A second star tenor cancels New Year’s Eve

A second star tenor cancels New Year’s Eve

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norman lebrecht

December 29, 2017

Hot on the heels of Jonas Kaufmann dumping Moscow, Diego Flores has told Budapest he won’t be there to sing in the New Year.

His cancellation is at such short notice that no substitute has been found and the MUPA hall will be dark on one of the biggest nights of the year.

 

Comments

  • buxtehude says:

    I’m cancelling too.

    Sorry, my fans, it’s just too cold.

    • AndyB says:

      I knew we should have booked for JS Bach instead! At least he always sends one of his kids along if he can’t show up for the concert.
      I think you may be suffering from seasonal climatic disorder Herr Buxtehude ( organ lofts can be so chilly) and suggest a soothing , warm , alcohol based beverage as a prelude to concert recovery. Prost!

      • buxtehude says:

        Indeed. Thanks.

        Unfortunately it will be many years before young Bach’s children will be able to fill in for anybody, and by then I will be long frozen in the cold cold ground. You just might miss me when I’m gone.

  • Selim says:

    Juan Diego Flórez, dearest Norman 🙂

  • Katalin Fedineczne Vittay says:

    Florez was due to sing on 11 December in Budapest, which he cancelled. The replacement date was 30 December. He cancelled. In this series of 3 concerts, Kaufmann and Damrau are due to appear in February. Both have cancelled recently. Bad omen.

  • John Borstlap says:

    Probably they will attend the Biannual Tenor Congregation in the Black Forest, where all the tenorial stars gather every other year to discuss their tessitura over a Glühwein at the fireplace. Maybe their agents got mixed-up with the years when planning the concerts much in advance.

  • Bruce says:

    That’s too bad.

    Seems like anybody booking a tenor or a soprano should always have a backup artist ready. (Especially if they’re famous — the bigger the career, the more delicate the voice, it seems.)

  • Robert Holmén says:

    I’m surprised an entire New Years concert depended on one soloist. Couldn’t they pull out a few more Strauss favorites to fill?

    • D. Jones says:

      Exactly! With the overwhelming amount of talent out there scratching to make names for themselves, IN EUROPE, there is no one they could find. This is how stars are made! It really depressed me for my singing colleagues.

    • mr oakmountain says:

      If the concert is called “An Evening with Juan Diego Flórez”, it might be hard to find a replacement that the audience would accept.

  • Vladislav says:

    The fact that there was no cover is the festivals’ fault.

    They could get Gregory Kunde to sing his old rep…?

  • Mr. Schwa says:

    Perhaps Bocelli is available. If not, the best option would be Michael Bolton. Come to think of it, who cares who sings in Budapest?

  • Rob says:

    Is it me or do all the Strauss waltzes sound the same?

  • Jackyt says:

    Juan Diego Florez gave a concert in Rome on 20 December, with Antonio Pappano conducting. Florez was clearly unwell and the programme was altered in advance to allow for this. Yet he went on and performed. Una Furtiva Lagrima, in particular, was sung with great sensitivity of expression. He even gave some encores, sitting down with a guitar, declaring it was good to be able to sit! You can see the concert on Medici, as I did. He hates to disappoint his fans, and would never cancel if he could avoid it. He deserves praise, not censure.

  • Edgar says:

    It’s like having to be in hospital on Christmas and/or New Year: when that’s the case, you are REALLY very sick. I hope Juan Diego takes very good care of himself in order to recover completely.

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