Teh Drama Llama, unlike Opera Chic, never goes on vacation, dang him. He's now pouring teh drama all over Rossini Festival in Pesaro.
One of our dearest readers reports pricelessly on the Rossini Opera Festival:
The original casting for Rossini's Otello, this this 3-tenored opera, was Giuseppe Filanoti making a role debut as Otello; JDF as Roderigo; and Chris Merritt (formerly famous for his interpretations of the role of Otello) in the shorter and much lower role of Iago.
First off, the production can become Iago-less unless Chris Merritt's health returns within the next 2 weeks. Apparently has trouble singing at the moment. JDF isn't scheduled to arrive in Pesaro for more than a week (just a few days before the prima) and so rehearsals have been practically Roderigo-less (rather difficult since Roderigo is a much more important character than Iago in this opera).
But the real drama revolves around the role of Otello. Filanoti has cancelled altogether...apparently due to illness. So, at the last minute, 2 tenors were called in to cover. Gregory Kunde learnt the role as much as one can in the span on one week - and Otello is not exactly a walk in the park - and arrived for rehearsals prepared enough to participate in them.He is to have like 4 performances and other dude at least 1...but something funky happened last week and GK didn't seem to be perfectly OK. I met him for the smallest nanosecond on Friday and he seems to be doing much much better.
Recent Operalia 2nd prize winner Russian Soprano Olga Peretyatko is cast as Desdemona. Olga has many wonderful things about her (she's physically very beautiful and is a dead ringer for Trebs twin sister), but her voice is really that of a soubrette - very light - great coloratura and a very high extension ala Dessay - but the part of Desdemona is really meant for a dramatic coloratura soprano - or at least a mezzo with a decent sized voice and very comfortable high notes.
Apparently the staging of Del Monaco is yet to be completed and he is consistently arguing with everyone - the singers, the stagehands, conductor, anyone and everyone.
It's a big mess. Let's hope they get it all together and fast!!
OMG TEH DRAMA!