LSO loses a star
OrchestrasJust before the holiday shutdown, the London Symphony Orchestra has made it known that the star of its upcoming concert staging of Jenufa has withdrawn.
Asmik in concert was a hot ticket.
However,
Due to personal reasons, Asmik Grigorian has been forced to withdraw from the LSO’s performances of Janáček’s Jenůfa on 11 and 14 January 2024. The role of Jenůfa will now be sung by Agneta Eichenholz. Existing ticket holders are in the process of being be notified
Perhaps pushing her instrument beyond its limits in six performances as Turandot at Wiener Staatsoper this month (the last show was on Friday) has something to do with it.
She is a very hotter ticket for the Maestro Muti
Has he, um, pinched her?
She has been awfully hyped lately by people who equate vocal suicide ( or inadequacy) with “dramatic intensity”, “charisma” etc. Taking some rest might help her regain a sense of proportion.
I would hope that people would find Jenufa compelling enough no matter the cast. Interesting, though, when the Czech Philharmonic and Jiri Belohlavek performed it a few years ago (and in London, too), the big headliner was Karita Mattila as Kostelnicka; I don’t even recall who sang Jenufa.