The soprano appears to have pulled out of Tosca, having messaged only yesterday that she intended to sing.
Here’s her latest instagram:
In this very difficult and unclear period for all of us on this planet my thoughts and support go to all people, who suffered all effects of this Virus, for people, who infected, for many of those who lost jobs and those who forced to stay in carantine. We don’t know what happens tomorrow, but let’s be strong 💪 and use this time to make Right choices.
In a further reply to a fan who said he was flying in from Australia she said: ‘If I will be you- I will cancel trip… sorry.’
From her perspective it’s the right decision. There is no knowing if the Met will still be open in two weeks’ time and the risk of catching an infection in transit is too great if the end-result is not guaranteed.
For the Met, the consequences are incalculable. Others will doubtless arrive at the same conclusion.
UPDATE: The Netrebko-Eyvazov couple have posted this corrigendum beneath our headline on their Instagram feed:
Stop spreading wrong information!!!!
Excuse me? We have only posted what you yourselves made public.
A further reminder?
The Met, meanwhile, are ringing around for replacements.
Yuja Wang has called off an extensive European tour, including London, where all halls are still functioning.
She was due to play the Barbican on March 31.
Message from the Barbie:
We’re sorry to announce that Yuja Wang has cancelled her European recital tour, which included a concert at the Barbican on Tuesday 31 March. Six of Wang’s concerts had been cancelled by venues in mainland Europe in response to restrictions brought in by Governments relating to COVID-19, making it impossible for her to continue the tour. All bookers have been contacted, but we would like to apologise for the disappointment this is likely to cause. Yuja Wang and the Barbican will work to reschedule the concert in the future.
Message from Yuja:
La Monnaie is shut for the rest of the month. The Bozar is calling off individual dates.
Müpa Budapest is closed until 31 March after the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency due to corona virus.
Bavarian Radio has suspended all its ensembles until April 19.
The Tonhalle orchestra in Zurich has cancelled tonight’s concert while a musician is being tested for Coronavirus.
The Oslo Philharmonic has cancelled this week.
Prague has banned audiences of more than 100.
UPDATES: Dresden Philharmonic has shut for the month.
Baden-Württemburg: die Landesregierung Baden-Württemberg hat aufgrund der Corona-Epidemie entschieden, den Spielbetrieb der staatlichen Theater ab sofort bis zum 19. April an allen Spielstätten einzustellen.
Baden-Baden has cancelled the Vienna Philharmonic aand fears it may lose its Easter Festival.
Qatar Philharmonic is out for the month.
Itzhak Perlman has called off a six-city tour.
The Liceu in Barcelona has joined the list of shutdowns.
First casualty is Katharina Wagner’s new production of Lohengrin. The rehearsals were well advanced, with opening down for next Thursday. The house was more than 90 percent sold.
More here.
There have been calls in Germany this morning for urgent aid for freelance musicians who have lost engagements over the coming weeks and cannot pay their bills.
We hear of singers and soloists who can’t get refunds on airb&b bookings and are facing other immediate expenses.
The German Cultural Council aims to set up an emergency fund for artists, possibly at the Artists’ Social Fund (KSK) in Wilhelmshaven.
The German Orchestra Association (DOV) is lobbying for urgent payments. ‘Salaried members of the concert and theatre orchestras as well as radio orchestras will be relatively well looked after in the coming weeks,’ says DOV Managing Director Gerald Mertens. ‘Freelancers are, however, facing a real existential need.’
It is not clear if payments will be made to non-German residents.
After the the Spanish government prohibited events with more than 1000 people in Madrid and other Corona hotspots, the RTVE Orchestra and Chorus went ahead with Mahler’s second symphony in the Auditorio Nacional in honor of Victims of Terrorism.
Pablo Heras-Casado conducted in front of an empty hall and the performance was broadcast live on TV and the internet. Lorenzo Ramos, son of Jesus Lopez Cobos, directed the chorus.
Watch here.
Mahler is once more the man of the moment.
An LA law firm investigating anonymous charges of sexual misconduct against Placido Domingo has issued a summary of its findings.
It rules that the womens’ allegations were ‘credible’ due ‘in part because of the similarities in their accounts’.
It added: ‘The level of discomfort reported by the women varied, ranging from some women stating they were not uncomfortable to others who described significant trauma.’
The full report will not be made public.
Scant details here.
Russia is now the only country where Domingo is still welcomed.
The LPO has selected Minn Majoe, Kate Oswin and Lasma Taimina (pictured) to join the 1st violin section.
All three are from the Foyle Future Firsts mentoring scheme.
London’s Philharmonia Ochestra, whose last CEO lasted under 3 years, has named Alexander Van Ingen as the next, starting in September.
Van Ingen is presently head of the Cambridge-based Academy of Ancient Music, which he joined from Decca Classics in 2017.
The Rotterdam Philharmonic has signed a second term with Lahav Shani, taking him up to 2026.
He is commited to 12 weeks a year, in Rotterdam and on tour.
Shani, 31, is also incoming music director of the Israel Philharmonic.
He says: ‘This has been my first job as chief conductor and the chemistry I felt with the orchestra from day 1 is still growing. We are developing a very beautiful friendship and musical collaboration, which I am most happy to continue and explore for the next years.’
The isolated nation has an addition to its schedules:
Ripreso da Rai Cultura all’inizio di gennaio 2020 all’Auditorium Rai “Arturo Toscanini” di Torino, arriva in prima tv su Rai5 giovedì 12 marzo alle 21.15 il concerto che ha segnato il debutto di Daniele Gatti sul podio dell’Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai. In programma l’addio poderoso e struggente di Gustav Mahler alla vita e alla musica: la sua Nona Sinfonia.
Filmed by Rai Cultura at the beginning of January 2020 at the Rai Auditorium “Arturo Toscanini” in Turin, the concert which marked the debut of Daniele Gatti on the podium of the National Symphony Orchestra of the Rai arrives on Rai5 on Thursday 12 March at 9.15 pm Rai. Gustav Mahler’s powerful and poignant farewell to life and music is scheduled: his Ninth Symphony.
The press release fails to mention that the ninth symphony was composed on Italian soil, at Dobbiaco (Toblach) in the Tirol.
The international bass-baritone Michael Volle has hit back at irresponsible media reports which claimed he was quarantined at home with Coronavirus after rehearsing for Salome at La Scala.
He writes:
These days I’m much more present in the media because of this quarantine not because of my profession. What was interesting and funny in the beginning now makes me angry – also because of wrong information a lot of disturbance and uncertainty is created up to the school of our children.
The facts are: we are all very good, we are all tested negative, it’s only me who has to stay two days more at home. From Thursday on it’s over. And we only can hope that correspondent to all the difficult circumstances life will go on without panic and as quiet as possible. The best for everyone everywhere.
z.Zt. bin ich in den Medien viel präsenter wg. der Quarantäne als wg. meinem Beruf. Was anfangs spannend und neu war, ist jetzt vermehrt ärgerlich, auch weil durch falsche Infos Unruhe entsteht, bis hin zu Verunsicherung z.B. in der Schule unserer Kinder. FAKT ist: uns geht es allen SEHR GUT, wir sind alle NEGATIV getestet, NUR ICH muß noch 2 Tage daheim bleiben, ab Donnerstag wieder aufgehoben. Es bleibt zu hoffen, daß alles einigermaßen unaufgeregt bleibt, bei aller Ungewißheit.
Anna Netrebko, with whom Volle is due to sing Tosca at the Met from April 5, responded to his message: ‘Yes and I will kill you 5 times’.
