Yet another reason I’m glad I’m not Peter Gelb
You know, there’s the day-to-day stuff, like is Salvatore Licitra going to sing tonight. And then there’s the “coming soon” stuff, like getting the new Walküre up and running. And the “closely watched” stuff, like the Japan tour, with additional concerns outlined in today’s New York Times. And speaking of that article, there’s bullshit like this:
A Met spokesman said that Mr. Levine was not available to discuss the trip. But his manager, Ronald Wilford, said: “Whatever the Met decides, he will do. If the Met administration believes it can go to Japan and not risk things, then he will go, I think. I haven’t talked to him about it, and I’m not going to.”
And Wilford is the sensible one among the Levine team Gelb has to negotiate with!
Highlight (?) of the upcoming season: Deutsche Oper Berlin has scheduled 2 concert performances of Bernstein’s Candide in May 2012 conducted by Donald Runnicles with Toby Spence, Simone Kermes (!) and Grace Bumbry (!!) as the Old Lady. This after Anja Silja sings the same part for the Staatsoper this year! Can Scotto at the Komische Oper in ’13 be far behind?
Why is she writhing on the floor in Act One finale?