Surprise as La Scala gives Netrebko’s husband extra dates
NewsTeatro alla Scala has announced that Maria Agresta will take over all performances of Adriana Lecouvreur from Anna Netrebko, after the Russian soprano withdrew.
However, it has also given extra performances to Netrebko’s husband, the tenor Yusif Eyvazov.
The statement continues: ‘Freddie de Tommaso has tested positive for Covid, Yusif Eyvazov will take over all Maurizios at La Scala.’
This is odd. Eyvazov’s political position is no difference from Netrebko’s. You cannot slip a sheet of paper between them.
In another change, Timur Zangiev will conduct Pique Dame instead of the dismissed Valery Gergiev.
UPDATE: Message from Freddie de Tommaso: ‘
‘Having managed to avoid getting covid for 2 years, unfortunately this week I have succumbed to this infuriating virus. Therefore I am very sad to have to tell you all that I cannot make my debut at La Scala tomorrow or on the 6th. I am hoping that I will be recovered by the 10th but only time will tell….’
Unfortunately, Meyer is so very devious and so false… expected so much better than what he is doing now, La Scala is exactly the same as when it was under Pereira, same Italian “mafia” and the same names over and over again…
Meter also stated that Netrebko gave a very clear statement – it was not at all clear, even more so because she has posted stories that “people from the West are shits”. That means people like Meyer too!
Eyvazov wouldn’t be singing if it weren’t for Netrebko and he should have been firmly sacked!
Not only for political preferences, but also for having the voice of a drunken goat.
Shame on the Netrebkos and on everyone (fortunately not too many) who is taking their side, indirectly agreeing with a tyrant!
Hey, isn’t that being unfair to drunken goats?
Very true Herr Doktor.
Apart from hiding behind Donna Anna’s ample dirndl with his hitherto silence on Putin’s atrocities, Yusef the Useless is already on record advocating the elimination of Armenians.
His tantrum in Dresden last year when he refused to sing with Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan was as shameful as it was typical of this third- rate, ersatz tenor’s belligerent and arrogant persona.
At least dumber than a doorknob Donna Anna had the brains to cancel upcoming engagements before she was fired – or booed off the stage.
Let the La Scala loggisti prove their worth and give the Azeri war-monger the reception he deserves.
I can not believe you are music lovers. Put six-pointed stars on chest of all Russians and send them to new Auschwitz. Do you remember how the crowd mocked the Jews. Pretty much all the same now.
With all due respect Marina, your comment is ridiculous. It’s not a secret that Yusif Eyvazov was getting hired in order for opera houses to remain in good favor with his far more famous (and box office draw) wife. Virtually everyone I personally know who has heard him sing live has been stunned at how inadequate his singing is and how and overmatched he usually is by his colleagues on stage. He is not even close to a world class singer, and would be more appropriately singing for the El Paso Opera in the U.S., or the Gelsenkirchen Opera in Germany, or the Blackpool Opera in the UK, than the Met or Covent Garden or the Wiener Staasoper. It may have been unfair of PB to say Eyvazov sings like a drunken goat. That is, unfair to drunken goats. His absence on the stages of the world opera companies will be missed only by his agent. As for the rest of us, we will be so happy to hear qualified tenors singing the parts he would have others been bleating, sober or otherwise.
You and your country have a great deal to be ashamed of – both politically and culturally. And your billionaires constantly befoul – politically, economically etc.- the Western countries they infiltrate. Why does your country/culture seem to consistently lack any sense of democratic or ethical norms even compared to other nations in Eastern Europe (that is at those few times they have escaped your control)?
I am a music lover. This storm in a teacup organized by AN fans on her and her hubby’s behalf could have been avoided if the Met (and not only) had ditched her quietly years ago, and not considered him at all. She was past vocal expiration date even then, and more vulgar than ever in every other respect. He is a non-entity. Unfortunately, it took a war to get her out of opera, and just temporarily, I bet she will try to worm herself back. She isn’t the only singer who should have retired long ago, but whose ego, and the cluelessness of their fans, and the fallen standards of opera houses, keep them on stage. I wish we, music lovers, could get rid of these too, without war.
And you could dial down that rhetoric of yours. Russians individuals aren’t persecuted at all, least of all because their nationality. By the way, Yusif isn’t Russian, but when a fan gets worked up, this is an insignificant detail, isn’t it, Marina? You know, there’s a difference between music lovers and fans. Being a music lover doesn’t preclude one of using their brains, and of feeling compassion with civilians being killed in a war right now. But for fans, nothing is more important than continuously seeing their pet singer on opera stages they had no business being there in the first place. What interesting priorities you keyboard warriors have. Your singer, your pet crusade, and nothing else, people’s lives are secondary. Everything else, including senseless killing of children, pales compared to the terrible unfairness “against” a singer who has two citizenship and is rolling in money, having to sit out two seasons, and her non-entity hubby, who doesn’t have to do even this. And let’s compare this terrible terrible “unfairness” with Auschwitz, because if you are going to be tasteless, the least you can do is lay it on with a trowel? Like Anna, like fan. But good to know you consider yourself a music lover.
