Slightly less than good news first. Via Iron Tongue of Midnight comes word that Ewa Podles has withdrawn from SF Opera's Ariodante. Ewa, don't leave me! Her replacement is none other than Sonia Prina, who sings Orlando for Opera Australia two months later. I've been terribly excited about the chance to hear Sonia over here — international singers at her level are a rare treat in these parts — but in place of Ewa? Not quite the same thing. I'm sure she'll be glorious. But I'd still have loved a chance to hear Ewa, Force of Nature, in person. Oh well.
The good news, however, is that I've had an excellent answer to one of my questions. I asked if anybody who knew who the TBA Rodolfo for the October season of La bohème would be. And, lo and behold, an anonymous comment tells me it will be Carlo Barricelli! This is in fact precisely the answer I'd hoped for. Carlo was seriously impressive in Il tabarro last year and I was very much disappointed by his absence from this year's season. Let's hope subsquent seasons will be able to make even better use of him; but for now, a Rodolfo will do. This boy may just be destined for very very Big Things; a comment on Parterre a little while ago mentioned he'd been covering Rodolfo at the Met, which is a bit impressive. So, looks like I'm off to yet another Bohème. Such is life. Thankyou for the tip, Anonymous!
Too bad about Ewa. I was also looking forward to that. Sigh.
Posted by: Barbara | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Me too - I've never heard her, but "force of nature" seems to be the general comment regarding the lady.
Posted by: Sarah | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:57 PM