Angela Gheorghiu Cancels Faust At Baden Baden

Earlir Today Angela Gheorghiu Put Up These Comments in reference to Her Cancellation of Faust 
"I am very sorry to have to turn down the offer from the Baden-Baden-Festspielhaus to perform in Faust in June this year. It has always been one of my principles not to sing in a new production that has not been conceived from the very beginning for me. It is also rather unusual for me to have to replace another singer. Nevertheless, I have tried to make it possible and to be available for the whole period but unfortunately I have not been successful in doing this."

However she has since taken down the comments after numerous Social Media blogs criticized her intolerant and arrogant response.

What Do You Think of this Statement? 

Vienna State Opera 2014-15 season Features Anna Netrebko, Juan Diego Florez and Angela Gheorghiu

After a number hours in which the Vienna State Opera's website crashed, I finally have a list of works which will be performed this year. The reason for slow connection was because the company announced the season and puts all tickets on sale immediately. 

The upcoming season will see 223 staged opera performance and will include six new productions listed below: 

The Tempest (Austrian premiere) 14 June 2015 c: Thomas Ades, d: Robert Lepage, with Adrian Eröd, Audrey Luna, Stephanie Houtzeel, David Daniels

• Idomeneo 5 October 2014 c: Christoph Eschenbach, d: Kasper Holten, with Michael Schade, Margarita Gritskova, Maria Bengtsson, Chen Reiss 
• Khovanshchina 15 November 2014 c: Semyon Bychkov, d: Lev Dodin, with Ferruccio Furlanetto, Christopher Ventris, Herbert Lippert, Andrzej Dobber, Ain Anger, Elisabeth Kulman, Norbert Ernst
• Rigoletto 20 December 2014 c: Franz Welser-Möst, d: Pierre Audi, with Piotr Beczala, Simon Keenlyside, Valentina Nafornită, Elena Maximova 
• Elektra 29 March 2015 c: Franz Welser-Möst, d: Uwe Eric Laufenberg, with Anna Larsson, Nina Stemme, Anne Schwanewilms, Falk Struckman 
• Don Pasquale 26April 2015 c: Jesús López-Cobos, d: Irina Brook, 
 with Michele Pertusi, Juan Diego Flórez, Alessio Arduini, Valentina Nafornită

The company will see the return of a number of stars including Juan Diego Florez in L'Elisir d'Amore and La Cenerentola, Placido Domingo and Maria Guleghina in Nabucco, Anna Netrebko in Anna Bolena and Angela Gheorghiu in Werther. Kristine Opolais and Piotr Beczala will perform Rusalka while Olga Peretyatko will bring her acclaimed Elvira in I Puritani. Another highlight will be Aleksandrs Antonenko in Tosca and Pique Dame. Elina Garanca will bring her acclaimed Octavian to Der Rosenkavalier while Ramon Vargas will sing Don Carlos, Werther, and Simon Boccanegra. Nina Stemme will also return as Minnie in La Fanciulla del West. For more Click Here 

Gheorghiu Replaces Netrebko

Angela Gheorghiu will replace Anna Netrebko in Baden Baden in the new production of Gounod's Faust. The soprano known for cancelling ironically has been on the rescue mission as of later. She recently  savid the day when Harteros pulled out of a high profile concert last month. Now Gheorghiu's Marguerite replaces Netrebko's in both Hamburg andBaden Baden.

Netrebko was to have sung the role in four theaters but decided to leave the production because she did not feel her voice suited it anymore.
Netrebko will instead give a concert in Baden-Baden with arias from Macbeth, Trovatore, Manon Lescaut, Adriana Lecouvreur, etc., on Tuesday, 10th (June). Faust-ticketholders wil be allowed to buy discounted tickets for that concert, but the Faust-tickets can't be returned.

 The Baden Baden production will be directed by Bartlett Sher and will also star Erwin Schrott and Charles Castronovo.  

Vienna State Opera 2013-2014 Season

The 2013-2014 Vienna State Season was announced with 350 performances being presented. The season will include six new productions and major stars including Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu, Placido Domingo, Ramon Vargas, Rolando Villazon, Juan Diego Florez and Edita Gruberova.

