Jonas Kaufmann quits Salzburg Requiem

Jonas Kaufmann quits Salzburg Requiem

News

norman lebrecht

January 03, 2024

The tenor has pulled out of his home town’s Easter Festival two performances of Verdi’s Requiem.

The festival says: ‘As Jonas Kaufmann would like to concentrate fully on his three performances and his scenic role debut as Enzo Grimaldi in ‘La Gioconda,’ he has expressed the wish to resign his participation in our Choral Concert – Verdi’s Messa da Requiem.’

He had been the leading light in a Requiem whose other soloists are Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Judit Kutasi and Michele Pertusi.

JK’s replacement is Luciano Ganci. Pappano conducts.

Comments

  • Sanity says:

    If his agent paced his diary, he wouldn’t have to continually cancel…

    • Vienna calling says:

      If this evil agent forces defenseless singers to sign contracts against their will, why doesn’t this poor superstar who hates money find another agent?

  • A.L. says:

    No problem. Kaufmann can cancel all he wants, whenever and wherever, since the Classical Music and Opera Mafiosi have his back.

  • Bloom says:

    Enzo Grimaldi is not a role for him at this moment of his vocal evolution. Neither is the tenor part from Verdi s “Requiem”. He may still sound decent nevertheless in Wagner as he did in the Berlin Silvesterkonzert.

    • Annel says:

      Let’s make a point – is anything for you Adriana suitable for him ‘at this stage of vocal evolution’?

  • Annel says:

    Sure, instead of writing about Kaufmann’s excellent concerts with Petrenko on New Year’s Eve at the Berlin Philharmonic (Act 1 of the Valkyrie) – better to keep rolling out your favourite topic. (And why didn’t you make the headline as you did with the cancellation of Beczala at the Met – “Salzburg loses tenor in Requiem”?)

  • Marianna says:

    Well, I can no longer listen to him struggle, bray and bellow instead of sing. Without a technique, he can certainly not negotiate the tenor solos in Verdi’s Requiem. It is a tragedy Kaufmann believes he does not need a vocal technician to teach him how to get his voice back on the track that showed such promise early in his career.

    • Helen says:

      I think it maybe a good idea if you visited an audiologist to get your ears checked. JK sounded wonderful in Berlin. You don’t like his voice: So keep mum and let those who do enjoy it and not have to read the kind of vile drivel that gets dished out all too often on SD.

      • Maurice says:

        And having heard those Winterstürme (not to mention the not-overlong Wälse’s) I watched his 2022 Silvesterkonzert, where his Verdi, Zandonai, Giordano and Mascagni arias were superb. I haven’t heard diminuendi and pianissimi like his from anyone else.

  • Ernest says:

    He crooned his way through his two Giocondas in Sydney last August. Hope the understudy is ready!

  • Adam says:

    No big loss. He sounds like Kermit the Frog.

  • Tom Phillips says:

    What a shock!

  • Save the MET says:

    Should surprise no one.

  • Annel says:

    Oh, how ‘wonderful’ is this above set of comments. Norman, you should be swelling with joy and pride.

  • Jean says:

    I hate all these spiteful comments ! The poor man has throat problems which must be a nightmare for a singer ! I bet you lot can,t sing so who are you to criticise ? Social media ? Button your lips !!

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