The Salzburg Festival program is out (see there) and a daunting question obviously comes to mind (as least as far as opera is concerned): where are the stars?
Sure, Riccardo Muti will be there, conducting Rossini's Moïse et Pharaon (full cast there).
Other familiar names include Adam Fisher (conducting Così fan tutte), Daniel Harding (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Daniel Barenboim, to conduct Beethoven's Fidelio.
But none of the star singers are scheduled - no Villazón, Netrebko, Damrau...
Is the Salzburg Festival also suffering from the economic crisis? Seriously?
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Unfortunately, Anna will only give a recital with Barenboim. I hoped that she will attend an opera, too.
Well, technically speaking both Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon perform in Salzburg 2009 as both give recitals.
That said, I think the opera programme is the thinnest I ever remember to have seen at the Festival, not necessarily in terms of casting, but in terms of the chosen works.
I concur about that poor poor opera program.
About the recital thing, I understand it's a quick way to make a lot of money, but it shouldn't be so paramount in a Summer Festival, especially to the detriment of staged operas...
Do we really need netrebko and villazon?? pfff! Damrau is hot, but here's Bejun mehta, Rochmann, Abdrasakov, ganassi, Cutler, Kaiser, Scheafer, Skovhus, Petibon,Pisaroni...and the cast in Fidelio is awesome! why do u need pop-era stars when they even sing good anymore (villazon).
I have written repeatedly about my dislike of Netrebko and I'm also thinking Villazon is not as good as he used to be.
But the problem I have is that the Salzburg Festival has a very inconsistent marketing strategy: one year they want the "pop" singers (2008) and the other, they don't. Stick to a policy, for God's sake!
Am I the only one who finds this program very interesting? Well, so be it! :-)
+ for once there is no La Traviata
+ Cosi may be good, and the casting for Le Nozze looks amazing
+ fab casting for Theodora (remember Bejun Mehta from Belshazzar? Mindblowing!)
+ Moise should be great (Muti!!!), Nono's world is to discover
++ Recital Karita Mattila and Esa-Pekka
++ Lied and piano recitals are very starry
Less good to me:
- Armida, I couldn't care less
- only a concert version of Fidelio? (Meier singing Leonore is likely to be a miscast, but there you have a star!)
-- Villazon singing Handel!! I mean, can it get any more ridiculous?
All in all, I hope I'll be able to be there for 4-5 days at least ;)
At least, one happy customer!
Basically, my main issue with the opera program (not taking into account the recitals) is: where are the XIXth century operas?
(Fidelio being, for me, a XVIIIth century opera which technically is not true, obviously).
I also think Villazon singing Haendel will be kind of a disaster...
I will go to the opera for Cutler and Kaiser anytime. The boys (sorry, young men) can sing and are so easy on the eyes. Why people insist on Mr. Bean? Have they heard of Vargas?
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