Just in: Kaufman sends sick note to Covent Garden
NewsPress release:
The Royal Opera House today announces that sadly Jonas Kaufmann has withdrawn from tomorrow evening’s performance of Werther due to illness. The role of Werther will now be performed by Juan Diego Flórez.
photo: ROH Facebook page
That is quite a switch from Kaufmann to Flores. Voice-wise, I mean, one is dark, the other one Rossini-light. I know Flores is reaching beyond his usual repertoire but not always as successfully I thought.
Flórez is in very good shape. I have seen him few weeks ago with La Scala for the Duomo concert.
Florez seems to have moved away from the lighter rep and sang the role at the ROH a few years ago, and not completely successfully in my view. Werther really does require a tenor with heft for those big orchestral moments and that is not something Florez has in abundance (mind you, who does? – even Kaufmann was struggling). Saying that, he sang Rudolfo/Boheme recently and whilst light, it suited him very well.
Not sure what is meant by Rossini-light as if Rossini was the same composer across his 39 operas. The demands on the tenor in Cenerentola are very different, for instance, from the role of Arnold in Guillaume Tell – the latter hardly can be termed “light”.
… and Florez gave us a magnificent Arnold in Graham Vick’s thoughtful production of Guillaume Tell at Pesaro a few years ago. I thoroughly recommend the DVD. We showed it to opera-loving friends recently, and they were completely blown away!
He doesn’t look too well on the illustration.
Now THAT’S a win for the ROH.
So wish to hear Florez’ Tannhäuser.
“Due to illness”? Looks more like he’s been shot.
What I’am saying is tough but… when you buy a ticket to see Kaufmann in concert or opera you have to accept that there are 50% chances that he will not come. Last year I wanted to see him in concert for a gala (and it was very good) I was lucky, he came. he’s not yet Carlos Kleiber with him there were maybe 95% chances that he will not coming.
Not tough at all, it is the truth. Remember, apart from the expensive ticket, many opera lovers actually travel to hear a favourite singer and that means travel and hotel expenses.
He now rivals Anja Harteros for the most cancellations in opera (with both Bryn Terfel and Elina Garanca not far behind, particularly in New York).
Perhaps the underwhelming reviews sent him running home. He’s a become completely unreliable.
Most importantly, may he recover fully quickly.
There is a pollen bomb in London and the air quality is worse than usual and Mr Kaufmann suffers from hay fever according to another guest.
Singing is a very physical activity and cannot be done if unwell or if there is a risk to damaging the instrument. It is, after all, his means of earning a living. There is far more sympathy for those in sport who withdraw from matches and competitions with injuries often at short notice and yet little for singers who have to cancel, which is unfair.
Showing some respect and spelling his surname correctly wouldn’t go amiss.
That is because athletes engage in much more violent activity than singers.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Florez will sing Cavaradossi in Tosca this year in Vienna, right? In other words, he’s singing heavier roles nowadays.
His website doesn’t mention anything regarding Tosca.
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I heard Kaufmann at the rehearsal and Florez in the role at the ROH a few years ago. Different voices and vocal styles, different interpretations of the part as well. But both were excellent and the ROH audience will be happy with either
How come there is constant banging on about JK canceling whereas Beczala canceling the rest of his Turandot run in Zurich isn’t mentioned anywhere here on this site?
Beczala – like most singers – has the right to cancel, so it’s not newsworthy.
Kaufmann, since he became famous, had no such right. His cancelations caused unprecedented waves of hate, it is not clear why.
Beacause if the singer cancels everything for weeks and months like he often did, not earning money, it means he has to.
It should be obvious to everyone that he had/has health problems, and not necessarily vocal ones, because he was already cancelling when he was at the peak of his powers, sounding just as good before the break as after. Of course, then there were also vocal problems, at least later on, every singer has them.
Also, Kaufmann fell a victim of web bullying, several people campaigned against him for years on internet blogs and eventually criticizing and despising Kaufmann became fashionable.
Perhaps because “JK” as you call him has a far more extensive and established pattern of cancellation going back well over a decade while this is far less i.e. not at all common with Beczala.
Logically that should be the other way round: JK cancellation should be no news at all, as he cancels often and Beczała’s should make news because he very rarely cancels.
Maybe he just needs to keep silent at the moment . Because ”Werther” is not a role for him anymore. And also because he has to save some voice for the big Waldbühne recital .
(Please , edit the name of the artist. It is Kaufmann.)
For a man of his age Kaufmann is ill a great deal.
He needed antibiotics after June illness and seems to be suffering from the after effects of that as has just cancelled July performance .