Katherine Jenkins is executive producer on Handel film
OperaIn an interview in today’s Times, the Welsh singer announces herself as executive producer on The King of Covent Garden, directed by her husband, Andrew Levitas.
Anthony Hopkins will play Georg Frideric Handel.
Jenkins does not say if she will attempt one of the soprano arias.
Excellent news. Thankfully none of the usual mouthpieces here involved.
Handle with care, or not, as the case may be.
Grace Davidson could sing Händel, and does.
I do not find the voice of Ms. Jenkins particularly beautiful. I don`t get the pop music world.
More at home belting out a National Anthem before a big match.
Since Ms. Jenkins is only a British phenomena, few of us in the US can comment. A producer credit to pad the payroll? Or a “name” attached to hopefully increase sales? With Anthony Hopkins involved, he should provide enough of a worldwide draw.
Does she sing Handel?
She can’t sing passagework. She Un voce poco fa once – first part OK, second part dreadful.
Anthony Hopkins is 86 and has made eight movies since 2020. Handel died at 74. Long may they both thrive!
Sir Anthony is a superb actor. Many forget that he started his career as a stage actor in the UK playing many major parts when working with the National Theatre. In one play he understudied Sir Laurence Olivier, standing in when Olivier was sick. He was not always popular with fellow cast members, partly perhaps due to alcoholism which he conquered in 1975. His film career began to take off in the 1980s with his becoming a major star in his own right a decade later after he had moved permanently to live in the USA.
Few seem to know that he has always loved classical music, is no mean piano player and is himself an active composer. The CBSO even premiered one of his works. So playing Handel must seem a natural. I wonder who will play the younger Handel? That Ms. Jenkins is an Executive Producer should not concern anyone as Executive Producers merely put up the cash.
There is a lovely video clip of him playing the piano to his cat, Niblo. It was released during the lockdown in 2020. The cat is, sadly, no longer alive.
Since when has Handel had such a Welsh connection??
God forbid Ms Jenkins attempts to sing on film anything. Last time I heard her practise at the RAM was enough to convince those listening was to spare us anymore professionally.
Maybe marrying a film producer is her only way of still trying to convince us (and herself) otherwise?
Let’s be clear that the movie is about Handel’s time around the creation of Messiah quite late in his career. @bored muso’s comments and those of some others on Katherine Jenkins no doubt reflect a popular view in this blog of her talents. It totally fails to make any comment on the fact that after graduating with honours from the Royal Academy of Music, she herself accepted that her mezzo voice was too small for the regular passage to opera and recitals. So she had to find other alternatives. Eventually she went to Decca to seek a recording contract. Six of the resultant seven CDs reached the top of the classical charts.
She then moved to Warner Music in the USA in the biggest recording deal for any classical artist at US$10 million. Her first album was created by the legendary producer David Foster. Eventually she returned to Decca and in 2017 Classic FM announced she was the biggest selling classical artist of the previous 25 years, even including Pavarotti. So we can criticise what she does and how she does it professionally, but vast numbers clearly like the voice and perhaps at least some have been attracted to opera as a result. At any rate, as I explained earlier, an Executive Producer is involved in movies for cash, not singing. Almost certainly with Hopkins and Handel, the tills will be overflowing.
“after graduating with honours from the Royal Academy of Music”
A music teacher’s diploma.
https://slippedisc.com/2021/10/classical-crisis-bbc-radio-3-recruits-katherine-jenkins/