Anna Netrebko’s concert performance of Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, together with her husband Yusif Eyvazov, is the early toast of the festival. First review here.

Odd, since she has sung it fully staged in Vienna.

 

The Met soprano Tamara Wilson, who created a furore in Verona by refusing to be blacked up for Aida, has fallen ill and is unable to perform.

She writes:

I regret that I will be unable to perform Aida with Maestro Domingo tonight, celebrating his 50th anniversary, especially after such a wonderful rehearsal yesterday. Last night, I became ill…

 

From the Lebrecht Album of the Week:

Haydn Symphonies in piano transcriptions…

What’s the music like? If I had listened blindfold to the Oxford Symphony on solo piano, I would have guessed it to be an early Beethoven sonata, somewhere between opus 2 and 10. Classically correct, the music keeps testing the limits of the genre. Not in any radical way by means of key-change or naughty chord, but by the suggestion that there are more ways than one to resolve an opening statement (something Boris Johnson will have to learn very soon)…

Read on here.

And here.

 

The death is reported of Jeremy Kipnis, son of the popular US harpsichord and conductor Igor Kipnis, and grandson of the Metropolitan Opera bass, Alexander Kipnis.

Jeremy, a recording engineer and online producer, was 54.

He was out swimming in Lake Carmel when he suffered an apparent heart attack despite being in peak physical condition. Medical advisors say the extreme heat may have been a contributory factor.

Our condolences to the family.

 

 

A response from Brian Yoon to last week’s cello horror tale. Brian is principal cello at the Victoria Symphony.

In Canada, there is currently only one major airline that allows an extra seat to be reserved to transport one’s cello: Air Canada. After more than twenty successful round trips with a cello as carry-on baggage, I am sharing my experience in hopes of helping out fellow cellists who choose (or are forced) to use this carrier.

A. Booking the extra seat

From the Air Canada website:

“You may bring your musical instrument on board as part of your carry-on baggage provided it meets the current Air Canada carry-on size requirements and:

the instrument fits in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you, or
you purchase a seat to accommodate it….

Read on here.