Italian Radio RAI interviewed Salvatore Licitra's doctor who, after careful analysis of the tenor's brain scans, considers it "likely" that Licitra suffered a cerebral hemorrhage right before crashing his scooter, this past Saturday night. The singer remains in "very serious" conditions.
Sergio Pintaudi told RAI that
"the situation is very grave, very compromised, and most of all very delicate. He remains in an extremely grave coma''.
Link in Italian here.
Our prayers are with him and his family.
Posted by: FenFen | August 30, 2011 at 05:51 PM
This entire horror story brings back memories of the demise of Princess Grace in 1982. The only difference is that she was driving a car on that very dangerous stretch in Monte Carlo. Same exact scenario. She was with her daughter (I think it was Princess Stephanie, who emerged unharmed) when the car crashed. She remained in a coma for a few days and then passed away. This is very sad news.
Now we all wonder what is going to be with Jonas Kaufmann.
Posted by: Les Mitchell | August 30, 2011 at 07:18 PM
Salvatore, we are all praying for you. All our love,Mark and Sadie
Posted by: Mark and Sadie Rucker | August 30, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Thanks for the updates, OC!
Posted by: Bill Philin-Ploplis | August 30, 2011 at 11:21 PM
Thanks for keeping us up to date. I hope he pulls through and in good condition, too.
Posted by: Sheila | August 31, 2011 at 12:14 AM
I hope Licitra will survive, heal & have good prospects of returning to normal!
This does not bring back memories of Princess Grace for me but rather of the list of mid-to-late 20th century Italian male star opera singers (predominantly but not exclusively tenors) involved in crashes: Mario Del Monaco almost died (1963) & never sounded quite the same. Franco Corelli (1962) was bashed up in a collision with a truck, but his injuries were relatively minor & survived. Piero Cappuccilli (1992) never really recovered & his career basically ended. Flaviano Labo died in a fiery crash in 1991. All of the above were in cars, not on Vespas.
Posted by: Oroveso | August 31, 2011 at 01:40 AM
Continuing to pray for a speedy and complete recovery. Thanks also to OC for the regular updates on Licitra's situation. I agree with the commenter who was appalled at the general indifference to this event. It took several days for The New York Times to run a short item on this, for example (I'm a New Yorker)and when they finally did, they felt the need to add something about critical opinion of his career. I haven't seen a single statement from the Met or any other statements from any opera houses or colleagues. Maybe it's me, but the impression it leaves (reinforces, perhaps) is that it really IS a cold world out there.
Posted by: Suzanne | August 31, 2011 at 02:05 PM
Yes it is, Suzanne. As if opinions of his work have any real place in this situation. Salvatore Licitra is gifted with a significant voice, and has been present on the world's major stages for years now.
The field of opera, professionally speaking, should behave like any other professional community. It should be reaching out publicly - but no.
You would be amazed at the childish pettiness that passes in this business. No manners, no sense of obligation towards others. There seems to be an empathy chip missing somewhere. I could go further and state that there is a morality that is lacking, even... Perhaps simply laziness is at play; one sees it all the time in other aspects of this field.
"Not my problem" should be the motto of our current world of opera, because basically that's the ethos if there is no specific personal advantage in behaving in a particular way, in a given situation.
It's very sad. People seem to lose their humanity in the competitive atmosphere. It has become less human these past difficult economic years, certainly. Very, very cut throat.
May Salvatore recover and sing again.
Posted by: mei | August 31, 2011 at 05:16 PM
Basically it works like this, and then I'll shut up about it:
In this field, if they NEED you for something, they are nice to you in the moment; they "care" about you. If they don't have a need, however, or if there isn't "something in it" for them, they don't really bother, they can just ignore you - regardless of how dire the personal circumstance.
Perhaps human nature, perhaps unintentional, perhaps just business, but unfortunate nonetheless.
Cynical I know, but generally the reality.
Posted by: mei | August 31, 2011 at 06:56 PM
@Mei--Precisely why I don't care to read too many revealing interviews with singers, directors, conductors, e. g. Angela Gheorghiu. I too pray for Licitra's recovery and wonder if the Catania hospital is up to fully helping him along. I know his condition is dire and he needs state-of-the-art help.
Posted by: Bill Philin-Ploplis | August 31, 2011 at 06:58 PM
ps I am not the same Mei who has a blog I think, and posts around quite a bit.
Posted by: mei | August 31, 2011 at 07:16 PM
Also I pray for Licitra and wish him and his family a complete recovery. The condition is really very very serious and sometimes it would be better not to recover. I speak of personal experience in a case just like this, however, the person I speak of is much older and I am sure that there is still lots of hope for him. By the way I have never heard him sing yet.
Posted by: Liane | August 31, 2011 at 11:45 PM
Yes, it is very sad. What happened to Salvatore Licitra is horrible. I just hope he will survive and hopefully get back on stage.
@Suzanne & Mei: I just saw Salvatore on stage at Staatsopera Hamburg. I went there twice because I was fascinated by his voice and his person. He was not only a singer, he WAS Cavaradossi! It was amazing. It´s so sad in this world, if people need you, they´d do everything for you. If have no need or something happens, like an accident, they don´t ask about it and they forget you. The problem is, that too many "stars and prodigies" appear. The world is full of egoism - everybody wants to be the best. I studied music several years ago and I also got ill and I couldn`t finish my studies...Nobody ever asked me about...I just disappeard and 100 other talents took my place. That´s our world, that´s business. Only a few people see the person behind the artist!!!! All the best to Salvatore! Most important now is, that he makes a full recovery.
Posted by: Behnke Sylvia | September 03, 2011 at 05:08 PM
This is sad news, and it makes me wonder if the fact of being a tenor with the great amount of stress put on this type of voice, does not affect and weaken the whole body resistance? At the moment we are worried about tenors, for a while, it was Rolando Villazon. Now, Jonas kaufmann's health problem is upon our minds. And then suddenly, Salvatore. Salvatore Licitra is a generous type of singer, I do hope he will recover with the good care of medical specialised help. I would have ignored this sad piece of news. Thanks OC for caring about singers. They deserve this affectionate concern. (Their life is not always easy and glorious).
Posted by: yvette | September 03, 2011 at 07:29 PM
Yvette:
Very interesting observation about tenor's traumas. Rolando Villazon has survived, and will continue to do so. Jonas Kaufmann's problem (hopefully!) will be OK (the prospect of the opposite is something I don't want to even go near!). That said, I'm afraid that there will be no happy end regarding Salvatore Licitra. I hear there's been a news blackout, which is a bad sign. Medicine and doctors are wonderful and necessary, but I fear that with what Licitra has sustained (stroke, broken bones, cardiac problems, brain damage, etc, the picture is not pretty. We should all be prepared for the worst.
Posted by: Les Mitchell | September 03, 2011 at 09:22 PM
@Les, you were right, it was fatal. Sad news here today, end of afternoon. He was only 43. I am fond of his rendition of Cavaradossi, always. RIP.
Posted by: yvette | September 05, 2011 at 07:34 PM