The Royal Opera House has announced Kristine Opolais’ replacement as Elsa in next month’s Lohengrin.
She is the Irish soprano Jennifer Davis.
Until last year, Jennifer was a member of the ROH Jette Parker training programme.
That’s a big step up to Elsa.
Would you Adam-and-Eve it? Having been criticised for banning bottles from musicals and rock shows for fear they might contain gin, English National Opera has now decided to inflict the same punishment on operagoers – in the interests of inclusivity, natch.
Here’s what the new chief exec, Stuart Murphy, says:
After the feedback this weekend we were concerned that our original tailored policy gave some people the impression that we were taking an elitist approach to opera, yet this approach couldn’t be further from the truth. ENO was built on presenting opera for all – that’s why we sing in English, for instance, it’s why we give away thousands of tickets to our dress rehearsals and it’s why a fifth of all of our opera tickets are priced at £20 or less. Offering opera for everyone is in our DNA.
Today we’ve moved quickly to update our policy so that it’s consistent across all of our work. Going forward we won’t allow any food or drink to be brought into the Coliseum for any performance, irrespective of genre. Our full policy can be found here.
It gets even more PC:
This is about being consistent and fair to everyone. As ever, we will provide filtered water for free at every level and in every bar at the Coliseum. As a licence holder, we have a duty of care to our audience and among those legal obligations, we have to prevent public nuisance, protect public health, safely protect children and secure public safety and so, as with any bar, this means ensuring people don’t consume their own alcohol in the venue. As we always have done, audience members with dietary or access requirements can contact us before they arrive so we can ensure that they are able to bring in whatever they need for medical reasons.
This is a terrible way to start a new job.
Kristine Opolais has pulled out of next month’s Lohengrin.
‘Following a routine abdominal medical procedure, I must take a break for a few weeks to ensure a full recovery,’ she tweets in remarkably bureaucratic English.
The production is conducted by her recent ex-husband, Andris Nelsons.
UPDATE: Her replacement is a newbie
The Belgian star Maurane, found dead at home within a week of her comeback – was renowned for her song about Glenn Gould playing Bach.
From the American viola player Jennifer Stumm:
I was just held up extensively at Gatwick Airport – already a hassle and risk as the only airport that insists on hand searching every instrument – but this was new and scary.
My viola set off the alarm on the explosive swab test machine. This caused a full-scale interrogation, reports filed, handling of the instrument in a very inexperienced way. Ultimately, I was forced to send the viola through the X-ray machine without the case, lying in the plastic bucket and then left out of the case around luggage while various personnel discussed the situation. Majorly dangerous.
Apparently SUNSCREEN can set off the machine. Cosmetics often contain sunscreen and apparently even traces in sweat on the chin rest or neck can be enough. Of course, if the case had been allowed through the metal detector like at every other airport, none of this would have happened. I was told the threshold has been lowered for setting off the alarm. It took a lot of pleading and discussion to resolve this. Reasons to avoid Gatwick if at all possible. As if musicians needed any more airport stress!
The subject of Zsolt Bognar’s 50th episode of Living the Classical Life is Robert White, a versatile singer who toured as a child performer to earn money for his family, made his Carnegie Hall debut with Leonard Bernstein in 1959 and premiered a Hindemith opera with the composer.
‘In growing up, I got very bitten by the classical music bug,’ he relates. ‘And I’ve never stopped.’
At 81, he remains a brilliant teacher, mimic and raconteur.
Enjoy.
EDA Records have issued five world premiere recordings of Jozef Koffler, the Polish serialist who was murdered with his family during the Nazi Holocaust.
Should be interesting.
From Lisa Maree Dowling:
EMERGENCY: I’m at JFK trying to check my bass with Norwegian Air. They weighed it. It’s 90 lbs they are saying that they nor any airline can check it because it’s more than 32kg I’m stuck with 2 instruments, 4 suitcases and a baby.
HELP!!!!!
UPDATE:
I showed up to the Norwegian Airlines counter at JKF at 6.40 for a 10.05pm flight to Zagreb via Copenhagen. I called and checked in the bass per Norwegian policy over a month ago.
The size dimensions follow this policy as does the weight. The weight is 90 lbs and as per the website states, was expected to pay $11 per kilo over 20kg.
The woman who initially started to check me in took one look at the bass and said they never check in instruments this size or weight. That JKF never take instruments this size. I showed her the bass policy on the website. She said that it didn’t matter what it said on the website – it wasn’t going to fit on the plane.
I asked to speak to the manager.
I had a TSA agent, an aviation union worker and a Norwegian airlines manager all telling me that the bass would not fit on the ramp and that they don’t have to follow FAA regulations because they are a European company. Wtf!
I called NA and told them the situation. The guy I spoke to said that they are not liable for what happens at the airport. He also refused to give me his name, refused to give me a refund and refused to allow me to speak to a supervisor.
This was a blame game from hell. No one wanted to take responsibility for the situation and they all walked away, leaving me standing at the counter, breastfeeding my baby. They made me feel like it was my fault and treated me with much disdain and disrespect.
I sent my bass back to my husband in Jersey City with an Uber XL. It cost $256.94 plus a $20 tip.
After 2 hrs at the checkin counter with no resolution I am now waiting to board the flight along with my brother in law and my baby. The TSA manger was kind enough to walk us through security.
Bass players. What airline will accept my bass? Or should I ship it? My husband who has never dealt with a bass will have to take it with him now. Also NEVER EVER EVER fly with Norwegian Airlines.
Please please please share this post and photo!
The AIR studio in Hampstead, founded by Beatles producer George Martin in 1969, has been put on the market.
We have been notified of the death yesterday of Sören Hyldgaard, one of Denmark’s foremost film composers.
He died of complications from diabetes.
His major film scores include The One and Only (1999) and Midsummer (2003).
He also wrote a glorious trombone concerto, Rapsodia Borealis.
Trustees of the Cottbus Staatstheater have ended the contract of Generalmusikdirector Evan Christ, following internal upheavals.
While extolling his musical achievements, they added ‘but this must not be attained at the price of massive pressure and fear.’
A code of conduct will be written for future directors at the Brandenburg theatre.
UPDATE: Evan Christ says: ‘I still have a contract until 2024. I have not been terminated. I will be negotiating with the trustees of the Staatstheater to find a way to mutually resolve my contract.’
The family has reported the death of Patricia Tuckwell, widow of the Earl of Harewood and a live wire in music around the world for well over half a century. She was 91.
Sister of the LSO principal horn Barry Tuckwell and herself a violinist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, she posed under the professional name ‘Bambi’ for her first husband, the distinguished photographer Athol Shmith.
Divorced in 1958, she married Lord Harewood, the Queen’s cousin, a decade later. As well as managing Harewood House, she was a vocal supporter of Leeds United and an important foil to George through his years as managing director and later chairman of English National Opera. Aussie to her roots, she had a quick tongue and charm to spare.
We shall all miss her.
The Harewoods party with Joan Sutherland, 1960
