Tenor kicks conductor out of Paris – so what else is new? (update)
mainThere was ‘a difference of artistic opinion’ during rehearsals of Gounod’s Faust and there was only one possible outcome.
Roberto Alagna got his way, and conductor Alain Lombard is on his way. (His stand-in is Alain Altinoglu).
As Roberto would say, ‘nobody ever came to Faust to hear the conductor’.
Full Journal du Dimanche story here. And here’s more from Le Figaro.
I wish that I was there to witness it.
Alagna should be kicked out of opera world, he can’t sing right.
Some of us would beg to differ. This “disagreement ” in Paris has yet to be fully examined/reported. We all know that the world of press relishes scandal and so reports almost instantaneously any soupcon of crisis. Yes, that’s their job, and the opera world does need more press, but get to the bottom of this story, and tell us the whole thing.
As for Roberto Alagna’s singing, he’s at the pinnacle of the opera world, and because of his cross-over CD’s and DVD’s, has reached a wider audience than the opera world has ever known before. His singing is bringing down houses everywhere! His diction has been widely commended, and I liken it to the phraseology used to advantage by Frank Sinatra. More people can actually understand the words of the great composers when Alagna is in the house.
On the whole, Mr. Alagna is bringing the world of popular culture, and the haute world of opera closer together. Bravo! I say, and so say many,many more. We are legion.
I heartily agree with Ms Christine… Mr. Alagna is fabulous..As well as his beautiful singing, he is a great actor.. I was at the Met recently for Carmen, La Rondine and Don Carlo and in each presentation his performance moved me to tears at some points! I have ordered some of his live video concerts & cd’s which are most exciting..,. I wish he would have a concert in New York City ..I’m also so happy he & Angela are back together-they were unbelievably wonderful in La Rondine.
As far as the recent disagreement, It seems to me that he is most concerned about his performance than that of the orchestra and/or the leader..and rightly so!