Exclusive: Diva tells Salzburg she doesn’t like the role

Exclusive: Diva tells Salzburg she doesn’t like the role

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norman lebrecht

June 10, 2016

Joyce DiDonato has pulled out of this summer’s run of Otto Nicola’s esoteric Il Templario. She was to have sung Rebecca opposite Juan Diego Florez in the hard-to-sell three-acter.

We hear that after months of study with her New York vocal coach, Joyce has decided the part just doesn’t suit her voice.

UPDATE: Salzburg statement here.

UPDATE2: Just in: Salzburg plucks French mezzo for absent Joyce

joyce and jessye

Comments

  • Henning Viljoen says:

    She is a good singer but far from a diva! Misuse of a term! Previous problem with auto-correct!

  • Robert Holmén says:

    How does this work… withdrawing and all that… in contract terms?

    Or was this all on a handshake and no contract?

  • marinaiki says:

    not a diva – one of the world’s greatest mezzos and most down-to-earth singers – singing at ROH with broken leg and singing it better than anyone else…must be serious for her to pull out – not just a sniffle!

  • Max Grimm says:

    And not one day after https://slippedisc.com/2016/06/what-hope-for-music-critics-in-click-chase-newspapers/ , we get “EXCLUSIVE: DIVA TELLS SALZBURG SHE DOESN’T LIKE THE ROLE”
    ‘doesn’t suit her voice’ ‘she doesn’t like the role’

  • MarieTherese says:

    If JDD was replaced by a singer whose go-to role is Carmen, then she was right to pull out of the production because the role of Rebecca undoubtably sat wrong for her voice. She obviously tried her best to work through it and found out that it wasn’t going to work, so far better to bow out than ruin her instrument.

  • Tessie Viola says:

    Joyce is far from a diva. So down to Earth. She always interacts with her fans and takes photos with them. Total sweet heart.

    Kind of bias you call her a diva, and not Anna. Considering Anna did the same exact thing last month…

  • J LEE says:

    I agree – Joyce DiDonato is not a diva in one sense of the word. On the other hand, she is one of the most remarkable singers I have heard. I have never heard less than a perfect performance from this singer and I have been listening to her since 2006. Her Rossini and Handel cannot be matched. The Werther at CG was amazing – the final scene had everyone in tears.

  • Alison Ames says:

    As a huge fan of JDD, I think she might have had a thorough look at the score over the last few weeks/months. Still.

    She is definitely NOT a diva, whatever you might think!

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