Rude awakening

Ouch! What happened to Roberto Alagna during the Christmas Holiday? After all the good reviews he got for his Ramadès in Aïda and his Roméo in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (MET), the premiere in Bologna of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice (version de Paris, aka in French) was a disaster. And I'm not talking about the mess his brother David did directing this production, that's hardly a surprise if you know a little about the guy. I'm talking about the singing of Roberto. Out of balance, weak, hardly right, hardly in rythm, hardly anything, really (and it seems I'm definitely not the only one sharing that view, see Parsifal's and OperaChic). The performance was broadcast by Rai Radio Tre and recordings can be found here and there. This production will travel to Montpellier (Jan.29 and Feb.3) where the bookings start tomorrow. Cast: Orphée - Roberto Alagna Eurydice - Laura Giordano in Montpellier (Serena Gamberoni in Bologna) L'amour - Marc Barrard Conductor - Marco Guidarini in Montpellier (Giampaolo Bisanti in Bologna) More on the matter: - "Orphée et Eurydice" con Alagna e Osborn tenori (in Italian) - Orfeo a Bologna: facciamo una retata! (in Italian) - Fratelli flop, Corriere della Sera (in Italian) - ANSA: " Orphée et Eurydice, presentato in un provocatorio riadattamento della partitura di D. Alagna, ha diviso il pubblico di Bologna. Alagna ha reinventato l'opera approntando un prologo per far vedere il matrimonio tra Orfeo e Euridice e la morte di lei dopo un incidente d'auto, ha tagliato e spostato pezzi dell'opera e cambiato il finale: Euridice non ritorna in vita, ma muore per sempre. Tutto questo col consenso del direttore d'orchestra, G. Bisanti." Let's hope Alagna will be in better shape this summer for Orange's Faust...