Re: Carmen replaces Hoffmann at Met next season

I doubt that there were many tenors who were thin enough for the MET to hire
them in a staring role like this, much less someone who could sing it. Also
I suspect that to the degree reasonably possible, they wanted to keep
Alvarez happy if they could find a star mezzo. The only interesting question
is whether they spent all that money buying out all the contracts that
weren't going to be honored. I think I know the answer to that......

This, by the way, happened in a small way the first year of the Gelb regime,
when he bought out a number of opening night contracts in order to present
the ENO Butterfly.


<alanwatkinsuk@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1178811357.091213.106910@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On May 10, 4:19?pm, wkasimer <wkasi...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On May 10, 11:09 am, Ken Meltzer <commsp...@xxxxxxx> wrote:

There doesn't seem to be much mystery about this. It looks pretty
clear that Alvarez has decided that Hoffmann is no longer a congenial
role for him and is retiring it from his repertoire.

Agreed. What is surprising, though, is that the Met is switching
operas in order to preserve Alvarez debut. Have they done this
before? The only comparable example that comes to mind is when they
switched Forza to Ballo in the 90's when Pavarotti didn't learn his
part. Of course, there was once a last minute opera change many years
ago (I think that it was Ariadne replacing Dutchman) because the
singer of the title role was indisposed, and there was no cover
available.

Does this sort of thing happen at other houses?

Bill

I would have thought that mostly houses keep the production but find a
replacement singer but of course this very much depends on the
availability of a suitable replacement. Presumably the MET would also
wish for someone of a certain renown so that might make things
harder. It would not be so difficult for provincial houses possibly.

Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins


.