Is this the best we can send to Japan?
UncategorizedThe Japan Performing Arts Foundation has published the Royal Opera’s Antonio Pappano farewell tour to Japan.
Here are the two casts:
Rigoletto:
Rigoletto Carlos Álvarez
Duke of Mantua Javier Camarena
Gilda Nadine Sierra
Turandot:
Turandot Sondra Radvanovsky
Calaf Brian Jadge
Liù Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
Not one British soloist.
Perhaps when the Brits produce a soloist of merit then Sir Antonio will see fit to take one with.
Not one British work either, not even Peter Grimes; and Turandot, really? Here in Australia we’ve recently had tours of both the LSO with Simon Rattle and the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell, and neither orchestra programmed any British works; no Elgar, RVW, Walton, Tippett, Britten, etc., etc. Do they really think we don’t already get many splendid performances of Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, and so on? Pretty lazy programming I think.
Name the English Tenor who can sing Calaf, please…..
Alan Clayton?
Russell Watson?
LOL.
Freddie de Tommasso probably but it all depends of Japanese name recognition (plus availability, inclination, of course) to make ticket sales, that’s what touring is about…
operacentric makes the good point about name recognition. This is always a key issue in discussions with Japanese presenters. I doubt if the ROH had anything like a free rein on choice of repertoire or casting. Tickets for touring opera performances in Japan are very, very high and presenters want their involvement before anything is finalized.
It doesn’t bother me: this is an international Opera House, not one that (despite the Royal in the title) is supposed to be a distinctly British one.
I was hoping for Enkhbat/Bernheim/Oropesa for Rigoletto and Foster/Di Tommaso/Jaho for Turandot. Guess they were too costly or booked by others well in advance.
This article conveniently overlooks all the British musicians in the orchestra and chorus. Funny, that…
There was not one British soloist at Covent Garden for L’elisir d’amore last week (Bryn Terfel was off sick – they didn’t even have a British cover!)
Meanwhile at the ENO the next evening in a fantastic performance of Peter Grimes every soloist was British except for the 2 nieces – one Irish, one Australian.
Yes, and when the Royal Opera did Grimes last year pretty much the entire cast (bar the Ellen Orford) was British, as was the conductor. There’s probably one or two clues to the explanation for that in it being a work best regarded in Anglophone countries and set to an English libretto by a British composer who had the voice types and styles most commonly found in British singers in mind.
Good luck finding a cast of British singers able to sing, say, Turandot at the same level in the appropriate structural-damage-threatening style who are all available at the same time at relatively short notice, have already learned the roles or are willing to do so for relatively few performances and have preferably performed it with the Royal Opera before.
Why so surprised? For months now there have been articles announcing that funds for British classical institutions were being reduced if not abolished completely. Instead of bemoaning the fact that none of the artists mentioned are British, be glad that the Royal Opera is even in a position to afford sending the company to Japan … and hopefully bringing them back to London.
When one sits in judgement, over race, ethnicity, nationality etc, regarding professional opera singers, and selecting soloists, one needs to understand, that the conductor/artistic administrator, considers musical and artistic talent and availability, of soloists, with their decision making. Opera singers have various levels of skill, and talent. There is a big difference in voice qualities, performance ability, acting, personality, musicianship etc. Not all opera singers have the same interpretive ability, clarity and volume, and beauty of voice, same musicianship, same acting ability, and same stage presence, or physical attributes. So, deciding, based on Nationality, primarily, is not always the #1 priority, for many opera management personnel, when they cast their operas.
Radvanovsky Turandot? Oh please.
Jagde started well but sadly sounds off most of the time.
Pappano used to know better
Hmmm…a well-received studio recording, a triumph in Zurich and booked for the Princess by Paris and Naples…perhaps you’ve not heard Ms. Radvanovsky’s Turandot? All those people can’t be that wrong.
You’ve obviously not heard his recent performances in Forza at the ROH, where he has been fantastic…as has Radvanovsky. They’ll be great in Turandot, and the cast for Rigoletto is extremely strong.
The audiences in Japan will be in for a treat!
I would absolutely love to hear Radvanovsky live as Turandot! The rest of these casts also look very good. Opera is an international art form.
That said, I imagine Gwyn Hughes Jones would be a wonderful Calaf. Recently I have had the great pleasure of working with him as Otello and, recently, Peter Grimes. Both amazing! and I heard his first Tristan at Grange Park this past Summer, gorgeously sung (how often can you say that about a Tristan?) and intensely acted.
Hey, Norm, do I detect a not-so -subtle bias against talented (but distinctly “non- British”) “Third-World” performers! Shame on you!!!
Nadine Sierra – USA
Carlos Álvarez – Spain
Brian Jadge – USA
Sondra Radvanovsky – Canadian
“Third world”? You are using wrong the term “third world” (which is a geopolitical term to define non-aligned countries, which included “underdeveloped countries” such as Sweden, Austria, and Switzerland) as a “underdeveloped” synonym…. but you could not be more wrong anyway.
But excellent singers, nonetheless