In a stunning upset win for the USA -- and the State of Maine -- young Mainer mezzo Kate Aldrich (whom Opera Chic saw as a stunning Adalgisa last year in Bologna) will be Carmen in the Emma Dante (a young emerging Italian director) production conducted by Daniel Barenboim, opening December 7, 2009 as la prima of next season (Jonas Kauffman and Erwin Schrott complete the cast, as previously announced by the company).
Among the highlights of the coming season, besides this production that sounds really interesting -- the director has stated that the inspiration will be Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities" and we're already intrigued as huge Calvino admirers -- there will be Hans Werner Henze's L'Upupa, finally at la Scala to honor the greatest living composer, a JDF Barbiere, a Norma that worries us since they apparently want to seriously cast Violeta Urmana as the lead, the classic Ronconi Tosca to be conducted by Barenboim, and a few other highlights.
But this is Aldrich's red carpet moment -- the last time la Scala opened with Carmen was in 1984, a controversial production with Domingo/Verrett/Raimondi conducted by Abbado and directed by Piero Faggioni.
***update***
Jeffrey Mitchell from Zemsky Green Management wrote Opera Chic this morning in an email:
I must ask that in respect to Ms. Aldrich, and La Scala you correct your website immediately."
Opera Chic stands by her report.
