BREAKING NEWS - Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja will not join the Met Tour to Japan

Met officials said on Monday that star soprano Anna Netrebko and star tenor Joseph Calleja will not take part of the Met Tour to Japan 2011. The two stars dropped out at the last minute due to their concerns about nuclear radiation following the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disaster.

Ms. Netrebko has made a public statement posted on her official website. "This was an incredibly difficult decision for me; it was made on a very personal level with a great deal of pain and conflicting emotions." said Netrebko.

Ms. Netrebko and Mr. Calleja only made their intentions known last week, days before the begin of the tour. In a statement, the Met said, "Ms. Netrebko changed her mind because of the emotional weight of having also lived through the tragedy of Chernobyl." Mr. Calleja "also had last-minute misgivings", the Met said.

James Levine, due to health issues, and Jonas Kaufmann also dropped out of the tour some weeks ago.

Barbara Frittoli, who sings the role of Elisabeth in Verdi's "Don Carlos", will substitute Ms. Netrebko as Mimi in Puccini's "La Bohème". Marina Poplavskaya will join the tour to sing Elisabeth, a role she filled during the season in New York.

The Met contacted the tenors Marcelo Álvarez, Rolando Villazón and Alexey Dolgov, and they agreed to fill in for performances by Mr. Calleja. Mr. Alvarez will sing the role of Rodolfo in two performances of Puccini's "La Bohème" and Mr. Alvarez and Mr.Villazón will each sing the role of Edgardo in one performance of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Piotr Beczala already was taking turns in both roles.

L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011

Anna Netrebko has returned to the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg to open the XIX Music Festival "Stars of the White Nights" singing the role of Adina in Laurent Pelly's production of Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" on 23. May 2011. Maetsro Valery Gergiev was on the pit, being the first time he was conducting this opera at the Mariinsky Theater. This was a co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" was first time ever staged at the Mariinsky Theater on 24. Jan 2011 starring also Anna Netrebko as Adina. 

We may be pretty sure that Miss Netrebko was really happy about the performance, as when she came on the stage for the final curtain calls, she came running and making a cartwheel to the pleasure and surprise of everybody.

L'elisir d'amore

Melodramma Giocoso in 2 Acts (1832)

Music by Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto by Felice Romani after that of Eugène Scribe for Daniel Auber's Le Philtre

Mariinsky Theater, St, Petersburg 23. May 2011 | 20:00

CAST

Adina: Anna Netrebko

Nemorino: Sergei Skorokhodov

Belcore: Vladimir Moroz

Il Dottor Dulcamara: Andrei Serov

Giannetta: Svetlana Kiseleva

CREDITS

Conductor: Valery Gergiev

Stage Director and Costume Designer: Laurent Pelly

Stage Director for the Mariinsky Theatre: Christian Räth

Set Designer: Chantal Thomas

Assistant Set Designer: Caroline Ginet

Lighting Designer: Joël Adam

Musical Preparation: Irina Soboleva

Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko

Italian Language Coach: Maria Nikitina

Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater

Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater

Co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

CHARACTERS

Adina: ricca e capricciosa fittaiuola (soprano)

Nemorino: coltivatore; giovine semplice, innamorato di Adina (tenore)

Belcore: sergente di guarnigione nel villaggio (baritono)

Il Dottore Dulcamara: medico ambulante (basso comico)

Giannetta: villanella (soprano)

Cori e comparse di villani e villanelle, soldati e suonatori del reggimento, un notaio, due servitori, un moro.

ABOUT THE OPERA

L'elisir d'amore in Wikipedia [English]

L'elisir d'amore: Synopsis [English]

L'elisir d'amore: Libretto [Italian]

VIDEOCLIPS

PHOTOS

L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Vladimir Moroz (Belcore), Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'elisir d'amore, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011. Photo: Olga

The Blog reaches half a million visits

We are proud to announce that the Blog has officially reached half a million visits.

The graph below shows the statistics provided by StatCounter for the yearly evolution of the number of page loads, unique visits and returning visits.

I would like to thanks all the visitors to the Blog, whether they are usual readers or casual ones. Those figures are possible, only because of you.

