Following the stars...

Stage door Staatsoper Unter den linden. 5 th of June 2010 after Eugene Onegin.

It is not always easy, it is important to have at least several nights in a mountain resort where there is no electrical pollution after 10PM. Three summers ago, I tried to follow the stars under the guidance of an astronomer who had his equipment set up on top of a mountain in the Southern Alps; I enrolled to scrutinize the skies at night. Some nights there were hazy shadows, some other nights were cloudy, it was never the same. Venus or Altaïr were not always at the meeting point and I now think there are some similarities with our dear stars of opera. They nearly all of them have sometimes cloudy intervals after a bright period of sunshine. I have learnt to follow the stars from my end of the binoculars, which means I do not go too far and I try to avoid expensive advance booking.
I have had bad experiences with two of them (I do not want to write their names
because it is not fair, especially when they are missing because of health problems). What is more annoying is the decision taken by music directors when they know fairly well beforehand that the star will be missing but keep it secret because they want to sell tickets in the best conditions ever, since the stars always 'sell'. This commercial reason is totally unfair to the customer who has paid for a particular star and will hear someone else. Because in the end, all this fantastic art is a commercial deal.
Last year I was totally refunder from the Baden-Baden Festspiele and by La salle Pleyel: that is worth underlining because it is not the general rule.
I feel sorry for Rolando who cancelled the Bryn festival in North Wales and Werther in the ROH. But I do not understand why he agreed to appear and had to leave seven minutes later at the Tivoli concert. Either he was fit for the performance or he was not, for sure he knew before starting, and the music director knew as well. I feel sad and do not want to express all I could concerning these last two episodes in Munich and Copenhagen. What I know is my reaction if I had been part of the audience: seeing him on stage explaining that he was not well, I would have fled... I care a lot for what he represents for me as a singer. I would have fled in tears.
I do not suppose it is his choice, but he might have had to do so because the music directors did not want to face having to change the cast or give the money back.
It is so sad that he has to go through these episodes on top of bad spells of health.
As I am a pessimist with an optimistic tendancy I already have my ticket for Zurich: 'Il Re pastore'( the cheapest ticket, 35€). I'm pretty sure he will be there, because working with les Arts Florissants' will do him a lot of good! I can feel it!, then another cheap ticket for the "Tango" evening in Paris (well that is not exactly my cup of tea but it seems to be his, I want to hear his cross-over live and see the fans in action at that particular recital). Then seeing his Werther as director is also a must. I have lots of good reasons to go to Lyon (I've already got my ticket of course!). Lyon is just round the corner from Vaucluse. Charlotte-Karine Deshayes is going to be a great pleasure, I have met her with a dear friend of mine. Her CD 'le jardin clos' is delicious!
And I have even more reasons to find Albert a real bad character. I have got the impression Rolando's Werther is going to be something to write about! I saw him in his two main French Werther performances, Nice and Paris. He knows both text and music from top to bottom and vice versa and made a real acting role out of the singing part which is not easy.
Who said we will not see him on stage? If only he could take time,plenty of time, and join in when his voice is back. I will not mind not seeing him for the 'tango' session in Paris!
I do hope to see him in Mozart, next June. Plenty of time to get over this bad spell of stormy weather. Meanwhile, I wish him all the best and thank him for the sheer happiness he gave me in all the live performances I attended.
More photos of the last Eugene Onegin in Berlin (I have a selection of photos I keep for dull periods when happy memories are needed; Anna Samuil taking applause, she is so sweet! and the whole cast, René Pape, Rolando...)
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