Thursday, February 5, 2009

Breaking news: Jonas Kaufmann calls off his Venice Romeo

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As we read at the Jonas Kaufmann Unofficial Web site, Jonas Kaufmann has called off his Venice Romeo next to Nino Machaidze as Juliette due to illness.


Illness?

or...

(and for those who didn't get it, this is supposed to be the Act 2 set of this Fenice Romeo)

15 comments:

mahler76 said...

δηλαδή το σκηνικό είναι ένα πικ-απ? καλά τέλειο!!!!

Willym said...

I am so glad I hadn't got my ticket for the 25th yet - there are still quite a few seats available. When I saw the set design yesterday I was frankly startled but then thought okay they're doing it as a period piece, after all turntables are a thing of the past!

Ντεμης said...

Τι τέλειο βρε mahlerάκο; Αν είναι δυνατόν πια! Πώς θα ταιριάξει ποτέ η μουσική με αυτό το σκηνικό; Διχασμό προσωπικότητος θα πάθει το κοινό! Καλά είναι τα "διαφορετικά" ανεβάσματα αλλά να υπάρχει κι ένα υπόβαθρο, ένας λόγος, κάτι. Το προ τριακονταετίας πικάπ τι θέλει να μας πει δηλαδή....
Μακάρι να κάνουν κι άλλοι τραγουδιστές ό,τι έκανε ο Γιόνας! Να καταλάβουμε πια ότι αυτοί είναι οι πραγματικοί πρωταγωνιστές σε μια όπερα, όχι ο κάθε παλαβο-"σκηνοθέτης"!

mahler76 said...

@Ντέμης
Δεν έχεις πιάσει το νόημα και πότε κάνω πλάκα. Οκ αν δεν δούμε όλη την σκηνοθετική και πως λειτουργεί σίγουρα δεν μπορούμε να κρίνουμε από μία φωτογραφία. Άλλα κακά τα ψέματα δείχνει γελοίο, απλά τέλεια κίτς.

Hariclea said...

It has been communicated early enough for most people to change their plans if they want to. I don't see the use in speculating, it will not change the facts and it was the theater itself who announced that he has had to cancel due to illness.

Anonymous said...

Has it been announced by the theatre? Sorry, I didn;t notice. Jonas' name still appears in the cast list. However, I wonder, what would happen if I called my boss and told him that in 15 days I will not go to work because I'm currently ill. So, he's actually cancelling due to illness, and the production opens in...14 days.

Willym said...

Just wondering where Fenice had announced it, as the website (in both Italian and English) is still showing Jonas singing on the announced dates. The last item on their News page concerns the Carnival Ball. Have I missed something - and its well possible I have.

If it is the case anyone who has bought tickets on the strength of his name is out of luck as the management reserves the right to make changes to programmes and casts with no refund-exchange.

Hariclea said...

My travel agent let me know that they have been advised by the theater itself that he unfortunately had to cancel due to illness. And honestly, how is one supossed to perform a part one has never done before without rehearsing it, hm? If one is unable to be there in rehearsals, both for the staging and the music, you can't just show up at the premiere, that would be totally unprofessional and no theater would put up with it for anyone. You either do the rehearsals or you can't do the show, especially a new production. Unfortunately there is no way around it.

Willym said...

Hariclea I couldn't agree with you more on what you've said about not being available for rehearsals etc so no criticism there.

What bothers me is that the La Fenice management is still listing him on the web page and selling - very very expensive - tickets giving the impression that he is still appearing. If they can advise various independent travel agencies why can't they update their website and let the general public know. I realize that much of their ticket sales come from group sales to agencies but....

Hariclea said...

I have no idea why Fenice doesn't have it up on the page, but when they started selling tickets the cast was not known, i mean the 2nd cast, then they never said who would sing when, then there was a last minute GP announced. I guess these are Italian theaters for you... no comment. Anyways they did tell travel agencies themselves so they know, why it is not up on the page, my guess is as good as yours...

Anonymous said...

Hey hey guys! The website of the Athens Megaron is still listing Angela Marambio as Elisabeth....And the performances are over since the 1st of February...

Willym said...

We have no idea who the second cast is for the Pag (senza Cav) in April here in April or even for Le Grande Macabre - and you really wonder how many second casts they can field for that one??????

Anonymous said...

La Fenice informed the travel agencies and the travel agencies informed their costumers. A friend from Milano called the artistic director and was told that Jonas is ill and didn’t appear for rehearsals. It’s a new production and not just that stand and deliver stuff which doesn’t need much of rehearsals. He is not able to take part in the rehearsals and this is part of his work. So it is definitely wrong to say that he announced being ill in 2 weeks.
It would be wrong to think that Jonas wouldn’t have liked the production. He loves modern productions like for example the Marthaler Traviata in Paris.
I can imagine that they didn’t change the cast on their web site because they don’t know yet whom they will get as replacement. Many opera houses do that. Last year Vienna published the cast change of Manon not before they found a replacement. That was 2 days after I got to know about the cancellation. Nevertheless the Italian opera houses are in general a bunch of bad organized companies and after all they have the right on their side, because they don’t sell tickets with a special cast, but for a certain opera by a certain composer no matter who is singing. If they don’t find a good replacement they will have the second tenor to perform for the first cast and get anyone as replacement for him. It’s simple. Of course it’s very sad for those who have tickets and I have 3 for the first and 2 for the second cast. I also can’t cancel my flights, useless to try to get fees and taxes back from Ryanair.

Anonymous said...

The fact remains that they still present Jonas as an active member of the cast, which is cheating the public.

Willym said...

I have come to realize that Italian cast lists often qualify as candiates for "best fiction of the year" awards.

I don't mean to harp on it but it would appear that at this point if they have not hired a replacement by now, he will be badly prepared for the new production and it may as well be a stand and deliver. But if they know Jonas is not going to appear than the name should be removed from the cast list and the familiar "interpreti principe" or "TBA" inserted.