Opera Chic

Gheorghiu Snarks Netrebko, Does Not Particularly Defend Husband, Roberto Alagna for La Scala Walk-Out.

Romanian diva Angela Gheorghiu finally speaks (well, almost) about her husband Roberto Alagna’s infamous walk-out from the La Scala production of Aida last December. She doesn’t really defend her husband (as we’ll see), allowing her words to be read between the lines of the Corriere interview. She also starts a catfight with the younger Anna Netrebko. Meee-oww-wr! Claws out, kittens! She also disses Maria Callas, a soprano that was actually slightly more talented than she is, but she doesn’t really seem to care; or we think that she hasn’t really listened to Callas’s recordings all that carefully. The rest of the article was full of *words words words* that didn't really resonate (it's 1:30 am the night before OC hits the Dolomiti early tomorrow morning for Easter holiday what could be more important than that??). So I'll leave you with a trifecta of slightly incendiary quotes:

Gheorghiu on husband Roberto Alagna:

“I have spoken with Franco Zeffirelli about the episode when my husband walked-out off the Aida production at La Scala, and everything is fine. Find me a couple where the husband and wife always think alike. I’m not saying that Roberto has made a mistake. My idea I will keep to myself.”

Gheorghiu on Maria Callas:

“Zeffirelli, who will direct me on April 20 at Opera di Roma in La Traviata, is obsessed with Callas’ ghost. But I have never felt her shadow’s presence. I’ve had two singers set examples for me, and they are Eugenia Moldoveanu and Virginia Zeani. When I sing, I don’t think about any other sopranos. I like to be an original. “

Gheorghiu on Anna Netrebko:

"My husband sang with her, but do you know how many tenors would like to be in my arms? Anna I have heard only in Don Giovanni. She still has something to demonstrate. But anyway, I am more of an expert on tenors.”

GURLS GURLS UR **BOTH** PRETTY!

"They Spat In Toscanini's Eye": Killjoys Criticize Juan Diego's Encore, Open the Haterade Floodgates

Here they come, as they always do whenever they smell somebody else's success: the Krankypants who didn't really appreciate Juan Diego Florez's breach of Scala tradition, his Fille du Regiment solo encore that broke a 74-year-long tradition.

In today's (conservative, Silvio Berlusconi-controlled) Il Giornale, a snark snark snarky review of la Scala's show. Here we go, and we quote:

First the bad news or the good? Let's get it over with the bad news first. La Scala did commemorate her great Toscanini without an exhibit, or a reasoned book (ED: yeah, they only had an extraordinary Daniel Barenboim Beethoven in memoriam concert attended even by the President of the Republic!!!wtf???), and the other night they spat in Toscanini's eye by allowing a tenor to deliver an encore after the most circus-like aria of the entire opera.

It was Donizetti's Fille du Regiment, with a bittersweet operetta taste, and the tenor was Juan Diego Florez, a prodigy of elegance and technique, a computer-like applause machine. The piece contains nine high Cs in the sequence, and even in light voices such as Florez's that is a lot of work. That is all. La Scala distinguished herself even in the cult of the composer's art opposed to the singers' old vanity. Toscanini had forbidden encores just for this reason. In recent years only Gavazzeni (with the chorus of I Lombardi) and Muti (Va' Pensiero) had broken that tradition, and these were two choral pieces cosely associated with our tradition. This, instead, was vocal athleticism.  Regression, regression.

Is this enough? Not really. The superlame, 1959 cartoonish staging (in yesterday's Corriere della Sera's immortal words, "Today, it looks like a parody of the traditional stagings: and in this sense, it is paradoxically modern"), the one that convinced Natalie Dessay -- as reported in the usual breaking-news fashion by Opera Chic more than 2 months ago -- to ditch her engagement here was very, VERY much appreciated by Il Giornale:

The good news. The old, loveliest staging with scens and costumes by Zeffirelli that combines the antique earnest drawings by Epinal with the daring color feast is still appreciated.

An Opera Chic piece of advice to the haterz out there: Stop chugging that Haterade jug! Dontcha be hatin' on our Giovan Diego!