La Cieca’s answer: it’s never too soon to start wondering.  And there’s only one way to learn the answer to this pressing question. 

Veteran Verdian Leo Nucci will take on the title role for these five performances, including the Saturday broadcast.

Levine is quoted as saying, “No one is more frustrated and saddened than I am to have to relinquish this long planned and much anticipated return to Cincinnati. However, my doctors advise that in order to make a full recovery from my impending back surgery I must be prudent about post-operative rehabilitation so that I may return to work in the best shape possible.”

Dear Metropolitan Opera:

I have been a loyal subscriber to the Met since I moved to the New York area, but I am sad to announce that I will not be buying a subscription to next year’s season.

Looking back at my season this year, I have found that most of the performances for which I’ve bought tickets a year early have had major cancellations, either weeks before or the day of. Here’s what has happened to me this year in my subscription follies:

• Aida on October 21st: Dolora Zajick canceled
• Turandot on October 28th: Maria  Guleghina canceled
• Hoffmann on December 23rd: Rolando Villazon, Rene Pape and Kathleen Kim canceled
• Hamlet on March 24th: Natalie Dessay canceled
• Traviata on April 7th: Leonard Slatkin canceled
• Tosca on April 14th: James Levine and Karita Mattila canceled
• Lulu on May 12th:  Levine canceled

Now for many of these nights there were great performers in their place.  Olga Borodina’s Amneris was wonderful, Lise Lindstrom was a powerful Turandot, Rachelle Gilmore was a fantastic Olympia. Leonard Slatkin didn’t know the score so anyone will be better than him, and I am a huge fan of Fabio Luisi and trust in his ability to create a wonderful Tosca and Lulu.

I am also aware that these cancellations are not directly the fault of the house, and only rarely the fault of the performer (except in the case of Slatkin), but still the questions remain:

Why should I purchase my tickets a year in advance with this frequency of cancellations? What is the advantage for a young, busy, cash-strapped opera lover?

There must be some incentive to purchasing tickets in advance for it to be viable in the eyes of the opera world as it stands today, but as it is the risk is too great to gamble what spare money I do have on the potential of seeing a poor replacement for a star who I was scheduled to see.

Since I can no longer expect that the announced cast will show up, I will continue to go to the Met, but only purchasing tickets the day of the performance, standing room if need be.

The Met has said over and over again that they are trying to attract the next generation of opera enthusiasts. I am that audience: a 25 year old professional with the passion to attend the opera. Unfortunately, I’m getting  tired of the inconsistency and price. As I consider how I’ll buy tickets next year, it seems more likely that I will be calling for standing room tickets at noon each day I intend to go.

Rush tickets are not a possibility for me, as I work all day and cannot sit in line. We might as well  face the reality that your rush ticket program is not reaching the audience you targeted. Stroll by the rush ticket line any day and you’ll find the same retirees who would have bought family circle had the rush program not been available.

The money currently put forward for the rush ticket program would be far better spent on a “Young Met” program, allowing people such as myself a way to go to the Met regularly.

The draw for the next generation of opera fans is waning fast, and you must do something to address this situation. Realize that the people you want aren’t buying subscriptions anymore, partly because they don’t have several hundred dollars (at least) burning a hole in their pocket, and partly because they never know what they’re going to get.

You were recently given the largest gift in Met history. I hope to see some progress in coming seasons regarding these issues, and I am looking forward to another year of operatic enjoyment in your storied house, albeit on a day-by-day basis.

I welcome any response and would love to share my personal experience and thoughts with anyone willing to listen, my personal email is devon.c.estes@gmail.com.

With love and hope,

Devon C. Estes

James Levine has withdrawn from the four performances of Tosca and three performances of Lulu he was scheduled to conduct in April and May. He is to undergo corrective surgery for an ongoing lower back problem.

Fabio Luisi will replace Levine for both Tosca (April 14, 17, 20, and 24 mat.) and Lulu (May 8, 12, 15 mat.)

And so, Levine’s 2009-2010 Met schedule will end up consisting of only 11 performances (plus four concerts and two open dress rehearsals) — his shortest season with the company since his debut during the June festival in 1971!

That is, unless he recovers in time for [never mind, that tour isn't until June 2011.]

Earlier: Operachic “reports” (without indicating a source) that James Levine has withdrawn from both Tosca and Lulu at the Met this spring, to be replaced by Fabio Luisi (not pictured).  La Cieca’s New York source confirms that Levine is definitely out of the Tosca, but calls the news about Lulu “premature.”

Your doyenne will continue to follow up on this side of the pond.

The critical reaction to Slatkin’s Monday night performance is unanimously negative:

“For a conductor to use the opportunity of a Met production to learn “La Traviata” doesn’t seem the best idea…. I have seldom heard such faulty coordination between a conductor and a cast at the Met.” [NYT]

“…the tentative, clumsy conducting of Leonard Slatkin. He also derailed both experienced baritone Thomas Hampson (Germont) and debuting tenor James Valenti as Violetta’s lover, Alfredo.” [NYP]

“So with all this vocal wonderment, why wasn’t the evening a huge success? Sadly, the answer first and foremost was conductor Leonard Slatkin…. There were huge pacing problems throughout and all the leads were often left in the dust as Slatkin seemed indifferent not only to their preferences, but even to letting them know what was going on. Several times I noted looks of fear in the vocalists’ faces as they glanced over at Slatkin wailing away at a pace faster than necessary in several key moments.” [Out West Arts]

Our situation thus far at the Met revival of Traviata — as it has been passed along to La Cieca bit by rumored bit –goes something like this:

• Leonard Slatkin showed up for rehearsals not, let us say, entirely conversant with the score;
• Which mightily pissed off Angela Gheorghiu (Violetta) and Thomas Hampson (Germont);
• Who, whatever you may think about one or the other of them, do know their Traviata pretty well, and are not known for reticence in expressing their opinions;
• And whereas, at Wednesday’s rehearsal of the Verdi, La Gheorghiu was not anywhere to be seen;
• And so Hye-Kyung Hong sang the rehearsal;
• And, furthermore, so a source near the Met tells La Cieca, Gheorghiu has protested Slatkin.
  

So, cher public, La Cieca asks what will happen Monday night?  (Please note that you may enter more than one answer!)