Carry on Cecilia

Most singers with a job on the side say they wear two hats. Cecilia Bartoli sees her joint role as star and artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival in more intimate terms.

Responding to Anna Netrebko's late withdrawal she said “For the first time in my career, I feel two hearts beat in my breast: the familiar singer’s heart, and the new heart of the artistic director. Who, if not I as a singer, can understand better how Anna feels? Due to an illness, one is forced to disappoint the audience and cancel an important concert. At such moments, one feels miserable and lonely…"

Mojca Erdmann will now take Netrebko's place in the world premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s Cleopatra and the Snake – a piece she must learn in two days. La Ceci herself will add bonus star power to the evening with two Mozart works - on top of a solo recital and two five-hour Giulio Cesare performances - all in four days. Now that's dedication.

Anyone around Austria way can watch a recording of Giulio Cesare on 28 May on the ORF2 channel.

See Philippe Jaroussky grappling his asp and more in the production photos below.

Photos © Hans Jörg Michel

Comments

[Neil]

Given the amount of cancelling going on at the moment (Netrebko in Munich and Salzburg, and Kaufmann cancelling "Walküre" in New York, his two galas in Zurich recently plus one in Lucerne on 27 May) what are the chances that the Royal Albert Hall concert manages to take place unscathed?
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Intermezzo replies - given the number of seats sold (impressive) and the amount of £££ they'll earn, I strongly suspect they'll try and turn up. Even if it's on crutches.

[Alexander]

Rumour has it that Netrebko is not ill but just to lazy to learn the part...and in order to conceal this she has also cancelled two nights at Munich State Oper. It would fit into a long story of not learning her music, approximate singing, writing text on her arm and finding all this - well, sexy.
I also suppose that for every major role (beside Bartoli I suppose) there has been a cover at least in mind beforehand.
It's such a relief of having an intelligent concept for the festival after Muti has made an ego trip out of it for five years... and I agree: what a dedication on Bartoli's side !

Greetings from Salzburg !

[Pushed Up Mezzo]

That first picture looks awfully like Cher to me. All the other photos completely baffle me.

[yvette]

Cecilia B. enjoys singing marathons, like her Malibran Spring Celebration in Paris, unforgettable days at Pleyel. What's happening here? (kind of funfair for the loonies!)

[ellid]

Jaroussky and the asp looks positively painful, and what is up with the crocodile????

[Diane]

Well, it may very well look painful but Jaroussky and Mme Von Otter provided the finest singing and acting of the evening; almost made me wish that Handel had composed another opera - Cornelia e Sesto ...