Elsewhere

” Apparently, our favorite bel canto diva, Anna Netrebko, is gracing the March issue of American Vogue once again. According to the fashion bible, Ms. Netrebko is this century's greatest soprano. What?!!!! Excuse me, while I vomit. “
Extract from there.

I love it!





Also, you can find here some pictures of the Massenet’s Manon at the Vienna State Opera, featuring Netrebko and Alagna, directed by Andrei Serban whose controversial Lucia opened the 2006-2007 season in Paris (with Natalie Dessay as Lucia). The Manon performances are conducted by Bertrand De Billy. Two more dates: March 16 and 19.

YouTube extracts are already available here (“Ah fuyez douce image” by Le Chevalier Des Grieux, aka Alagna), there (“En fermant les yeux”, duet between Des Grieux and Manon, aka Netrebko) and there (beginning of the first act, Des Grieux and Manon; Netrebko wearing not much is a joy to see, especially when she’s not singing).





Also, the MET is selling $100,000 tickets for its opening night next September with Natalie Dessay’s Lucia.
Yes $100,000, this is not a mistake.
For that price, the buyer doesn’t even get to spend the rest of the evening on a one on one with Dessay.
Alas, what’s the use?

Photo © Johan Jacobs

Also, March 9 saw the world premiere in Brussels of the first opera of Benoît Mernier, Frühlings Erwachen, based on the play by Frank Wedekind (1890).

Martine D. Mergeay’s review in La Libre Belgique is enthusiastic about everything she heard and saw during that evening (except for the first part of Act I she found annoying).
Some pictures of the production can be found here, along with the synopsis, and the cast.

The opera will be broadcast on Klara Radio on March.24 at 8pm (Paris time) and on Musiq'3 on April 1 at 8pm (Paris time).






Also, if you want to see Angela Gheorghiu singing a Romanian pop song (!) à la Céline Dion, check out this YouTube video.
And then, you can kill yourself after seeing the husband singing on Prime Time French TV La quête, from L’homme de la mancha, with Lara Fabian.

Seriously, how stupid can the couple Gheorghiu / Alagna get?