Woman with a ring to redeem tainted festival
mainAustria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen will tonight open the summer festival at Erl tonight, where the founder conductor Gustav Kuhn has departed amid a welter of abuse allegations, which he denies.
The French conductor Audrey Saint-Gil has been flown in for Aida which, she cheerfully admits, she has never done before.
Audrey yesterday announced her engagement to the British baritone Christopher Maltman. He will be singing to the title role in Salzburg’s production of Enescu’s Oedipe next month.
We wish them every happiness.
Great that Eudipe is done again, a wonderful opera, long neglected.
Oedipe, not so neglected recently – have seen at least 7 stagings and more concert performances since 2002. Maltman might be too light for the role.
The ROH has a production, last performed three years ago, and very good it was too.
I saw it in the little provincial town of Gera in Thuringia, Germany, recently. Wonderful opera, gripping (and emotionally exhausting) production. Perhaps the greatest music Romania has to offer?