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Thielemann announces Netrebko and Beczala as his Lohengrin pair

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norman lebrecht

October 12, 2014

They’re down for Dresden in 2016, Bayreuth in 2017. The conductor says: ‘Ich bin überzeugt,dass Anna und Piotr die Idealstimmen für Lohengrin sind.’ Full interview here.

Comments

Simon S. says:

October 12, 2014 at 2:56 pm

Interesting. Have they ever sung in German before?

RW2013 says:

October 12, 2014 at 4:16 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tUq8Q_b8Lg

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- Zenaida says:
  
  October 12, 2014 at 10:01 pm
  
  “Meine Lippen sie kuessen so heiss” as an encore (cute, by the way, her natural charm and dance) are a looong way from Elsa, but it is a start….At any rate they will make a most photogenic pair.
  
  Reply
Novagerio says:

October 12, 2014 at 11:42 pm

The question is wether they belong in the Wagner-Fach!….

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- Simon S. says:
  
  October 13, 2014 at 10:14 am
  
  Once upon a time it was very common to sing Wagner in Italian – remember Callas’ Kundry or Pertile’s Lohengrin?
  
  So, the language and the Fach questions are two different ones.
  
  Reply

VonEssek says:

October 12, 2014 at 3:53 pm

Now Anna really needs to get serious about her German…

erich says:

October 12, 2014 at 6:33 pm

she just sang the 4 last Songs with Barenboim – apparently very decently.

Christy says:

October 12, 2014 at 8:55 pm

If only she would sing more than decently, or at least pay as much attention to that as to her stage work.

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- Marshall says:
  
  October 13, 2014 at 3:23 pm
  
  Well she just sang Lady Macbeth “decently”
  
  I think she could pull it off with the way her voice is changing, but why?
  
  I think he’s crazy to sing it at this point, but tenors are not known for wise choices
  
  Reply
Zenaida says:

October 12, 2014 at 10:05 pm

You’ll be able to judge for yourself. The CD comes out Nov. 24 on DG http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4793964?

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Berta Calechman says:

October 12, 2014 at 8:31 pm

Piotr Beczala speaks German fluently, and has sung Belmonte, Tamino, Sou Chong, and other roles in German. Anna is reportedly working on her German, in preparation for Elsa.

Simon S. says:

October 13, 2014 at 10:17 am

“Working on her German” – the funny thing is that years ago she was granted citizenship of a country whose only official language (apart from some regional miniority languages of indeed minor importance) is indeed German.

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Herrera says:

October 13, 2014 at 8:54 am

If Anna and Piotr are “ideal”, then what of Anna and Alagna (who’s scheduled to sing Lohengrin at Bayreuth in 2018)? Can’t wait to see what the not-always-diplomatic Thielemann will say about that…