La morte una...

I found some quite interesting articles regarding the Athens Turandot in the greek newspapers…

Τhe newspaper “Ta Nea”, a prestigious paper that sells about 60.000 pieces daily repeated almost the exact words I used for my review: The article talks about “nouveau riche provincialism and kitsch” among other things that I couldn’t possibly translate because compared to THIS review, mine was really, really polite! But what I can translate is that “Janice Baird was less than mediocre and she was coming down the stairs as if she was suffering from arthritis” and “a fat tenor with a so-and-so voice”. In defense of Franco Farina i will say that fat, he isn't. It was just the hideous leather and suede costume that made him look that big. The rest of the review uses a rather impolite language for Renata Scotto and her stage direction and is very ironic when referring to the Scotto invention for the Finale.

Leather and suede, in 35 °C degrees Athens?
What were you thinking Carlo Diappi?

The art-paper “Pontiki ART” has written:

"Everything in abundance, many costumes, a lot of gold, an immense set, crowd, crowd, crowd on stage. But the essential was missing: the voices."

And then later in another part of the paper there is a small article regarding Franco Farina. Yes, the whole article is on Farina.

“He came to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus after a spectacular 20-year career at the greatest stages. Tenor Franco Farina as Calaf didn't fulfill the expectations at least the night I saw him-even if my friends commented more or less the same things for the other nights. A big voice but a tired voice with obvious problems at the upper register. But also an artless singing-I 'm tempted to repeat the comment by the man seating next to me who compared the tenor to a town crier".

I have the email address of both newspapers if anybody is willing to write a letter of protest….