The following theatres have been shut by the Coronavirus scare:
Teatro alla Scala di Milano, il Teatro Regio di Parma, il Teatro La Fenice di Venzia, il Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, il Teatro Comunale di Bologna, il Teatro Alighieri di Ravenna, Teatro Municipale di Piacenza.
None will open again before next week.
Who’s looking after the artists?
Placido Domingo was artstic director of Washington National Opera from 1996 to 2010.
Accusations of sexual misconduct that took place in that time were not acknowledged by the company management. Today, after AGMA endored some of those charges and Domingo apologised, WNO has issued a statement pretending it knew nothing, saw nothing, did nothing.
Washington National Opera (WNO) is grateful to the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) for undertaking its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination made by AGMA members against Placido Domingo. WNO looks forward to joining an industry-wide coalition—including Opera America, other opera companies, staffs and artists, managements, and other stakeholders—that is being formed to improve workplace culture and create best practices in the opera field.
Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center have zero tolerance policies with regard to harassment, discrimination, or abuse of any kind, and we take any and all allegations very seriously. Our goal always is to ensure that all of our artists and staff can work and thrive in an environment of safety, trust, support, creativity, and mutual respect.”
Timothy O’Leary, General Director, Washington National Opera
Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director, Washington National Opera
Deborah F. Rutter, President, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The baritone Mariusz Kwiecień has confirmed that ‘due to personal reasons’ he won’t be singing Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa in Don Carlo at Covent Garden this June and July. That’s more than two years on the sidelines.
His replacement will be Luca Micheletti.
Dorn Music has signed the Chinese conductor Yue Bao for worldwide General Management.
She is presently conducting fellow at the Houston Symphony with Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Before that, she served two years as conducting fellow at the Curtis, working with Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
In 2019, Bao toured China with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, assisting Andrés Orozco-Estrada.
Incoming director Sophie de Lint (pictured) says: ‘I would like to be an advocate for music theatre that is connected with the present day and our society. For opera that transports you and changes how you see yourself, others and the world. That is why we present opera in the full width of the genre, for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.’
Here’s the run-down:
The figure of Faust forms a guiding thread in the season. This theme gets underway with Boito’s Mefistofele, directed by Tatjana Gürbaca. Halfway through the season, during the Opera Forward Festival, audiences can look forward to the rave opera Club Faust, and the season closes with a new production of La damnation de Faust directed by Calixto Bieito and featuring the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Berlioz specialist François-Xavier Roth.
Major works from the Baroque such as Händel’s Agrippina (receiving a scenic production for the first time in the Netherlands) conducted by Ottavio Dantone and directed by Barrie Kosky are presented alongside contemporary operas such as Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence and the world premiere of Upload, a composition commissioned by Dutch National Opera from Michel van der Aa.
Major works from the classic repertoire are also well-represented: Wagner’s Der fliegende Höllander with Joana Mallwitz conducting the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Verdi’s Aida in a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov and Mozart’s highly popular Le nozze di Figaro, in the reprise of the colourful production directed by David Bösch and with maestro Riccardo Minasi in the orchestra pit.
In Oedipus Rex / from ‘Antigone’ DNO combines the impressive opera oratorio by Stravinsky with a world premiere by Samy Moussa. The production marks the first intensive artistic collaboration with Dutch National Ballet and is directed and choreographed by Wayne McGregor.
Léhar’s operetta Die lustige Witwe is appearing on the DNO stage for the first time, directed by Christof Loy. The belcanto repertoire takes a prominent position with Donizetti’s Tudor Trilogy. Director Jetske Mijnssen and conductor Enrique Mazzola are beginning the trilogy in the 2020-21 season with Anna Bolena. In December Alice’s Adventures Under Ground by Gerald Barry is the first large-scale family production on the main stage, in a magical staging by Antony McDonald.
And the youngest members of our audience can get acquainted with opera and music theatre in Goud! (age 4+) and a reprise of Kriebel (age 2+), both by the young Dutch composer Leonard Evers.
Ermonela Jaho (pic) has been replaced in Munich’s Traviata at very short notice by Ekaterina Siurina.
Tanja Dorn management has lost Arabella Steinbacher.
She has joined KDSchmid for general management.
Message from our pals at The Dallas Opera:
I have bittersweet news to share with you regarding David Lomeli. It is with great pride that I can now announce that David has accepted the position of Casting Director for the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, one the most revered companies in the world that has seen the world premieres of Mozart’s Idomeneo, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Korngold’s The Ring of Polykrates to name a few.
David will officially begin in Munich in the summer of 2021, but will serve as casting consultant for them in the upcoming year. David will continue his current role with TDO through March 2021, at which point he will transition to casting consultant for TDO while moving permanently to Munich.
As you know, David is the first Hispanic to occupy a top casting position at a major opera house in the U.S. and the first manager of our Hart Institute for Women Conductors – both incredible points of pride for our company. Please join me in congratulating him and I look forward to celebrating his transition in the year to come.
David Lomeli, Director of Artistic Administration at The Dallas Opera
The singer has issued an apology following an AP report that lawyers for AGMA – the US opera performers’ union – are about to issue a report declaring him guilty of multiple sexual abuses of his authority.
Domingo, 79, faced accusations from anonymous accusers in an AP investigation last year.
Domingo responded today:
‘I have taken time over the last several months to reflect on the allegations that various colleagues of mine have made against me. I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry for the hurt that I caused them. I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I have grown from this experience.’
He added:
‘I understand now that some women may have feared expressing themselves honestly because of a concern that their careers would be adversely affected if they did so. While that was never my intention, no one should ever be made to feel that way.
‘I am committed to affecting positive change in the opera industry so that no one else has to have that same experience. It is my fervent wish that the result will be a safer place to work for all in the opera industry, and I hope that my example moving forward will encourage others to follow.’
Publication of the AGMA report is understood to be imminent. The LA Opera, which Domingo led as artistic and general director from 2000 until his resignation last year, has yet to issue its findings.
Domingo has been dropped by opera houses in the US. He remains an active performer in Europe and Asia.
A report from a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert at crisis-ridden Fairfield Hall, Croydon:
Went to the Fairfield last night to hear a wonderful concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The music was wonderful, as it should be from a really world class orchestra. That was the only pleasant thing about the whole experience. We arrived early because of the difficulty in finding parking and had hoped to have a snack before the concert started. The only place open was the so called servery. This had on offer two open (probably contravening health and safety regulations) trays of pizza like breads, four slices of each on two trays and a few dismal, white bread, due to expire today sandwiches, no trays, no choice. The counter was staffed by a charming but highly overworked young lady who was, of course, under great pressure as the starting time approached.
The hall was about half full and it was very evident that at least 50% the audience were there on complimentary tickets. It was well and truly papered. The seats were, of course, as uncomfortable as they were 40 years ago and the view from the stalls of the tatty, dull, dark choir seats was truly dispiriting. It make me sad to have to repeat the little phrase that Obama used to such effect about lipstick and pigs….but that is just what it felt like it. I felt like I was on a sinking ship, rudderless, direction free and foundering. It is going to take a marketing and booking genius to stop the place going under….and I fear we may well see temporary periods of closure as bookings dry up. Wrestling may save it for a while …….but that may be our only real contribution as the centre of culture in couple of years time. At the moment there’s more culture in a tub (small) of Aldi yogurt than there is in Croydon. And that whoosh you have just heard is the sound of £42 million going down the pan.
