Met loses its second Aida  star

Met loses its second Aida star

Opera

norman lebrecht

December 18, 2022

The starry Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili (pictured) has pulled out of the rest of the Metropolitan Opera’s winter run of Verdi’s Aida.

Not feeling well, says the announcement (or words to that effect).

Her replacement is the less-known Russian Olesya Petrova.

It is less than two weeks since the Met was forced to replace Latonia Moore in the title role. She was also ‘indisposed.’

Must be something in the air-con.

Comments

  • Bonetti Micaela says:

    Olesya Petrova is a wonderful musician: beautiful dark velvet voice, ravishing musicality, splendid stage presence.
    Just enjoy!

  • Emil says:

    Umm…Rachvelishvili is a mezzo, and was signing Amneris, not Aida. The headline and first sentence (referring to her as a “soprano”) are incorrect.

  • Jon says:

    Both Anita Rachvelishvili and Olesya Petrova are mezzo sopranos, not sopranos. That’s why they’re singing Amneris and not Aida

  • SlippedChat says:

    Well, the headline “Met Loses Its Second Aida” is misleading, since Rachvelishvili, a mezzo, was slated to sing Amneris in this production.

    Perhaps “Met Loses Second Aida Cast Member.”

  • guest says:

    MET loses AMNERIS, not “second Aida”.

  • Fact-Checker says:

    Rachvelishvili was singing Amneris, not Aida. And Petrova, was the Amneris before Rachvelishvili arrived, and has sung the role at the Met before, to good reviews.

  • Frederick Paul Walter says:

    She’s an Amneris, not an Aida, and one of the globe’s top Verdi mezzos.

  • JS says:

    Brian Jagde (Radames) was out last night too, replaced by Limmie Pulliam – ill-fated production, that “Aida”.

  • Tom Phillips says:

    Actually there was YET ANOTHER substitution on Dec 17 – the mediocre tenor Brian Jagde was replaced by the hideously awful Limmie Pulliam – all 300+ pounds of him. Needless to say, he is no actor either. One of the worst performances I’ve seen or heard at the Met in close to 50 years – I had to walk out halfway through.

  • Maria says:

    Yes, don’t they love their air-con!

  • Shaun P Wallace says:

    Or Cov. d

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