More regrets

Singers cancel. It happens. But despite recent promises made by the Director of Opera, the Royal Opera House is still infuriating customers with the way it handles the problem.

The audience for this evening's Otello weren't told in advance that Anja Harteros had pulled out. Only those who regularly check the news section of the ROH website or its Twitter feed would have discovered - some time after the ROH themselves were informed, incidentally.

I cottoned on when I started getting emails like this earlier today (and these are the politer ones):

"Just checking on ROH website for this evening’s Otello, prior to setting out, only to discover that Harteros has just cancelled.  I am aware that there are serious problems in the background for Harteros, but I really am sick to death of these singers cancelling. At the prices we are asked to pay, it just will not do.  I am absolutely furious."  - Graham

"unbelievable... ROH virtually never have the advertised singers, but no refunds of course!" - Neil

Room for improvement?

Comments

[CAH]

Was there tonight and although I hissed when the poor announcer chap came on stage I was relieved to then sit through a rather decent and passable performance. Poplavskaya took until the second act to really get going, and Otello was not as strong as Iago, but was well balanced overall....However, over the past 23 years of opera going I'm used to ROH being a disappointment - so always relieved that a £13 slip ticket was not completely regretted.

[SJT]

It's a miracle she did four of the five scheduled performances at all, under the circumstances. I was there tonight. No fabrications were offered: the cast-change slip told us she had departed for "personal reasons"

Holten made a most charming and animated announcement, to be greeted by a solitary "Boo" from the rear Amphi. And then something rather instructive and ultimately wonderful happened. Poplavskaya, who apparently should merely have been in the audience, stepped in. Now, I have NEVER thought Popsy was well-suited to the Italian repertory, being deficient in legato and lacking in any real vocal warmth or juice in the tone, not to mention glaring technical problems in matching of registers, maintaining even emission and control over soft singing.

And yet. I doubt her Willow Song and Ave Maria left a dry eye in the house, roughly as much of it was sung. It suddenly made perfectly plain what I have throughout this run felt with increasing certainty: that Harteros may have the voice and the technique (in spades), but fatally lacks both temperament and any ability to project emotional states through her singing alone. Admittedly, Popsy crooned far too much, with irregular emission, and indulged in eyebrow-raising amounts of sprechstimme (the start of the Act III ensemble; mid way through the Willow Song at "Come m'ardon le ciglia": the opening sequence of the Ave Maria, all virtually spoken more than sung). But she flung herself around the stage with surprising intensity and wholehearted involvement. She reblocked her own contribution to Act IV completely, lolling up against the bed, having the bridal dress spread out properly, and gave a performance at the outer edge of emotional distraction verging on hysteria, sobbing uncontollably and with her hair everywhere. She then got up off her knees half way throught the Ave Maria and took to her bed like a zombie , pulling the Wedding Dress over her body, and then, at "Nell'ora della morte", laid herself out as a corpse and pulled the remaining veil fully over her head, joining her hands in mortal repose (ergo knowing exactly what was coming). I've usually heard it far, far better sung - Price, Caballé, Ricciarelli, Fleming - but never, ever known it pack such an emotional wallop as a theatrical experience. She got a reception at the end that could only be described as cataclysmic, far louder than any of Harteros' four which I heard.

And she absolutely galvanised Antonenko, who suddenly struck me less as McCracken revisited but more like Vickers reanimated. Though not in as good voice as last Thursday - which was overwhelming just as sound: I bet this is how del Monaco used to ring the rafters - he seemed to me to be far more involved and inside the role than at any other performance he's given in this run.

It wouldn't pass muster as a recording of the score, but my God it was an amazing realisation of Verdi's opera, and on a completely different plane of emotional effect from anything heard thus far. What price "perfect" singing?
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Intermezzo replies - That's EXACTLY how I thought it'd go. I said as much to some sceptics last week, and was laughed at. I was hunting for a last-minute ticket all yesterday after I heard the news - but of course as the ROH hadn't bothered to inform the Harteros fans, there were no returns.

And I agree with you entirely about Harteros - hard to fault, but hard to warm to either.

[NJ]

I agree. I went yesterday evening and Harteros was a major draw for me booking tickets in the first instance. We were told that Harteros had to withdraw but luckily, as Poplavskaya was going to be in the audience that evening, we would have her instead. A very convenient arrangement indeed.

I am not a fan of Poplavskaya but I was surprised by her performance despite some messy moments.

[Rannaldini]

I heard Popsy sing it at Salzburg under Muti, and she did the exact same thing. Its available for all to see on super HD DVD if you are inclined towards such things and with Antonenko as well.

One of the main reasons she enjoys her current prominence is because she is a protege of Pappano - I feel she didn't entirely "work her ticket" and has technical issues that will come home and roost at some point.

[Siggy]

It sounds like the ideal solution would be some sort of hybrid betweeen Harteros and Popsy - with Harteros sheer vocal style and beauty and some of Popsy's dramatic sensibilities.

Perhaps the reason ROH failed to communicate in advance was the thought of a swathe of returns to get rid of - although I'm sure that a fair few people would have still turned up.

