The ‘dumpy’ mezzo has lift-off

The ‘dumpy’ mezzo has lift-off

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norman lebrecht

October 01, 2014

Tara Erraught, the young Irish singer who was lynched by a fat-pack of London critics in May, is onto her next Strauss role at Bavarian State Opera, named yesterday as opera house of the year. Tara is making her role debut at Carlotta in Die Schweigsame Frau, lighter than air.

 

tara erraught flying

Even later.

tara erraught ballgown

 

 

 

Comments

  • Peter Smith says:

    I don’t want to set Dumpygate off all over again, but “lynched” is a ridiculous overstatement.

  • Tim Benjamin says:

    Why do you pointlessly repeat the “dumpy” slur? I think that’s pretty cruel and unfair, Norman. I expect she’d rather put the whole sorry episode behind her rather than be branded “the ‘dumpy’ mezzo” by one of the most widely-read “bearded” classical bloggers.

    How about “Irish Rosenkavalier has lift-off” or “Tara takes to the tightropes” or “Highly strung soprano sings Strauss” or whatever, any other less offensive / more imaginative headline would do. Get a new sub-editor!

    (I know YOU didn’t call her dumpy, and I know you’ve put quotation marks in there, that doesn’t really make it any better to repeat the offense then excuse yourself with quotation marks, an amusing photo, and a couple of weak puns.)

    • I’m with Tim on this one – reminding everyone that multiple publications made unwarranted comment on her weight makes you just as bad as them.

      Also: the word “lynched” has some seriously racist history, and should probably be avoided unless you are talking about actual lynching – otherwise you just look like you lack self-awareness and general knowledge of history.

  • sixtus says:

    She looks faaaaabulous in that dress! Such an improvement over those Rosenkavalier costumes.

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