Tour de farce
UPDATE, Tuesday, 7:45 AM: The Met sent out a press release at 1:27 AM New York time today announcing major changes to its roster for the tour of Japan this month. La Cieca has revised the following gossip item (which appeared at 11 PM last night) to reflect the Met’s confirmations.
EARLIER: La Cieca has just heard from a Met insider that the following cast changes have been made to the company’s Japan tour, set to open June 4: Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja and Mariusz Kwiecien have all reportedly canceled. (“Ms. Netrebko changed her mind because of the emotional weight of having also lived through the tragedy of Chernobyl. She didn’t feel that she would be able to present her best performances and didn’t want to disappoint her Japanese fans. Mr. Calleja also had last-minute misgivings about performing in Japan at this time.”)
Barbara Frittoli will replace Netrebko as Mimi in La bohème; the role of Marcello is TBA. Piotr Beczala will perform Rodolfo as scheduled on June 4, 8 and 11, with Marcelo Alvarez taking over the role on June 17 and 19.
But wait, there’s more!
With Frittoli busy singing Puccini, Marina Poplavskaya will replace her as Elisabetta in Don Carlo for all performances. Rolando Villazon will return to the Met for a one-night stand as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor in the June 9 performance, replacing Calleja, then Alexei Dolgov (who?) fills in on the 12th before Beczala performs as scheduled on the 16th and 19th.
The “gala” concert on June 14 will include neither Netrebko nor Kwiecien and currently lists only orchestral works, with vocal soloists TBA “Diana Damrau, Barbara Frittoli, and Piotr Beczala will join Mariusz Kwiecien for the Suntory Hall concert on June 14, replacing Ms. Netrebko. The program for this concert will be announced shortly.”
Earlier cancellations for this tour have included Jonas Kaufmann, Olga Borodina and the Met’s music director James Levine.
Tozzi deserves his own page. Rest in peace dear Giorgio.
Brava to La Cieca for again scooping the official MET Press Release, which states:
“Anything can happen in the volcanic world of opera, and with this tour it seems that our volcano has momentarily erupted,” said the Met’s General Manager, Peter Gelb. “While sympathetic to those artists who felt compelled to withdraw, we are particularly grateful to the stars that are rallying to our side from around the world in support of the Met and the Japanese people. Thanks to them, our show will go on…. Up until last week, both Ms. Netrebko and Mr. Calleja had been planning on performing in Japan, as scheduled. Ms. Netrebko changed her mind because of the emotional weight of having also lived through the tragedy of Chernobyl. She didn’t feel that she would be able to present her best performances and didn’t want to disappoint her Japanese fans. Mr. Calleja also had last-minute misgivings about performing in Japan at this time.”
But Kwiecien is still announced as participating.
Ms. Netrebko changed her mind because of the emotional weight of having also lived through the tragedy of Chernobyl. She didn’t feel that she would be able to present her best performances and didn’t want to disappoint her Japanese fans.
yeah, sure, that was it…..
Weiche, Rolando, weiche…..
According to the link, the first performance is June 4th (Boheme) in Nagoya. June 8th is when they first play Tokyo.
I don’t know why they waited to announce the cancellation of Netrekbo and Calleja. I’d guess the decision was made weeks ago.
Actually, from some of the news reports, these very well could have been made last minute. My mistake.
Born on this day in 1931 soprano/mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw_dp1qQvxQ
And born on Mme Verrett’s 42nd birthday- me.
Happy Birthdays. Shirley…AND..AJ…!!
[img]http://parterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/BIF8C01212.gif[/img]
(sorry -- this is possibly the most annoying animation ever…)
There’s a LOT of competition but you may have a point!
Happy Birthday, AJ! I hope you’ve got a night at the opera planned soon.
So, armer, are you a soprano or a mezzo? (I was listening to a live album of the blessed Shirl the other day — Amsterdam, 1970. She was really something.)
Thank you all for permitting that grotesque act of self-indulgence.
Cruz- no opera plans just yet but the haul of presents included a 1995 CG Rosenkavelier (in which Bonney proves once again that she’s the best Sophie ever) and the classic Bernstein/Janowitz Fidelio on DVD.
Oh, and a 50 dollar gift certificate for the Met box office…
Self-indulgence? Self-indulgence? At least you are not posting pictures of new-born babies here.
That’ll do. Sounds like someone’s got your number…
Happy Birthday Ms. Verrett, you are still missed.
About Dolgov: I’m not surprised he got hired to sing at the Met, for this guy is the real deal. I was in the Chorus of Roberto Devereux in Montreal and, night after night, everytime he finished his farewell-to-life cabaletta, we (the members of the chorus) exited the stage in a trance-like state, looking at one another in astonishment in the face of so much intensity and passion. He’s a blond cherub of a man, quite believable as an actor, and voicewise, he’s a lyric tenor with a plush and complex timber, can soar effortlessly to the highs, and also possesses the ability to shade his voice to a whisper if needed. All in all, a really thrilling artist.
Dolgov just sang Pinkerton with Catherine Naglestad in Washington DC. While I found the conducting underwhelming, I felt he had an effortless, pleasant, expressive voice (he sang the love duet as sexy as possible, given the staging and conducting -- his “viene, viene” reminded me of Bergonzi in the Barbarolli recording) and he had an appealing stage presence. I do think he is a tenor to watch. He sings Edgardo in DC next year.
Dolgov turned in a very credible Bacchus in Ariadne last month in Houston. For me, he was the most impressive cast member. He performed the role very lyrically and without visible strain!!
OT, but :
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/01/arts/01iht-LON01.html?_r=1&ref=arts
Anyone who could characterize Lophakin as a “villain” should not be writing drama criticism EVEN for the NEW YORK TIMES.
Unbelievable. Just…completely unbelievable There are no Villains in the Cherry Orchard. In fact, Chekhov wrote specifically that Lophakin is NOT a “villain.” He’s a very sympathetic character. What the hell?
Imagine if you spent 800 bucks because you YEN for Emmy Destinn, and instead got Herva Nelli??????
Now I hear Anna might be pregnant….If so, will she do Bolena…I would want Dimitra Theodossiou, since Gencer and Callas are indisposed….but my friend Marisa Galvany still has plenty of voice.
By the way,what is this rumor about La Cieca applying for a maid’s job at a ritzy hotel?????