In Verona, a diva gets applauded all the way home

In Verona, a diva gets applauded all the way home

Opera

norman lebrecht

July 31, 2023

The soprano Anna Pirozzi, leading the second cast of Aida at the Arena di Verona, found herself being applauded all the way to her hotel as she carried her bouquets through town.

Pirozzi, who has not had an easy rise, deserves every accolade she is getting.

UPDATE: we are advised that the video is from July 28 at Piazza Bra after she sang a second cast Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco (with Enkhbat, Vinogradov, Mezzaro, Lo Monaco under Casellati). She is about to sing two Aidas in August (with Margaine, Kunde, Tezier/Y.Park, Siwek under Oren.

Comments

  • Ludwig's Van says:

    Not unusual – most divas promenade across the Piazza Bra after their Arena performances, and are applauded by the al fresco diners. It’s a local tradition.

  • David McVicar says:

    Anna is very special, a really great artist of today!

    • IP says:

      It is a very long time since Italy has produced such a marriage of a luscious voice with an impeccable technique.

  • Micaela Bonetti says:

    Assolutamente meritato!
    Brava Anna!
    Complimenti e calorosi auguri per il Suo futuro !!!

  • Ernest says:

    Brava! I much prefer this Anna to that Anna!!

  • Potpourri says:

    Well-deserved applause for Anna Pirozzi. A Verona tradition. Today there is a recording of Anna Netrebko receiving applause at the same location for her performance in Aida last night, July 30. Is Slipped Disc going to feature that recording, too?

  • Siegfried says:

    Verona does not have first and second casts as such, rather multiple singers in a role and, on most occasions, a different combination of principals.

  • IP says:

    She will be giving masterclasses on Cantar sul fiato in autumn — highly recommended especially for the first cast stars.

  • Gustavo says:

    How ironic that she is called Anna and looks like Netrebko.

    Everybody is replaceable.

    • IP says:

      If you think so or have any trouble telling one from the other, try the Nabucco clip from the same performance on the same Instagram.

  • Kay Warbrick says:

    How wonderful

  • CGDA says:

    Great! That was surely a much better production than the cr*p they showed this year at ROH Covent Garden! Proper directors!

  • PB says:

    A Diva? If every soprano is considered a diva today, opera is doomed.
    All artists – sopranos, tenors etc are applauded the same way, every single night of the festival, it’s very common because people attending at the Arena are today 99% tourists who don’t have a clue about opera

    • Officer Krupke says:

      How wonderful. Opera is doomed so long as opera lovers want to keep newcomers out. Let the music and the theatre speak for itself.

      • PB says:

        Pirozzi, almost 50, is hardly a “newcomer”. Indeed, more people heard about her in the past 3-4 years, since she started to perform abroad, in other venues than opera houses in Italy. As for newcomers or singers from the younger generation (30s-40s), it is almost impossible for them to become divas or divos today, due to too many reasons (to be short, clueless people running opera houses, recording labels releasing only poor/uninteresting recordings, agents, directors ruining opera productions, the total lack of personality/individuality of the opera singers today, among others).

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