have a no refund, no exchange policy regarding performances.
I think that is one of the most appropriate statements I have ever read on this website! Bravo!
Here, here! BRAVISSIMO.
“If I were a serious singer, and had the SLIGHTEST feeling that I could not deliver my best on a particular night in a particular role, I would cancel.”
Then you would have no career. Most singers feel that they are capable of giving their best about 5% of the time. The other 95% they are fighting colds, allergies, reflux, humidity problems, emotional stress, disagreeable colleagues, uncooperative conductors, family emergencies, their period, etc. If you cancel 95% of the time, pretty quickly no one will hire you.
“your ire should be directed toward the pimping opera company administrations that have a no refund, no exchange policy regarding performances.”
Basically, you’re saying that a company should close the theater whenever there is a cancellation, since that is what would trigger refunds; why bother putting on a performance if you have to refund the box office to the audience. Do you have any idea how quickly that would put theaters out of business? And the additional pressure that would put on singers – whom you seem to defend – not to cancel?
I’m a bit surprised at the hand-wringing over Mr. Capalbo. Macduff is a lot easier than Parmi or Fra poco. Why not see how he does before confirming intergalactic doom? Though I suppose being optimistic is a lot less fun.
The singers you know are apparently a particularly delicate, navel-gazing subset, if they honestly feel that the are only delivering 5% of the time. The list of vicissitudes you list are, and have always been part of the JOB, which makes my case. I am speaking of singers at the international level, whose performances wind up on Youtube 5 minutes after the show for you all to compare to Callas, Caballe, Anna Russell, etc., and have nothing but down-side potential for singing sick. If the international theaters (the Met) would engage actual working singers as covers instead of outsourced bargain imports, the public could expect at least a good show. And, by the way, the relatively small public that would want to exchange or refund would not significantly effect the bottom line, as earned income in these barns is only a total of about 38% of the overheard even for a sell-out.
I disagree, Macduf has about the same vocal requirements/weight as the Duke, much shorter role, yes, but the way a singer does Parmi is a telling way of how he would do Ah la paterna mano, as they sit around the same area and carry the same weight.
Besides, the criticism is not for how he would sound as Macduf as much as of how he sounds, period. A very similar sound (to some people’s ears) is openly criticized on Juan Diego Flores and his Rossini singing.
VG – You’re not reading. I’m not talking about ‘delivering’ – I’m responding to YOUR comment about feeling capable of delivering one’s best. There is a difference. Almost every singer will try to do the best they can on a particular evening, but on most of those evenings, they probably know they are not going to hit their personal best because of the factor I cited. I think Christa Ludwig and Grace Bumbry would be surprised to learn they are considered “navel-gazers” but then again, they probably would not care what you think of them.
I’d be curious to know what surveys or reports can you cite that indicate a financially insignificant percent of the public would request refunds.
Opera singing is one of the most difficult professions imaginable? Soldier, Fire fighter, policeman, heck, a teacher in some inner school. If you have the right training and respect for your craft, opera singing is demanding, but it does not compare to a lot of other professions. It just requires a much more singular talent, but again, it does not compare. let’s be realistic here.
Thank you for constraining me to be more precise. Opera singing is one of the most difficult professions in which to achieve any level of attention, support oneself financially, and have any career longevity. Talent, apparently, is no longer a major factor.
Be grateful that some of his “plumber” pics have not seen the day of light. I’ll leave it at that…
And i agree, kid needs to update his picture portfolio, hard as it might be.
Sorry to hear the poor man is ill. May he recover swiftly.
Ypu win, Nerva; sole and unique expression of human compassion from the whole crew.
Capalbo is very good in the Romeo clips on the tube, light voiced, but definately the whole package…especially in those boxer briefs!
I read through the whole stream and wondered about the lack of sympathy for Mr. Pittas on this site. Finally Virgilio made an appropriate comment. Let’s all pray for his recovery.
But what is the point of this sudden outburst of sympathy? It’s based on one bit of inside information from an anonymous commenter, and everyone is assuming it’s true. Singers cancel frequently, and the only difference between “Miss X” and the current case is that for the former we don’t happen to have the sad backstory supplied to us.
I notice too that Virgilio managed to interrupt the sympathy vigil long enough to grind his habitual axe about how the Met handles its cover system. (This in a thread about Lyric Opera of Chicago.)
This is a gossip site, ladies and gentlemen. If gossip offends you, then you’ve come to the wrong place.