“Help me! Help me!”
Over at the Met they’re dropping like, well, you know. Per the press office: “Marco Armiliato will conduct Puccini’s La Bohème on January 31, February 3, 7, 10, 17, 22, and 25, replacing Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.” There’s more!
“Paul Nadler will conduct Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette on March 22, replacing Plácido Domingo, who will be in Buenos Aires celebrating his 40th anniversary with the Teatro Colón.”
“Arnold Bezuyen will sing the role of Loge in Wagner’s Das Rheingold on March 30 and April 2 matinee, replacing Richard Croft who is unable to perform due to complications from a broken foot.”
Can’t they give Croft the Marjorie-Lawrence treatment? I personally would welcome less of Loge’s moon-walking in that production.
… or, in more contemporary terms, the Joyce DiDonato London Rosina treatment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBJdkTclNaQ
Time for “This Diva Looks Like That Diva”?
I couldn’t even hear R. Croft in Das Rheingold in September. I thought he was a dancer. I could see him move but hear no voice. And now he can’t move. I wish him well, but I’m looking forward to someone audible singing Loge.
BTW: Carnegie Hall has announced its 2011-12 season. Big news is Anna Netrebko will finally do a New York as part of a Tchaikovsky Festival. Other stuff is BORING. Only point of interest is a recital by Sandrine Piau at Zankel. Otherwise, the usual suspects – Susan Graham, Angelika Kirschlager (in her 100th NY recital in tandem with Jean Yves Thibaudet and his red socks), Ian Fucking Bostridge (with Thomas Ades tickling the ivories), Lucy Crowe is there for the Vicar/Nerva. Renee is singing something with the Met Orchestra. Joyce Di Donato has a recital for the Marilyn Horne Foundation. Karita Mattila has a recital thingie and a St. Louis Symphony concert. Jessye Norman, Camilla Tilling, Dawn Upshaw, Nina Stemme, Viveca Genaux and Bernarda Fink pop up as soloists in various chamber and orchestral concerts.
Anna is doing a NY recital! Also Eric Owens has a recital and that is exciting. Andreas Scholl has something with the English Concert at Zankel.
Actually, Nina Stemme is appearing in a Cleveland Orchestra concert reading of “Salome” conducted by Franz Welser-Most with Eric Owens and Jane Henschel and Rudolf Schaschling as Herod. That is exciting. Jessye is doing John Cage songs with Michael Tilson-Thomas.
Last time I heard Jessye she sounded ready to tackle Cage’s most famous composition.
Yes, perhaps generally boring (aside from the awesome Berliner programs) but we will also get Christian Gerhaher who was simply remarkable as Wolfram at the Royal Opera House’s Tannhäuser last/this month. The man isn’t too often on these shores.
And come on — Eric Owens!
Oh, my poor dyslexic eyes -- I thought for a moment that I had read Ian Somerhalder Fucking……”
Kiri te Kanawa is still listed as soloist in the Previn Four Last Songs on March 21, I see. Anyone going?
Speaking of recitals, did anyone attend the June Anderson December recital in Puteaux ( France)?
Lots of bel canto and a friend who was there said it was terrific.
Pernille here is a review (in French):
http://www.forumopera.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=2249&cntnt01origid=69&cntnt01detailtemplate=gabarit_detail_breves&cntnt01dateformat=%25d-%25m-%25Y&cntnt01lang=fr_FR&cntnt01returnid=64
…and also a (not very complimentary) review of the Dessay Giulio Cesare :
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f7bff2f0-2328-11e0-b6a3-00144feab49a.html#axzz1BQiF6oMb
… not very complimentary, but overall very well written!
Thanks, Manou. A friend sent a translated (Google) version which was too hysterical. So I’m glad to have the original – I think my French is better than Google’s
Rizzi-Brignoli conducted the worst-conducted boheme’s i’ve ever heard in my life. Very glad Armiliato is replacing him.
Then I’ll assume you missed Domingo’s reading!
No, Maury– goo dloine, but Rizzi-Brignoli was worse. The worst Met BOHEME conducting I can recall, which takes in a lot.
Quite a number of people gave his conducting poor marks. He had a handful of performances already that should have at least given him the opportunity to make improvements. Then a month to study and work on things before rehearsals were to start up for this run. I think he would have gotten some feedback after the earlier run that he needed to do something.
That he got canned right away seems to indicate he couldn’t or wouldn’t improve. I don’t think we’ll see him again at the Met anytime soon. If ever.
Crfot should never have agreed to be a cover for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Come to think of it, “complications” from a broken foot? Isn’t a broken foot sufficient grounds to cancel in itself?
Crfoot, surely?
Oops. Complications from a broken finger.
Ah yes, Armiliato. Fine conductor. How well I remember his Gottertoscarung. In fact, I think it’s still going on.