Sondra quits Covent Garden Japan tour
OperaMessage received:
It is with great regret that Sondra Radvanovsky has had to withdraw from the title role of Turandot on The Royal Opera’s Japan tour due to a severe ear infection and sinusitis. She will be replaced, at the recommendation of Music Director Antonio Pappano, by soprano Maida Hundeling (pic) who is scheduled to sing the same role with The Royal Opera in 2025/2026 season.
No opportunity, then for a young British soprano to take her chance. That’s not what Covent Garden does any more.
Why would a young soprano be singing Turandot? Let alone a British one?
Hundeling is in her 40s.
Why would not a young soprano sing Turandot if she is better than the 40 year old??
Till when with such unintelligent remarks??
EvaTurner did alright
Great pity they didn’t go for Rachel Nicholls who sings her first Turandot next month
NOT a world class singer!!
It’s not about world class anymore
It’s about the production .
World class is over
More anti-British tub thumping – enough already. If you don’t have anything positive to say, say nothing at all. Actually, that would probably close this blog entirely… lol.
Maida Hunderling is the most fantastic singer. A great exchange!
The Garden is a world house not an English one so we expect the best.
The garden is where you grow your zucchini.
The Garden is the name used within the industry and has been for more than a century.
How many ‘young’ sopranos of any nationality have Turandot in their repertoire?
Radvanovsky is in her mid-fifties. Hundeling began her career in 1998, so is probably around the same age.
A) turandot is not a role for a young singer.
B) name me a British dramatic soprano of international class that is likely to be free at a moments notice to drop everything and fly half way around the world.
C)Do you really think Covent Garden would wilfully reject a worthy British singer in this situation (when they can’t pick and choose as time is short) because of their nationality??
Catherine Foster
Catherine is busy in Bayreuth right now.
Catherine Foster may be today’s best Turandot – but she’s in Bayreuth!
I remember Maida Hundeling from Tristan und Isolde in Prague, 2010. She was so terrible during rehearsals that she got fired.
My Dear,you must really hate me very much and I am sorry if I did ever hurt you, though I do not know you; please accept my apologize and I hope your heart and soul finds back to peace and Love.NAMASTE!
And I am glad that smbdy knows better than me about me and circumstances.
Could you give us the names of singers you feel should be given that opportunity? It would make the indignation seem a touch more sincere.
Finding suitable alternatives in this repertoire who are available is often the biggest challenge. Were there a “young British soprano” capable of signing Turandot, it would be worrying if she were free at this notice.
It’s a common knoledge that loads of young brittish sopranos roamiong the streets of London singing the riddle scene hoping someone will notice them and offer on the spot a contract. It’s easier to engage Netrebko.
Great choice!
12 years ago Maida Hundeling sang a fantastic Turandot alongside Stefano La Colla’s Calaf in Regensburg, Bavaria.
Just wondering if Catherine Foster is available?
Ms. Foster does seem otherwise engaged in Bayreuth…although one would assume she was approached since she knows this production.
Having heard Ms. Foster as Turandot in 3 occasions in the last 9 months… I would say – anyone else would be better. Ms. Foster sounded flat in the low and middle register, nasal and ugly sound, good top and no italianità at all. A Turandot that can survive the show but Turandot is much more than effective high C‘s and Ms. Foster was not able to offer any other qualities
Louise Alder is a fantastic young British soprano, once again overlooked!
As Turandot?! It’s not in her repertoire.
Check her repertoire. Your comment is ridiculous.
You do understand voice types, no? Fine as Ms. Adler may be, a Cleopatra or Fiordiligi does not a Turandot make.
Everyone here seems to forget that the ROH Japan tour is already underway. There are four Turandot performances, the first of which was two nights ago (23rd). I wonder how many singers with Turandot in their repertoire would have been available at such dreadfully short notice. Even today the NBS Japan Performing Arts Foundation website is still listing Ms. Radvanovsky as Turandot. So the cancellation must have been at extremely short notice.
I would have thought that they (Covent Garden) would have wanted to bring you the best soprano that they could, and not give the role to someone because of their nationality.
I’m still waiting for Norman’s list of British sopranos that he feels should have been chosen.
ROH have a young British soprano, Robyn Allegra Parton, out there in Japan covering Gilda and they’ve used her for orchestral rehearsals when necessary – so they aren’t neglecting British talent. She’s singing Gilda at ENO in the autumn