Biz news: Top soprano moves from German to UK management

Biz news: Top soprano moves from German to UK management

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norman lebrecht

March 20, 2018

The Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais has moved her management from Konzertdirektion Schmid in Hanover to Askonas Holt in London.

Ms Opolais is married to the Boston and Leipzig conductor Andris Nelsons, who is also managed by Schmid.

Clearly, one of them felt uncomfortable with having all their eggs in a Hanover basket.

UPDATE: KD Schmid will continuen to represent her concerts. Askonas Holt will handle all her operatic engagements.

Comments

  • kundry says:

    Lovely ! For a former chorister, who does not have much of a voice and whose main attributes are a nice pair of legs and a conductor husband in vogue, two top managers are a bit of an overkill. Fortunately for her , there are enough people in the decision seats, who know little or nothing, so the business must be good.

    • Bruce says:

      Well, she seems to be doing OK without your good opinion… 😛

    • Jim says:

      Heavens, not a former chorister!

    • Alex Davies says:

      You think singing in an opera chorus is a bad training for an opera singer? Or is it just that anybody who has ever actually sung in a chorus, and didn’t make the direct leap from conservatoire studies to leading solo roles in international opera houses can’t possibly be a talent of the first rank? Arguably, choral singing is the best musical training that there is.

    • Claudius says:

      Kundry, I agree with you that there are many people in decision seats who know nothing or very little about music in this industry but I totally disagree with what you said regarding her singing. I explained somewhere on this site why. Please read that comment.

  • Steven Johnson says:

    Good for her !

  • Melisande says:

    Why o why does someone feel so entitled to openly make her (?) comment?
    Keep those nasty and uncivilized lines in your own narrow circle or write an opinion that is based on professional insight and sign with a real name.
    Wagner’s Kundry is a suspect ‘nomme de plume’.

    • DIANE says:

      A nom d’emprunt? A bit like “Melisande”? Actually, I agree with you. Cheers!

      • Melisande says:

        Yes, your assumption is right. My real first name is Berdina.
        As I was so shocked by the personal and easy brutality on a person (who can only shrug her shoulders), I only realized afterwards that I also use a musical assumed name.
        Excuse moi, mais “Je vois une rose dans les ténèbres”.

    • David R Osborne says:

      Yes please to all. If you are going to make personal attacks, fine. I’m sure for many readers, that’s one of the big attractions of this site. Like a car crash, it is impossible to look away.

      But if you are so inclined, do realise you are likely to look foolish if not a little cowardly if you’re hiding behind a nom de plume. I would rather discuss these issues with a real person I disagree with, than agree with someone posting under a pseudonym. Kundry, by the way, does tell the truth. She also has had many names. As Klingsor summons her in Act 2, he calls her ‘Namenlose’: Nameless one.

  • Derek says:

    I think her acting is a major strength and many singers fall down on that aspect of performance.

    I would say that her voice is fine but not among the best.

  • Kundry says:

    “Opolais started her career as a member of the chorus with Latvian National Opera in 2001, and in 2003 became a soloist. It was there that she met her future husband, the conductor Andris Nelsons.[2]” Wikipedia

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wPMttw9dEs
    Tosca is worse

    and this is how it should be done , not to speak of Scotto, Jaho and many others

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ZsHFvrhg0

    and here is an example of acting and true expression, including the Italian , which is eminently understandable .

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyzKwafbjyI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9DJd2vyRuw

    You have no idea how professional my opinion is !
    And yes, Kundry is a suspect name – she always tells the truth !

  • John Rook says:

    @Melisande: Damn, I missed out a Pelléas line…

  • Claudius says:

    She is a great singer and a great actress, I would say the greatest in the today opera industry for both singing and acting within her “after Fleming and Netrebko” generation. Her only problem is that she is too gorgeous and some people may deceive themselves when judging her singing, not that they want to be mean, rude or else. They are obviously passionate music lovers as I can see on this site but again, they deceive themselves from this reason. Her beauty may be a trap for some listeners. That makes me thing of Mozart. Just because his music is light and simply divine, some don’t see its subtlety and depth and think it is “easy”. Another trap…I would recommend her Manon Lescaut DVD production London 2014 with Jonas Kaufmann as Renato des Grieux. It is the best Manon that one can see and listen to. She also did a fantastic Donna Elvira back in 2011, then Tosca, Madame Butterfly and more. I recommend more listenings to her performances.
    Mind you that in some concerts, all singers may have good days and bad days. They need to always be healthy and well. Pavarotti was boed in London by the public within one or more of his performances where he failed some notes. It is not easy to be an opera singer.

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