Breaking: Slipped disc costs Covent Garden its star
main‘Due to a slipped disc,’ we are told, the German soprano Diana Damrau has withdrawn from singing Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust at Covent Garden on 11, 15, 18, 25 and 30 April.
She will be replaced by the Moldavian, Irina Lungu,
Damrau was a last-minute cancellation at the LSO on Sunday.
I think that header requires some explanation.
Ah, you’ve changed it. Thank heavens! I did fear that you had finally succumbed to hubris, with Nemesis once again in hot pursuit.
Irina lungu is from Republic Moldova. She is not Russian!!!
And is called a Moldovan, I believe, not a Moldavian (unless she is from Moldavia, now part of Romania).
It’s a miserable medical condition to endure. I hope Ms Damrau makes a good recovery.
So sorry to hear that. She’s truly one of the great ones.
Joyce di Donato performed a series of faultless performances at Covent Garden from a wheelchair with a broken ankle in good humour. True artist!
I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone, except my greatest enemies. Sciatica is horrible and so is a sore disc.
If “only” that would be the reason of the cancellation, but she cancelled Barbican one week ago because her “instrument” was not there, same as now… She tends to have vocal struggles from time to time and this is one of her vocal distresses most probably.
Btw, I don’t think she would have been a good Marguerite, so I would say it’s not that bad that she will not sing this role after all 🙂