Vengerov in for Argerich

It will surprise few to learn that cancellation queen Martha Argerich has pulled out of her planned Barbican date with the St Petersburg Philharmonic on 24 March.

And there'll be no piano concerto that night. 

Her sub is Maxim Vengerov, recently back from a lengthy layoff. It will be his first British date for a very long time; a Wigmore recital follows on 5 April.

Comments

[Devil's Trill]

Great news. Also, met him the other day and he's a very nice chap.

[EC]

3rd London cancellation in a row I believe! (Proms and RFH before this).. But if there was one person I wouldn't mind in her place at this very point in time, it would probably be Vengerov. Incredibly excited to see him back! Would kill for a Wigmore ticket - didn't notice the concert till it was too late.

[marcillac]

Its been 3 or 4 years since he's performed, hasn't it? Hope he's in form but a good sub indeed.

I've actually managed to hear her 5 time of the 10 I've had tickets. I think I'm rather lucky in that *low* cancellation rate but it was pretty thrilling every time so still worth the risk.

[Kit]

They make the point in the email from Barbican that the original tickets are still valid, ie "Don't ask us for a refund". But the ticket says "Martha Argerich" - surely they can't get away with this?

[Sarah R]

Re the Barbican:

I have just received an email from 'Charlotte at Barbican' telling me that my Barbican Red Membership starts today. My free trial Red Membership for the next three months is a thank you for having booked six or more concerts (I booked seven) in the 2012-13 Classical season.
Three of these concerts are over a year from now, but I picked ones which I wouldn't want to miss and which might sell out.
I'm still waiting for news of this year's Proms, which 'should be available in April' but, until then is shrouded in secrecy. All we know officially is that Barenboim is conducting all Beethoven's symphonies, including, I seem to recall, the Choral on 27 July, the opening day of the Olympics.
For a number of the more spectacular opera and choral proms at weekends in July and August, the Albert Hall is often not full. I recall a superb performance of Hansel and Gretel, conducted by Jane Glover, in mid August 2004 where there were swathes of empty seats. Even at Die Meistersinger in 2010 and Guillaume Tell in 2011, both on the first Saturday, there were plenty of unoccupied seats.
I drafted an email to Roger Wright about this, but nowhere could I find where to send it and I expect he would give me the same answer that Nicholas Kenyon gave me a few years ago, that the 'Proms is a Festival not a venue', which, apparently, allows them to publish the programme as late as possible. There was I thinking that the venue was the Albert Hall, with a few concerts taking place elswhere.

[Rannaldini]

I have absolutely NO sympathy for "artists" prone to cancellation. You're a professional or you get off the stage and go grow turnips in your garden. Period.

If you are cancelling 50% of your engagements year on year 1) You're agent is overbooking you and you have a serious communication problem b) You've got nerves - see a psychiatrist c) You're lazy - see a psychiatrist d) you're technique (vocal, instrumental etc) is gone - quit while your ahead e) you've lost motivation - see a psychiatrist.

Without naming names, I know in what regard certain "famous" opera singers with a cancellation disposition are held by their colleagues. They are hated. And the problem with bad behaviour and letting people down (not least one's 'public' as it were,) is that you tend to meet the same people on the way down , that you met on the way up.