The New Productions: "Excuse the spanish"

La fanciulla del West
05. 08. 11. 14. 17. Oct. 2013

Franz Welser-Möst: Director musical

Marco Arturo Marelli: Director de escena

Reparto:

Nina Stemme | Minnie

Tomasz Konieczny | Jack Rance

Jonas Kaufmann | Dick Johnson

Die Zauberflöte

17. 20. 24.27.30. Nov., 02. Dic.2013,

 07. 09.13.17. Jun. 2014

Christoph Eschenbach: Director musical

Moshe Leiser: Director de escena

Reparto:

Brindley Sherratt | Sarastro

Benjamin Bruns | Tamino

Olga Pudova | Königin der Nacht

Anita Hartig | Pamina

Markus Werba | Papageno

Rusalka

26. 30. En., 03. 06. 09. Feb. 2014

Jirí Belohlávek: Director musical

Sven-Eric Bechtolf: Director de escena

Reparto:

Michael Schade | Der Prinz

Monika Bohinec | Die fremde Fürstin

Krassimira Stoyanova | Rusalka

Günther Groissböck | Der Wassermann

Janina Baechle | Die Hexe Jezibaba

Adriana Lecouvreur

16. 19. 22. Feb., 04. 08.12. Mar. 2014

Evelino Pidò: Director musical

David McVicar: Director de escena

Reparto:

Elena Zhidkova | La Principessa di Bouillon

Massimo Giordano | Maurizio Graf von Sachsen

Angela Gheorghiu | Adriana Lecouvreur

Roberto Frontali | Michonnet

Lohengrin

12. 16. 20.25. 28. Abr. 2014

Bertrand de Billy: Director musical

Andreas Homoki: Director de escena

Reparto:

Klaus Florian Vogt | Lohengrin

Günther Groissböck | Heinrich der Vogler

Camilla Nylund | Elsa von Brabant

Wolfgang Koch | Friedrich von Telramund

Michaela Martens | Ortrud

Detlef Roth | Der Heerrufer des Königs

.

Das schlaue Füchslein

18. 21.24.26.30. Jun. 2014

Franz Welser-Möst: Director musical

Otto Schenk: Director de escena

Reparto:

Gerald Finley | Der Förster

Wolfgang Bankl | Háraschta, ein Landstreicher

Chen Reiss | Füchslein Schlaukopf

For more on the season click here\ or visit the vienna state website.

Gheorghiu-Alagna to Divorce

Diva Angela Gheorghiu has announced her divorce with Roberto Alagna. The couple had announced the same thing back in 2009 when they were about to premiere Carmen at the Met in Richard Eyre's new production. However they were simply rumors. Now Ms. Gheorghiu has stated that she and Robert have decided on friendly terms to separate. She stated that she wants a fresh start to 2013. For more click here to read the full story




Angela Gheorghiu is currently planning her 2013 calendar and is slated to sing in July at the Royal Opera House. Robert Alagna just came off an acclaimed run of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera and will be singing Gustavo in Un Ballo in Maschera a the Vienna State Opera in January.

Notable DVD and CD releases for the month of October

The month of October sees the release of many new DVDs and CDs including two Toscas and more early Verdi to celebrate his 199th birthday.

A second DVD of Un Giorno di Regno is released with a cast that includes Anna Caterina Antonacci, Bruno 

Practico, Paolo Coni, and Cecilia Gasdia.The production from 1997 is directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi and conudcted by Maurizio Benini.   

Two new DVDs for Jonas Kaufman and One for Renee Fleming

Decca has just announced the release of the Met's Rodelinda sung by Renee Fleming and Andreas Scholl. The DVD conducted by Harry Bicket also stars Stephanie Blythe and the production was directed by Stephen Wadsworth.

Jonas Kaufmann will have two new DVD releases this fall. The first being the long delayed Konigkinder with Isabel Rey from the Zurich Opera released by DECCA and finally the Royal Opera House will release Jonathon Kent's Tosca on EMI. The production stars Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel and Jonas Kaufmann and is conducted by Antonio Pappano. It will be released first in Europe and then later released in the USA.