The Russian violinist Dmitri Kogan died today at 38, of cancer.

An international performer with many recordings to his credit, Dmitri was a member of Russian’s most prolific musical dynasty. He was the grandson of the violinists Leonid Kogan and Elizaveta Gilels, herself the sister of the pianist Emil Gilels.

His father is the conductor Pavel Kogan.

Our sympathies to the bereaved family.

UPDATE: Dmitri is remembered for his charity.

The Mexican tenor Javier Camarena has told the Vienna State Opera that he can’t sing in Donizetti’s La Fille du régiment in January because he’s saving his voice to make a CD.

He has also pulled out of Don Pasquale in May.

 

From a GoFundMe appeal:

Claire Kostic  and Kathryn Bradley woke up Sunday at 6 AM and heard water rushing into their first floor apartment. Claire and Kathryn had to grab what they could and evacuate quickly to a neighbor’s apartment upstairs on the 2nd floor. While evacuating they knocked on other doors to alert their neighbors of the incoming water. Unfortunately, the water reached neck deep in their apartment. Claire and Kathryn have lost EVERYTHING: clothes, furniture, electronics…

Claire plays oboe and Kathryn plays double bass. They are both wonderful teachers, musicians, and friends. They not only need help replacing basic necessities and all of their furniture, but they need help replacing items that they need for their careers – including performance clothes, very expensive reed making materials … all of music that they own (etude books, orchestral repetoire, and solo pieces), and expensive audio recording equipment …. Unfortunately, their apartment insurance does not cover floods.

You can help here.

The soprano Irina Lungu has raised an outcry in Barcelona, accusing the Liceu of censoring Rossini’s opera ‘Il viaggio a Reims’.

She claims that the phrase ‘la Croce splenderà’ (the cross will shine) was changed to ‘l’amore splendera’, apparently in order to avoid giving offence to Moslems.

 

There has been no response from the Liceu.

 

 

Svetlana Nikolaevna Zavorotna worked for 56 years at the Bolshoi, starting in 1961 when she was 17.

She wrote its press releases, observed its history, maintained her silence. She was the ultimate authority on facts and dates.

Her death is widely mourned by within the Russian theatre world.

 

 

This is the curtain call at the end of last night’s Götterdämmerung, the closing show of the season.

Catherine Foster hurt her foot at the end of the first act and her role was bravely played out on stage for the next two acts by assistant director Andreas Rosar, decked out in gold lamé.


photo: Erwin Messer/Bayreuth Festspiele

Next year, the role of Brünnhilde will be advertised as being open to men and women.

Audience members tell Slipped Disc that the British soprano Catherine Foster was injured during the struggle at the end of Act 1 of Götterdämmerung at Bayreuth last night.

She sang the last two acts of the opera on crutches from the right wing of the stage.

A male assistant director, Andreas Rosar, dressed up in a glittering gold dress to act the rest of the part on stage.

It was the season’s closing performance.

Catherine has posted this message: Twisted too fast left to come out for a bow and calf went ‘pop’ so a ripped muscle – nowhere near as bad as the right leg last year though! Lots of ice and Arnica and it’ll be fine 

We’re waiting to see pictures of her stand-in.

 

UPDATE: Here’s one.

Like other public bodies caught in the Houston floods, the orchestra is having communications problems.

It has issued a one-liner, cancelling this weekend’s three performances of Ella at 100 ‘due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey’.

A further message states: The Patron Services Center is closed indefinitely. When it re-opens, our representatives will be available to help you donate the value of your tickets back to the Houston Symphony or exchange them into any another performance during the 2017-2018 season.

The season is due to open on September 9 with a Susan Graham gala.

 

 

 

Houston Grand Opera Managing Director Perryn Leech and Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers have issued the first assessment of flood damage to the theaters at the Wortham Center. Here’s what they report:

The Wortham had water penetration into the front of house areas at a low level due to high water; that water has now receded and left residual dirt. In the back of house, water surged over the storm defense and some water went onto the Brown Theater stage. This was at a low level but has resulted in damage to the surface of the stage.

The Cullen Theater stage has little water damage and the dressing room corridor had water, but also at a low level. The basement of the building is completely full of flood water. We want to thank Houston First, Theater District Inc. engineers, and Andy Frank Security for their great work in protecting the building from even worse damage. The Theater District garage is completely flooded and will undoubtedly be closed for some time for repairs and cleanup.

Fortunately, HGO staff members had the foresight to move valuable instruments and many costumes, including those for our opening productions of La traviata and Julius Caesar, to higher floors in advance of the storm. Houston Grand Opera will be out of our offices until after Labor Day. Our website remains down. 


Houston theater district (c) Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune

The following internal assessment was sent to company members:

Dear members of the Company,

Our great city and region is continuing to suffer from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and we know that we are facing a long recovery together. We’ve heard from many of you through various channels, but keep those updates coming so we know you are safe.

To update you on the state of the Wortham Theater Center and Theater District garage: the basement of the Wortham is completely flooded and it will take a long time to restore. HGO staff members had the foresight to move valuable instruments and many costumes, including those for our opening productions of La traviata and Julius Caesar to higher floors in advance of the storm.

The water damage to the stage of the Brown Theater appears to be superficial and can be repaired. There is no damage to the main lobby, though both the Texas Street and Prairie Street entrances did take water and will need time to be restored. The auditorium of the Brown and Cullen theaters took some water, which has now receded and left residual dirt. The damage there is relatively light.

The Theater District garage is completely flooded and will undoubtedly be closed for some time for repairs and cleanup.

We will be out of our offices until after Labor Day and we will update you as soon as we know anything.

Please continue to keep in regular contact with your line managers, but also feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.

We are a company, and we are here for each other. We will recover and deliver a fantastic season to our patrons, giving them the art they need to heal from this calamity. And the only future water we want coming across our stage is that of the Rhine!

All best

Perryn and Patrick


Wortham flooding (c) ABC News