It does put next year's Don Carlo with Harteros into question I would have thought, and I hope ROH get their communication act together - and have a useful soprano on stand by! Although there are other attractions in Don Carlo of course - I gather the tenor isn't a bad singer at all ;-)

[Jon]

I agree with everything SJT says. I too was there last night and last Thursday. Popsy's singing as pure singing was nowhere near that of Harteros, but she was much more involved and involving and, as a performance of the role of Desdemona, it was really quite special.

I'm very glad to have seen both.

[Nikolaus Vogel]

I've heard a rumour that Harteros is already out of the Don Carlo, although the dates are still on her website. But that may be just the doom-mongers working on overdrive. I can't say I want to hear Poplavskaya sing Elisabeth again, but maybe, if the reports of this Desdemona are correct, she's getting better. She was one of the better elements of the Viaggio performance the other night - not that there was much competition....
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Intermezzo replies - And I've heard from a reliable source that Harteros has NOT pulled out of Don Carlo (yet), and furthermore that her personal circumstances are such that if she does feel obliged to withdraw, it is likely to be on short notice again. If she does, I can think of no-one I'd rather hear than Poplavskaya.

[Jonnie Ash]

as long as he doesn't withdraw like he did from Trojans! Although I must confess I enjoyed Bryan Hymel in the role (but this IS supposed to be a thread on the performance of Otello!)

[Siggy]

Well I have to admit that did cross my mind! However I will keep my fingers crossed that the Gods of Opera are kind and that they both turn up, although I'd still be happy to go even if neither of them show - one of my favourite opera.

[Kasper Holten]

Just a few comments: As I have said before, we are really never happy either for a cancellation, we know it is upsetting and often disappointing, and I can only deeply apologise for it having happened so often lately and assure that we are constantly reviewing all ways we can minimize the danger of it happening.

We did advertise the cast change last night on our news blog and on twitter, which is how we normally announce late cast changes, so we definitely have not - as someone speculated - tried to keep it secret.. I think sending out letters every time we might have a late cast change for a single performance is not really the right way forward, but of course we will review this.

Also, I am very happy to say that Anja Harteros has definitely NOT pulled out of Don Carlo, but rather reconfirmed how much she is looking forward to doing this role with us next season.

Let my finally say thank you for your passion for our work at ROH. It is great to have a knowledgable, passionate and critical audience, and we do listen to all comments and constantly review how we can improve and think ahead. Have a wonderful summer all.

[Emil Archambault]

Nikolaus Vogel: This is the second time you throw around mean rumours without any basis (as Mr Holten just confirmed). You should check your sources, and why not consider refraining from circulating false rumours unnecessarily damaging artists' reputations?

[Manou]

I think I am falling in love with Kasper Holten....but then I am just back from the Domingo extravaganza so I have not yet fully recovered my senses.

[inter mezzo]

The ROH used to send emails, even for very late cast changes. I appreciate you won't reach everyone that way, but at least you might save some people what they would regard as a wasted journey. And there'd be more tickets for ME.

[SJT]

Now, if he can only give us whizz-bang new stagings of "Onegin" and "Krol Roger" as well, we'll finally have the perfect package in Bow Street.

As for you and me, Manou, it's going to be handbags at dawn in the Piazza...

[John]

To be fair, that particular rumour has been all over the Internet for a week - and was also fairly credible, given her recent history. If Harteros were to pull out 9 months in advance, I'd be disappointed but it would hardly damage her reputation, would it?
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Intermezzo replies - No rumour is credible unless it comes from a reliable source, no matter how many people are taken in by it. As I said above, if she does pull out for personal reasons, it's likely to be at short notice.

[Rowan]

I can't understand why Kaspar Holten should think that emailing members about last-minute cast changes might "not really be the right way forward". As IM says, the ROH used to do this as a basic courtesy which I for one very much appreciated.

The present system means that ticket-holders are forced to attend a performance they might prefer to miss and causes others to miss a performance they might have liked to attend. Bad feeling all round!

Astonishing as it may seem, some of us prefer not to follow the ROH via blog and twitter. Please rethink, Mr Holten!

[Sarah R]

Where did I read that Kasper Holten and his partner were having a baby in May? Did this happen? I know that this is trivial , but I just wondered.

[AddledPaul]

Commendable that Kasper Holten engages with such forums as this to defend the ROH - but to think that we all hang on the ROH's every word on its blog or twitter is misguidely insular.

If I have booked tickets and there are significant changes I expect a direct communication.

[Frances]

I can't see why emails should not still be sent about cancellations. I appreciate that ROH need to use the social media to appeal to a wider audience but this should not be at the expense of the consideration shown to existing customers. It is not as though someone has to send an email individually to each ticket purchaser! It would be interesting to know if the Opera House has made any attempt to find out how many customers are active users of Facebook etc, there certainly has been no question on any of the post performance surveys that I have received. There have also been several occasions in the past when there have been special arrangements for entry to the House for Insight evenings. Again, on these occasions, there has been no advance information sent and we are left to try to glean details from ROH staff.