Sicklist: Soprano drops out of Proms and Paris

Sicklist: Soprano drops out of Proms and Paris

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norman lebrecht

August 17, 2018

The German soprano Diana Damrau has pulled out of her BBC Proms concert on August 29 ‘due to illness’. She will be replaced by Miah Persson in the Strauss songs and by Adela Zaharia in the world premiere of Iain Bell’s Aurora.

Damrau has also cancelled Les Huguenots at the Paris Opera. Her replacement will be Lisette Oropesa.

Comments

  • Opera melody says:

    In order to be free for Paris Opera, Oropesa had to cancel Traviata performances at Fenice Venice. In Venice, she will be replaced by the Italian shooting soprano Claudia Pavone (https://claudiapavone.it).

    • Shared the Stage says:

      Good for Oropesa. Am guessing her chances of getting paid for singing in that period are increased now that she’s not with Venice.

  • Pedro says:

    And Grigorian cancelled tonight’s performance of Salome in Salzburg. Bylström replaces her with less than four hours notice. She was outstanding last year in Amsterdam with Gatti. Look forward to hearing her again tonight.

  • Mike Schachter says:

    Lisette Oropesa is not a bad replacement

    • Andrew Powell says:

      She’s wonderful, and has good French too (better than DD’s). It is of course a smaller, younger voice. Jaho, Hymel and Mariotti are excellent as well — suggesting an impressive night of Meyerbeer if the score is not disfigured.

  • A P Hogbin says:

    Judging by the last time I heard her at Covent Garden in Lucia, her voice is in poor shape these days. The top notes were extremely unpleasant on the ear.

    • Mark Atwood says:

      Lisette Oropesa’s Lucia at Covent Garden (The year after Damrau) was a complete revelation. A-class singing and acting. She really turned that horrid production around.

  • L.s. says:

    Adela Zaharia, who caused a sensation stepping in for Damrau as Lucia at the Bayerische Staatsoper, also makes her Proms debut replacing Diana Damrau in the world premiere of Iain Bell’s “Aurora.”

  • Jonathan Sutherland says:

    Correct. She has lost her pyrotechnic coloratura.
    A recent recital in Vienna with Monsieur Damrau (aka Nicolas Testé) was a huge disappointment.

    • Wiebke Göetjes says:

      Well these things can happen when a lady singer gets into menopause…She is het midfourties isn’t she?

  • luigi nonono says:

    Why do you consider this news? Did you ever stop to think that by publicizing someone’s illness you could be damaging their reputation and career? I think you should not mention it.

  • Sandra Parr says:

    Correct information regarding the replacement for Diana Damrau at the Proms is here…there are two sopranos replacing her not one!

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e24wxj

  • Marcus Clayton says:

    There is something strange going on with Damrau, for sure.
    How does she know she is going to be “ill” for the next nine weeks?????

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