L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011

L'ELISIR D'AMORE | Gaetano Donizetti

Bayerische Staatsoper 17. May 2011 | 19:00-21:45 | 1

Marco Armiliato | Dirigent

David Bösch | Inszenierung

Patrick Bannwart | Bühnenbild

Falko Herold | Kostüme

Michael Bauer | Licht

Rainer Karlitschek | Producktionsdramaturgie

Johannes Haider | Chöre

Anna Netrebko | Adina

Matthew Polenzani | Nemorino

Gabriele Viviani | Belcore

Alessandro Corbelli | Dulcamara

Tara Erraught | Giannetta

Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper

CHARACTERS

Adina: ricca e capricciosa fittaiuola (soprano)
Nemorino: coltivatore; giovine semplice, innamorato di Adina (tenore)
Belcore: sergente di guarnigione nel villaggio (baritono)
Il Dottore Dulcamara: medico ambulante (basso comico)
Giannetta: villanella (soprano)
Cori e comparse di villani e villanelle, soldati e suonatori del reggimento, un notaio, due servitori, un moro.

SYNOPSIS

Synopsis

LIBRETTO

Libretto: Atto 1, Atto 2

HIGHLIGHTS

Act 1 - "Benedette queste carte!...Della crudele Isotta" (Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Matthew Polenzani, Chorus)
Act 1 - "Caro elisir! sei mio!" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 1 - "Lallarallara... Esulti pur la barbara" (Matthew Polenzani, Anna Netrebko)
Act 1 - "Adina credimi, te ne scongiuro" (Matthew Polenzani, Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Chorus)
Act 2 - "La donna è un animale stravagante... Venti scudi!" (Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Una furtiva lagrima" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Prendi, per me sei libero" (Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani)

REPORTS
Herbert also attended the third and last performaance of the run. Fabio Maria Capitanucci was ill and was replaced by Gabriele Viviani. Herbert's short note for the blog:

The third and last performance of this run of “Elisir d’amore” with Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani was another very big success for them and much fun for the audience.

PHOTOS

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Tara Erraught (Giannetta), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Tara Erraught (Giannetta), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Tara Erraught (Giannetta), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Tara Erraught, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 17. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko will open the XIX Music Festival "Stars of the White Nights" with Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" on 23. May 2011

Star soprano Anna Netrebko returns to the Mariinksy Theater, St. Petersburg, to sing the role of Adina in Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" at the opening of the XIX Music Festival "Stars of the Withe Nights" on 23. May 2011. The role of Nemorino will be sung by Sergei Skorokhodov. The performance will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

L’Elisir d’Amore, Opening of the XIX Music Festival Stars of the White Nights, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 23. May 2011 – Anna Netrebko (Adina), Sergei Skorokhodov (Nemorino), Vladimir Moroz (Belcore), Andrei Serov (Dulcamara), Svetlana Kiseleva (Giannetta); Laurent Pelly (Stage Director), Christian Räth (Stage Director for the Mariinsky), Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater, Valery Gergiev

Netrebko made her Mariinsky role debut as Adina on 24. Jan 2011 with Sergei Skorokhodov also as Nemorino and Erwin Schrott as Dulcamara. Netrebko is currently singing this role at the Bayerische Staatsoper, München.

L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011

L'ELISIR D'AMORE | Gaetano Donizetti

Bayerische Staatsoper 14. May 2011 | 19:00-21:45 | 1

Marco Armiliato | Dirigent

David Bösch | Inszenierung

Patrick Bannwart | Bühnenbild

Falko Herold | Kostüme

Michael Bauer | Licht

Rainer Karlitschek | Producktionsdramaturgie

Johannes Haider | Chöre

Anna Netrebko | Adina

Matthew Polenzani | Nemorino

Fabio Maria Capitanucci | Belcore

Alessandro Corbelli | Dulcamara

Tara Erraught | Giannetta

Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper

CHARACTERS

Adina: ricca e capricciosa fittaiuola (soprano)
Nemorino: coltivatore; giovine semplice, innamorato di Adina (tenore)
Belcore: sergente di guarnigione nel villaggio (baritono)
Il Dottore Dulcamara: medico ambulante (basso comico)
Giannetta: villanella (soprano)
Cori e comparse di villani e villanelle, soldati e suonatori del reggimento, un notaio, due servitori, un moro.

