Roberto Alagna Still The Man

In a recent article Juan Diego Florez said that if he were Roberto Alagna "he wouldn't have walked off stage and that he's never been booed, though he's been in productions where everyone else was booed, so he could imagine the pain. Perhaps one day it will happen to him, but so far he's had good luck. But if he were booed, he thinks it is something he could handle OK."

Oh really? I say, "keep living."

Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti might be high wire for a light lyric tenor, but if one is fortunate enough to have a career span of 10 years one will hopefully graduate to heavier music hopefully: Mozart, Puccini and Verdi something the public can chew on in lieu of drinking milk all the time. While I appreciate Florez's art, his flashy coloratura, and white tone, in my world, la creme de la creme of opera is a Puccini / Verdi diet.

Alagna is now moving into his next fach - Verdi. It is not an easy task to switch fachs. One has to feel an adjustment in the resonators and sensations and one has to have confidence. Kathleen Battle tried to switch fachs and while it may have been possible, it was not possible because one's audience must make the adjustment with the artists, training the ear to accept the familiar vocal sound in the "new fach." The patrons at La Scala paid to hear Alagna sing Radames. However, whether or not they were able to accept him in his new fach is questionable. Nevertheless, some bad karma is following Alagna, and a claque was payed to boo him. It happens. Now that it is over, Alagna needs to get back on his horse and go ahead and ride it. And until Florez gets one of these roles under his belt and move into Alagna's fach, he should have no comment towards his fellow tenor. He is just drawing karma unto himself;putting all this out there and he has not proven his longevity yet. Actually I'd like to hear Florez sing Rodolfo and see if his public can swallow his light voice singing a medium sized role. But what gall. What nerve. He said "But his voice is not changing yet, it is not getting darker or heavier." Well my advice to Florez is pray, pray, pray that yur voices does get darker and heavier. And when it does, and you try to switch fachs, and you are booed, then you will understand and you will recant your words.

Anna Netrebko Dominates or Give the Girl Her Props

I went to see I Puritani twice last week because once just didn't do it for me. All said and done I must give the Soprano her props. The first reason being (1#) Anyone who attempts to do anything that Callas did deserves their props and (#2) Anyone intelligent enough to try to sing and revive this beautiful opera deserves their props.

Although at times I thought Netrebko wasnt going to make it through certain scenes, a stretta here, or the sextet there, she pulled through if not sometimes just by the skin of her teeth. There was a moment when you sensed panic had set in when she turned her back to the audience to regroup and then turned around and sang the high note...nevertheless she soldiered on. On her aria Son vergin vezzosa, she missed a few notes in the glissando scale downward but if you don't know the score you would not know it. On her aria Qui la voce she took a breath each time in the middle of the line O rendetemi la speme, which was totally annoying being that that is the most beautiful line in the opera...but better to take an untraditional educated breath than completely destroy the line. Anyway, I am not quite sure that Elvira is hers. The voice has a beautiful dark color - but - it is small. And while I am hoping for a Sonnambula or a Lucia out of her, I definately do not look for a Norma.

Anna Netrebko is Anna Moffo revisited. She should follow Anna Moffo's career repertoire and make sure they don't push her too hard and make her sing too many big roles. To try to take on everything Callas did would be a mistake for her.

Overall, Netrebko leaves you full at the end of the opera - not empty. She gives you something to chew on and she deserves her props.