The jews were murdered because they were Jewish. These despicable people support Putin war of aggression. Your comments make no sense at all.
Love the drunken goat comment.
The conductor change makes the Feb 23 Pikovaya dama there historic, being Gergiev’s last date in the West.
It was well cast, with Grigorian as Liza and four other fine principals. And Gergiev got nine minutes of cheers at the end.
Somewhere in the audience was Milan’s mayor, which was why he was so quick to make his statement the next morning.
It was also shamefully, and now ironically, scheduled: a brand-new staging with a 10-day hole between its premiere and the second performance (March 5) just to allow the maestro to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in New York and Florida in between.
How screwy the priorities were!
Shameful of La Scala to assign any dates to that thug. Many of us continue to closely monitor what actions music organizations in the West choose to pursue on the Netrebko problem.
As of this moment, for instance, the Metropolitan Opera and the Staatsoper Berlin websites continue listing Netrebko for Turandot. But this cannot be allowed to happen.
Peter Gelb has already declared his position against engaging anyone with ties to Putin. Needless to say, Netrebko is Exhibit A. The Berlin Staatsoper, like practically every important opera house, has also issued a proclamation of solidarity with Ukraine. But if Daniel Barenboim and especially Zubin Mehta (the Turandot conductor) are the true humanitarians they claim to be, they have the moral imperative to sack Netrebko. In addition, Mehta in particular is apparently forever on guard about his singers needing to be in pristine vocal condition. I don’t think, then, he needs to be reminded of the parlous vocals coming out of Netrebko’s throat for the past several years but considerably worse now.
I urge everyone with a conscience to contact the Met and the Staatsoper (Berlin) to demand her immediate removal.
I never understood the fascination with Netrebko; she’s mediocre at best. I felt this way long before Ukraine was invaded.
Both institutions have taken care of the problem by dropping her from their Turandots.
https://www.metopera.org/season/2021-22-season/turandot/
https://www.staatsoper-berlin.de/en/veranstaltungen/turandot.10340/#event-52893
Let’s go full North Korea. Punish in three generations! At least!
We’ll leave the implementation to you. You speak with such confidence…
You trolls are laying it on with a trowel. How about a little subtlety, there’s no fun in spotting you from the first comment.
Mediocre singers are not worth getting hot and bothered about.
But support of a murderous dictator is worth getting concerned about.
These so-called artists have
Lowered the quality of international Opera to such an extent, that they won’t be missed.
” I’ve got them on the list and they, surely, won’t be missed, they surely won’t be missed.”
G&S The Mikado, soon to be banned for cultural appropriation.
The AN and YE quality of singing has no place on the world operatic stages.
Let s see how the public will react; and how YE will react to the reaction of the public
Interesting;
And what about the critics? Many of them began to praise him lately- was it genuine or some secret interest in doing so?
If you believe modern critics have a clue… Critics employed by very big newspapers and magazines take their orders from above. For smaller papers, there is as a rule just one dude covering the arts section, who has to review everything from hip hop to classical, from the latest blockbuster to Shakespeare. Then there is the new type of critic who is a fan in disguise; if you look up their bio you realize they do something else for a living.
As mentioned already, Eyvazov has his own dirty nationalist politics, but unlike his wife he is not Russian, he is from Azerbaijan, and AFAIK holds a citizenship from that country. Azerbaijan like Ukraine is not Russia.
First, he is NOT first caliber as a singer. Second, he got the Timur role because of his wife (like Gelb!) and he PERSONALLY endorses Putin, Russia, and invasion of other countries. SACK HIM! Do not hire him — and go and BOO the s.o.b. off the stage.
Timur? Eyvazov is not a bass.
What??
That guy can’t even sing and has no place on the Scala stage. And his behavior as mentioned also speaks for itself. I hope th good people inMilano will boo him of the stage. better get an understudy ready, he will be better anyway.
Timur Zangiev is Gergiev’s assistant and anyhow did all the preparation work with the orchestra before Gergiev flew in for the show.
I live next to a farm with lots of goats….I have perfect pitch and one can hit a high C much better that Yusuf. The goat will bray for free and does not espouse the elimination of Armenians or anyone else. I’m sure we can teach it to sing Maurizio….
Sehr illoyal gegenüber seiner Frau. Charakterlos
This man is a no talent to begin with! As a supporter of Putin and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he should be jobless! Or, make him sing the Ukrainian national anthem!
I remind you that Herbert von Karajan applied to the NSDAP
No matter what politic views Anna N. May have we live in a democracy ;she sings that is what matters !This witch-hunt t is no difference then forwards LGBT or sexism’s or racism . Stop canceling as if that would have influence in Putin or Ukrainians
Destiny , pathetic and unintelligent : imagine being condemned for your Nationality of acquaintances !
Why shouldn’t he get extra dates? I am NOT a his fan, but don’t see any problem with him performing. Seriously folks, what is wrong with you?
Never forget that two years ago, the “famous” tenor wanted to cancel the participation of a soprano at the Dresden Opernball, because she is Armenian, and he is Azerbaijani…
a big fight with the Opernball direction was needed to make him accept the presence of an “enemy”.
So, basically, the behaviour is the same now…