SYNOPSIS

Synopsis

LIBRETTO

Libretto: Atto 1, Atto 2

HIGHLIGHTS

Act 1 - "Benedette queste carte!...Della crudele Isotta" (Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Matthew Polenzani, Chorus)
Act 1 - "Caro elisir! sei mio!" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 1 - "Lallarallara... Esulti pur la barbara" (Matthew Polenzani, Anna Netrebko)
Act 1 - "Adina credimi, te ne scongiuro" (Matthew Polenzani, Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Chorus)
Act 2 - "La donna è un animale stravagante... Venti scudi!" (Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Una furtiva lagrima" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Prendi, per me sei libero" (Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani)

REPORTS
A short report will follow

VIDEOCLIPS


PHOTOS

 L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Tara Erraught (Giannetta), Alessandro Corbelli (Dulcamara), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Fabio Maria Capitanucci (Belcore), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Tara Erraught (Giannetta), Alessandro Corbelli (Dulcamara), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Fabio Maria Capitanucci (Belcore), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Tara Erraught (Giannetta), Alessandro Corbelli (Dulcamara), Marco Armiliato (Conductor), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Matthew Polenzani, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Matthew Polenzani, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Erwin Schrott, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Helmut Flatscher

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 14. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011

L'ELISIR D'AMORE | Gaetano Donizetti

Bayerische Staatsoper 11. May 2011 | 19:00-21:45 | 1

Marco Armiliato | Dirigent

David Bösch | Inszenierung

Patrick Bannwart | Bühnenbild

Falko Herold | Kostüme

Michael Bauer | Licht

Rainer Karlitschek | Producktionsdramaturgie

Johannes Haider | Chöre

Anna Netrebko | Adina

Matthew Polenzani | Nemorino

Fabio Maria Capitanucci | Belcore

Alessandro Corbelli | Dulcamara

Tara Erraught | Giannetta

Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper

CHARACTERS

Adina: ricca e capricciosa fittaiuola (soprano)
Nemorino: coltivatore; giovine semplice, innamorato di Adina (tenore)
Belcore: sergente di guarnigione nel villaggio (baritono)
Il Dottore Dulcamara: medico ambulante (basso comico)
Giannetta: villanella (soprano)
Cori e comparse di villani e villanelle, soldati e suonatori del reggimento, un notaio, due servitori, un moro.

SYNOPSIS

Synopsis

LIBRETTO

Libretto: Atto 1, Atto 2

HIGHLIGHTS

Act 1 - "Benedette queste carte!...Della crudele Isotta" (Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Matthew Polenzani, Chorus)
Act 1 - "Caro elisir! sei mio!" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 1 - "Lallarallara... Esulti pur la barbara" (Matthew Polenzani, Anna Netrebko)
Act 1 - "Adina credimi, te ne scongiuro" (Matthew Polenzani, Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Anna Netrebko, Tara Erraugh, Chorus)
Act 2 - "La donna è un animale stravagante... Venti scudi!" (Fabio Maria Capitanucci, Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Una furtiva lagrima" (Matthew Polenzani)
Act 2 - "Prendi, per me sei libero" (Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani)

REPORTS
Herbert attended the premiere and he kindly wrote the following short report for the blog:

It was great fun and she seems to enjoy this production. Her singing and acting were superb. After the show there was a big dinner for sponsors, but she came out to her fans before she returned to the dinner. She took some time for giving autographs, posing for photos and chatting with the crowd

PHOTOS

Tara Erraught (Giannetta), Alessandro Corbelli (Dulcamara), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Fabio Maria Capitanucci (Belcore), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), Anna Netrebko (Adina), Marco Armiliato (Conductor), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko (Adina), Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino), L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

 Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert

Anna Netrebko, L'Elisir d'amore, Bayerische Staatsoper, München 11. May 2011. Photo: Herbert