Just in: Netrebko cancels Covent Garden

Just in: Netrebko cancels Covent Garden

News

norman lebrecht

December 30, 2021

Message from the ROH:

Due to ongoing travel restrictions across Europe, soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from singing the role of Abigaille in the remaining performances of Nabucco on 14, 17, 20 and 23 January 2022.

Soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska will replace her.

 

Amartuvshin Enkhbat sings Nabucco, Daniel Oren conducts.

Comments

  • A.L. says:

    “Due to a voice in tatters, as documented in her Lady Macbeth at La Scala and in her new disastrous recording of arias, soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from singing the role of Abigaille in the remaining performances of Nabucco on 14, 17, 20 and 23 January 2022.”

  • E says:

    That is a pity. Her last Lady Macbeth at La Scala was magnificent, from those first dark low notes onwards. The mad scene was heart-wrenching. One felt that she was giving everything to the
    music, and the audience gave
    their all too.

    • Mark Cogley says:

      There is no mad scene for Lady Macbeth. It is a sleepwalking scene

    • Tristan says:

      It was really bad and don’t know which night your were in?

    • Rusalka1969 says:

      You mean her atonal version of Schoenberg? Sorry thshe shout so much like a drunken old women, which didn t hit every third note. Ididnt listen to such orrible perfomance since 1987 Freischütz in Mannheim. You should firstly listen to really good dramatic sopranos, and than compare. listen to Varady, Pirozzi, Verrett, or now Monastyrska and many others, HOW Abigail or Lady or Turandot has to sound in a healthy and e pressive way without belting and shouting. Listen to first Turandot Doya Raisa or Gina Cigna, how these roles are thought. How easy going agile and clear their voices were.

  • cantobel says:

    Can she not afford £100 for an express PCR test on arrival at Heathrow?

  • Anonymous Bosch says:

    Quite simply: she will never attempt to sing Abigaille. She already backed out of five performances in Vienna. It is a voice-killing role, and she’s already reached that state. I think all she is capable of anymore is to screech through “Macbeth” (with no flexibility in the voice) and possibly “Tosca”. Tutto e finito.

    • MusicBear88 says:

      Early Verdi was still learning how to write for the voice, particularly for the women, and Abigaille is one of the most demanding and frankly thankless roles he ever wrote. Very few great singers have even tried it.

    • Tristan says:

      she shouldn’t indeed as her Lady in Milano’s Macbeth. was very poor

  • Couperin says:

    Her recent album is so… soo… sooooo bad.

  • Paolo says:

    Better for her not to sing Abigaille.

  • Maxwell says:

    Ahhh…how the legend in her own mind has fallen…karma catches up to everyone!

  • Novagerio says:

    Game over.

  • ls says:

    Lucky Covent Garden crowds, who now get to see a genuine dramatic soprano in this killer part, in contrast to what would have been a very labored screamed performance. Monastyrska ranks among the very best Abigaille’s I’ve ever heard live.

  • Tom Phillips says:

    If her latest (disastrous) Lady Macbeth at La Scala is any indication, London audiences should count themselves blessed.

  • Cynical Bystander says:

    Oh No! Another occasion for those foolish enough to pay to attend an engagement that she had no intention of fulfilling, whatever excuse was conveniently to hand close to the performance when something more lucrative became available. She will, of course still be able to sing in places where the ‘travel restrictions’ are less onerous, as are the vocal demands.

    • Louise Chesebrough-Adams says:

      About time the opera houses stopped booking these prima donnas.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      I’m told Andre Rieu has vacancies since his business model is up and running again. (I won’t call it music; ‘business model’ is better.)

    • Rusalka1969 says:

      After her disastrous Voice apparat condition Lady Macbeth at Scala theatre she won’t have so much voice to sing something others in a tonal way without Logopedy.

  • Kg says:

    Strange that the rest of the cast seem able to make it – or are they all UK based – I doubt it! No message on the ROH website or email to ticket holders.

    • Tristan says:

      enjoy it, an entirely Russian cast, why don’t they finally get rid of it’s overrated artistic manager – time has come to move on

  • Cantantelirico says:

    How many of you who have commented so negatively about Anna, worshipped her not long ago?
    How many of you have her recordings? How many amazed of you were touched by her and her talent? What gives any of you the right to trash her now?

    • Russian female voices die young. says:

      Because her voice is gone, and she warbles her way trashily thru galas and operas with that awful Russian technique that inevitably results in losing all control above a certain age.
      It’s sad, places like CG still want to engage people like her when there are far far better, younger more capable joyful artists struggling to be heard.

      Only Glyndbourne used to have the right policies in places to allow that.
      As for Netrebko, every time I see her on Russian TV or hear the voice she has now I turn it off.

  • Rusalka1969 says:

    “Due to restrictions” is a cheap excuse because she is recovered from Covid and so not touched by hard restrictions.

  • Robin Worth says:

    Shame on you ( and on plenty of others who have made similar comments)

    She has a child, who often travels with her and who, I am told. needs her constant attention. Do you not think that this may have had something to do with her withdrawal?

    As it happens, the ROH audience will not be short changed. I saw Monastyrska sing the part in December, for the second time, and she was magnificent

  • EagleArts says:

    Liudmyla Monastyrska is fabulous and fierce.

  • MOST READ TODAY: