The Met’s new Carmen loses its Don José
OperaHours before the opening of its big year-end show, the Metropolitan Opera had to call up an understudy.
The Polish tenor Piotr Beczala ruled himself out of opening night. He says: ‘It is with great regret that I share this news. Due to a high fever and cough, I won’t be able to perform in today’s premiere of “Carmen” at the Metropolitan Opera. I gave it my best, but unfortunately, virus got the upper hand, so now I’m focusing on getting better for the upcoming performances.’
His replacement is Rafael Davila (pictured), a Puerto Rican tenor who has been on the US circuit for the past dozen years. His friends say: ‘Nothing less than the Year-End Gala at the most important opera house in the world! While you are sharing with family, he is putting Puerto Rico’s name up high, so let’s give him a round of applause and share it so that more boricuas can feel proud!’
Stand by for the morning-after reviews.
Good luck to him. Stand-ins always remind me of the Marx Brothers and A Night At The Opera. Has there ever been a stand-in who secured that degree of audience approval?
In September 1986, Giuliano Ciannella had to cancel his Andrea Chénier in Vienna merely hours before the performance. His replacement was a certain Plácido Domingo.
Used to be way easier when production, er, um, “values” were way saner.
In 1986 Alfredo Kraus got ill and had to cancel his performance of Madama Butterfly at the Vienna State Opera House, and his 21yr old understudy, Cuban-American Jorge Pita Carreras, sang the role and received great reviews. He was the youngest tenor, and is to date, the youngest tenor to have sung this role at the Vienna State Opera House.
Domingo was not a certain Chenier so it wasn’t a good replacement whatsoever.
Pavarotti replaced Di Stefano at short notice. Did good
They are my 2 favorite tenors…excluding Gigli and Caruso…
Leonard Bernstein stepping in for Bruno Walter, 1943.
Just read the NYT review…another nail in the company’s coffin. The singers mostly come off unscathed, but the concept, direction and physical production seem wanting.
A hard pass.
Totally agree.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Mr Beczala. By the way – the headline doesn’t scream “Beczala cancelled” – why are you just normal for others?
Beczala quite rarely cancels – unlike the other celebrated tenor in question.
The Lando Bartolino of 2023.
Mr. Beczala returned for Jan 5th performance and, most respectfully, should not have. Fatigue and/or illness still have the upper hand. He was straining by Act I, vocal cords were completely fatigued in Act III, and he no longer had any connection in the upper register in Act IV. Very painful to watch him struggle through, and I’m sure painfully embarrassing for him. Perhaps there was no replacement available at all for last night (though this is hard to imagine in NYC); but unfortunately Mr. Beczala’s recovery demands a new Don Jose.