Domingo jumps in at Munich
NewsThe oustanding German soprano Anja Harteros has cancelled a series of high-profile engagements this year, most recently a solo Lieder recital at the Munich Opera Festival in July.
Bavarian State Opera have hired Placido Domingo to replace her, alongside his frequent recital partner Jennifer Rowley.
Anja Harteros is, indeed, exceptional, but these days it appears it’s more at cancelling than singing.
Harteros is hardly anything outstanding or out of the ordinary. What she is is a serial quitter. There is no bottom to her never ending cancellations. That the Bavarian SO and other houses tolerate it remains one of those puzzling mysteries about the industry.
Probably because they know why!
Harteros’ husband is old and frail, above 90 years old. The reason why she doesn’t sing these days are the non-existent Covid measures, as she wants to protect him. Her cancellations started to become very regular once the opera houses started to relax their rules. During the Tristan with Kaufmann and Petrenko in Munich she never once took off her mask but for the actual performances, singing with a mask during rehearsals. Even before Covid his failing health was the main reason for her cancellations.
Everyone can make their owns assumptions when we will likely see her back on stage with what I just wrote.
So her husband is 40 years older than her? In any case her incessant cancellations long predated Covid as an interesting 2017 New York Times article mentioned.
Yes, he is. She is married to Wolfgang Kastorp, former Kapellmeister at Cologne Opera who started mentoring her very early on. His son by the same name is also a musician and the two shouldn’t be confused. Most of her cancellations have always been related to her husband’s health status. A few years ago (about a decade, if memory serves correctly), he suffered at least one stroke, after that she also hardly sang – or only where she could continue having access to him.
If one takes the sorry state of singing today into consideration than, yes, she is perhaps outstanding.
To my knowledge, Mrs. Harteros hasn’t performed since September 2021. Rumor has it that she is reluctant to perform as she fears the effect of an infection of covid might have on members of her family.
Having said that, it is unacceptable for me that she seems to be unwilling to terminate her contracts much earlier and I wished managements would press her harder to make up her mind. This behaviour reveals a unique degree of disrespect towards her audiences.
Could the intention be to humiliate the hypochondriac whiner by replacing her by an alleged sex pest?
Harteros apparently cancels earlier than is communicated to the public, at least that was the case in one German opera house within the last few months. Her name remained on the website because the house in question didn’t mind her being associated with their production a little longer…
Maybe she should decide on another career – which is indeed a tragedy as she is far more talented than Netrebko and so many other contemporary sopranos.
Jennifer Rowley clearly has no integrity! She continues to do duet recitals with a serial sex predator!
absurd
Perfect, they can move the concert to the Olympiastadium now.
She barely performs anywhere anymore. As for her replacement truly pathetic.
Great news for Placido!
Sure, great for him. Not so great for the women who might be caught off-guard backstage. Shame on Munich.
I have also found Harteros’ cancellations frustrating and disappointing, most recently Manon Lescaut in Berlin, Isolde in Munich in July 2023 and Santuzza in Berlin in September 2023. On each occasion I have made arrangements to travel from abroad to hear her. Whatever her reasons for cancelling, they are none of my business. I learnt a long time ago that booking tickets to hear a specific singer is a bit of a tightrope act. I believe Harteros to be among the best of the current crop of singers, who invariably gives a high class performance, both musically and dramatically. For example, I believe she is the best Elisabetta in Don Carlo. I have heard her in many roles and never found her wanting. I just hope we can get to hear her again soon.