Paris Tosca is hit by another dropout

Paris Tosca is hit by another dropout

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norman lebrecht

June 02, 2019

Sonya Yoncheva missed her first Tosca night in Paris. Not feeling well.

The production has been crippled by Jonas Kaufmann’s month-long withdrawal.

Yoncheva is being replaced by Elena Stikhina, who is presently rehearsing the company’s upcoming Forza.

Comments

  • Ned Keene says:

    Stikhina is excellent, they have done well to have contracted her.

  • Jasmine says:

    I was there. They did well- Grigolo and Stickhina- in spite of the pressure they must have felt. However, the comments around were all about the great disappointment caused by Kaufmann’s withdrawal. Many of us had travelled a long way just to see him. Yoncheva was a plus. Tickets bought in October, long months of wait …just to hear replacements. I know it is the theatre’s policy to do it; they have the legal right and singers can fall ill. Yet… at such high prices they coud at least give some of the money back. No wonder opera is still for élites. They may try again next year,but many of the people who wanted Kaufmann and Yoncheva may not have another chance.

  • Francisco says:

    Non habiamo tenore…e non habiamo soprano.
    I had in mind the famous anecdote with Georgiu. One of those gestures that endeared Kaufmann to so many people. We all wanted to hear him sing “E lucevan l’estelle” ,with luck we may even have a second singing as they had in Vienne. But no chance. The only thing in common was that we didn’t have either a tenor or soprano, at least no the ones we expected – with all respect to the ones who actually sang.
    I doubt if I will ever take the trouble of trying to see Kaufann again. It takes a lot of effort, money and disapointment.

  • Angelo says:

    Some techniques do not last.

    But when it is good… you can do anything.

    Alas, whoever taught JK and SY didn’t give them a bomb proof technique.

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