Intermezzo

Jonas yuletide treat

With no operatic offerings on the TV schedules this festive season, we can at least look forward to the Bavarian State Opera's latest livestream.

On Saturday, December 28, Martin Kušej’s new production of La forza del destino will be streamed live from Munich on Staatsoper.TV.  Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros star, and Asher Fisch conducts.

The live broadcast starts at 18:00 CET (5pm UK, 12pm EST).

Official photos below, with more here.

For Friends of Italian Opera

Here's one of Verdi's you may enjoy if you weren't able to watch the live broadcast.

Harteros out of Don Carlo

Not entirely unexpected news from the Royal Opera House: "Anja Harteros has withdrawn from singing the role of Elizabeth of Valois in Don Carlo for the performance on 8 May due to acute tonsillitis." Lianna Haroutounian, already booked for most of the run, replaces her.

There's no word about Harteros's one remaining booking, 11 May, yet, but "acute tonsillitis" is not something that clears quickly. Could we have unwittingly seen her last ever Covent Garden performance already?

Don Carlo, Royal Opera House dreamteam style

Don Carlo - Royal Opera House, 4 May 2013

Jonas Kaufmann wasn't ill; Anja Harteros turned up. Given that she'd marked half her lines at the general rehearsal earlier in the week (every singer's prerogative of course, but rare here) I had wondered. If success is defined as exceeding expectations, then the opening night of this third revival was a winner even before a note was sung.

Surprise surprise

Don't fall off your chair.

"German soprano Anja Harteros has withdrawn from singing the role of Elizabeth of Valois in Don Carlo for the final four performances in May (15, 18, 21, and 25 May). Anja is not able at this point to stay abroad for an extended period of time as originally planned. The role of Elizabeth of Valois on 15, 18, 21 and 25 May will now be sung by Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian, who makes her debut with The Royal Opera in this role."

Lianna Haroutouniam?

"Lianna’s recent roles include Desdemona in Otello for Opéra-Bastille in Paris, Leonora in Il trovatore in Marseille, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra in Lille, Mimì in La bohème for the Grand Théâtre in Tours and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera at the Stadttheater in Bern and the Grand Théâtre in Tours. Her roles during the 2012–13 season include Elena (I vespri siciliani) at the Megaron Concert Hall, Athens; and Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito) for Opéra de Marseille."

Anja Harteros - a cancellitis chronicle

The Berlin Staatsoper's season was supposed to launch last Saturday with Anja Harteros, a full orchestra, and a long-sold-out evening of Italian operatic arias.

It didn't.

On Friday afternoon, the Staatsoper sent out a curt press release - the concert was cancelled due to illness.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Not so. In fact, it proved a massive headache for Staatsoper staff, as well as a major disappointment for ticket holders, many of whom came from overseas. Volker Blech of the Berliner Morgenpost sets out the details. A fascinating glimpse at how many problems one little sick note can create: