Just in: Jonas Kaufmann cancels London

Just in: Jonas Kaufmann cancels London

News

norman lebrecht

December 09, 2021

The tenor has called off his big Christmas show next week at the Royal Albert Hall.

He says: ‘I am so sad and disappointed not to be able to perform my Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall next week. Christmas is such a special time, and this year more than ever we all need to come together to celebrate and create happy holiday memories. Unfortunately the travel restrictions and changing situation with Coronavirus mean that the wonderful German State Philharmonic cannot travel to London, which means we cannot go ahead. I’m so sorry to all the wonderful people who booked tickets, hope to see you for the new date, and wish you all a very happy Christmas.’

It would have been his first date at the hall since Last Night of the Proms in 2015.

Comments

  • V.Lind says:

    Sounds as if it was not he who cancelled. Changing rules affect everything. I recently saw what used to be known as the European Tour (golf) dealt a huge blow when, just at the start of its South African swing, the players had to get themselves back to Europe if they were coming before the doors closed to their being admitted.

    That’s the second time in a week it has been implied that Kaufman is cancelling events, neither true.

  • RW2013 says:

    So many London musos, but none to play A one-whore’s open sleigh.

  • Bloom says:

    Corona shows some terrific taste by impeding this.

  • Gustavo says:

    A clear lack of commitment…any pick-up ensemble could have hosted Kaufmann’s corny Christmas gala.

  • Harry Collier says:

    I don’t blame him, nor the orchestra. The 22 mile journey from Calais to Dover is highly expensive and inconvenient, with tests before you can leave Calais, and tests after you arrive in Dover, and incarceration before you receive the results of your expensive tax payment to a British government approved private “tester”. A lucrative racket. Money, money, money.

  • Dr huw says:

    Other orchestras might be available?…

  • mike says:

    Europe is being ushered into authoritarianism. First the Jews were deemed diseased in 1933 and now all of you.

  • EU person says:

    Time to retire? He cancels more and more performances every year.

  • Una says:

    Hardly his fault!

  • Bob says:

    Just use a Gubbay orchestra. They’ve played at RAH at Christmas for years and could easily do it. And their freelancers need the work.

    • Raymond Gubbay says:

      I presented Jonas Kaufmann on several occasions, as well as many other well-known artists, before I sold up and retired. I always engaged one of the four London orchestras for these events going right back to the start of the Barbican, forty years ago. Incidentally, my old company lost the Royal Albert Hall Christmas Festival after I had packed up and have not promoted there at Christmas for several years. My thoughts in particular are with the many freelance musicians with whom I had the pleasure of working over five decades at this still most difficult of times.

  • Gustavo says:

    In Germany, there are now at least six, partly competing, social groups:

    (1) The old, rich and sick that have had their two jabs plus the booster and are now facing Omicron, and who, of course, will be the first to get the new vax in spring next year.

    (2) The normal people with two jabs waiting for the booster (recommended after 5-6 months) and facing Omicron.

    (3) Those who were fortunate to survive the first waves, were (or still are) not vaxed and are facing Omicron.

    (4) Those who have just decided to get their first shot, are currently competing with group (2) for appointments while spreading Delta and facing Omicron.

    (5) Those who will be urged by law to get vaxed in spring next year but will have caught and spread Delta and/or Omicron by then, qualifying them as “Genesen” just in time to avoid getting vaxed.

    (6) The living dead.

    I suppose Jonas Kaufmann’s band includes some selfish individuals from groups (4) or (5).

  • Tommy says:

    “it is not possible to rehearse with another orchestra at this late stage” says the RAH statement.

    SERIOUSLY?!! It’s a Christmas concert. Presumably what they actually mean is “it is not possible to rehearse with another cheap orchestra at this late stage.”

    • Becker Waltraud says:

      I fear, no British orchestra is able to play all those German Christmas sings within 5 days in the awaited quality…..

      • Ragnar Danneskjoeld says:

        What’s a “sing”? And nobody expects quality when attending a Kaufmann Christmas mashup. Only little old ladies like you do.

      • Diane Valerie says:

        You’d be surprised how familiar the British, including orchestral musicians, are with German Christmas songs. They owe it to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, you know!

    • Elsie says:

      Maybe ticket sales were poor and that was the real reason.

  • Larry W says:

    Too bad they didn’t ask the available half of the English Touring Opera orchestra.

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