BREAKING: Universal Launches New Artist Agency with Hampson, Netrebko and Villazón

Musikmarkt reports the launch of Universal Music's previously announced new artist agency Centre Stage Artist Management. The agency will have offices in Berlin as well as London and is starting off with a small yet impressive artist roster: Anna Netrebko, Thomas Hampson, Rolando Villazón, Mojca Erdmann, Joseph Calleja, Ruxandra Donose, Massimo Giordano and Roman Trekel. (www.centrestagemanagement.com)


Designated Managing Director Judith Neuhoff, who previously worked for Raab & Böhm Artists in Vienna and IMG Artists in London, says, "Thanks to our collaboration with opera houses, concert halls, record labels, pr agencies and promoters around the world we can provide our artists with unique and individual perspectives and consultation. We want to take the agency to international top class level. Our fundamental principles are quality, transparency and responsibility."

Munich's New Hoffmann A Vocal Success (Press Comments)

The Bavarian State Opera chose Halloween night for their first premiere of the season: "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" with Rolando Villazón in the title role and Diana Damrau singing all of his female counterparts for the first time in her career. The muchly anticipated event turned out to be a triumph for the singers who earned overwhelming ovations. Director Richard Jones, who fell out of favor with the Bavarian audience with his staging of "Lohengrin" two seasons ago, received singular boos which, however, could be interpreted as the reaction of some unforgiving opera locals as the rest of the audience seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation of Hoffmann's tales.

Some insightful videoclips of this production can be found on the Bavarian State Opera's website. And here's some collected press comments:


Die Welt:

"He is back. Not shining as brightly as before but with a safeness that seemed to have disappeared - Rolando Villazón."

Merkur Online:

"Villazón sings at the edge. And it is a miracle that not more things go wrong when he does."

"The actual vocal event at this 'Hoffmann' premiere were his female counterparts. Ensemble member Angela Brower was celebrated as confident and natural Niklausse. She was almost as strong as Diana Damrau who for the first time sang all four of the poet's lovers - and with that kicked open the door to a new phase of her career."

"John Relyea's dark, bronze bass provides for the perfect material for the four villains, with Dapertutto's (not original) 'mirror aria' probably being a concession to him."

"[Constantinos Carydis] adamantly, even ruthlessly implements his concept. This is not a laissez-faire Offenbach, much more an interpretation equipped with blowoffs, which is highly dramatic, surprisingly true to detail and razor-sharp."

Abendzeitung:

"From the start Diana Damrau left no doubt about who was going to pull the chestnuts out of the fire. Courageously she took on all three soprano parts in Offenbach's opera. [...] Musically Diana Damrau sets one highlight after the other. She's the superb centre that everything else revolves around. Even the protagonist has to bow to her. One had to be worried whether Rolando Villazón would have the stamina needed for the part of Hoffmann beforehand. Even before his vocal crisis he was not the ideal cast for this role. [...] Despite vocal vehemence he leaves something to be desired: When he forces the voice becomes tight. Luster and assertiveness are limited. The Mexican's acting is incredibly intense but sometimes too boisterous."

"However: Diana Damrau, Rolando Villazón, Angela Brower (Niklausse) and the superb Canadian bass John Relyea, who sang all four villains, made sure that the musical side dominated over the stage direction, which all in all dawdled along too harmlessly and superficially."

John Relyea earns much praise for his portrayal of all four villains.

Angela Brower shines as Hoffmann's muse Niklausse.

All pictures courtesy of www.br.de

A Possible Goodbye?

Is it possible that tonight's dernière of "La Traviata" might be Natalie Dessay's last performance at the Wiener Staatsoper?

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It is likely. Frau Kammersängerin has repeatedly emphasized that she wants to quit singing and become an actress instead stating that she perceives the opera repertoire as "too narrow". She's been talking about becoming an actress for years but the actual decision might be just around the corner considering the fact that she's already looking for possible employers (at least on Austrian national tv). [Side note: She also talked about buying a farm and riding horses for the rest of her life at some point but this hasn't been mentioned ever since so we'll consider this a less probable scenario.]


Rumor has it that she will not be singing for much longer than 3 more years. Dessay has also made clear that due to the short rehearsal periods she won't be doing repertoire performances at the Wiener Staatsoper anymore. A singer of her status, of course, has the right to be picky about the work she takes on. It is, however, not very likely that she will appear in a new production at this house within the next 3 years. But this is just a personal guess...

A Swell Start For The Met's Live Cinecast Season

The Met Cinecast of "Anna Bolena" was seen by some 30.000 people in Germany and Austria last Saturday, reports Clasart Classic, which exceeds all previously seen viewer records. Roughly 40 cinemas were completely sold out, some had to move the cinecast to larger locations to provide for German/Austrian operamaniacs. Clasart Classic boss Herbert Kloiber attributes this success to the "phenomenon Netrebko". He added, however, that the fact that 125.000 tickets have already been sold for the new Met broadcast season are proof that the general demand is increasing.

Maria Callas...OF COURSE!

In a teaser for her most recent release ”An Homage to Callas” Angela Gheorghiu speaks about the revelation she had during the recording period. (Would Callas agree? Luckily, Angela will never find out.)
And here’s the long version of the trailer where Angela shows off some cleavage excellent choices of headwear.

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To Boo Or Not To Boo

NY Times critic Anthony Tommasini calls the Met’s new “Don Giovanni” “a production with no compelling point of view” adding that it “almost makes you yearn for those new stagings where the creative team is booed on opening night”. Director Michael Grandage apparently received respectful but unenthusiastic ovations for his traditional staging that was without stirring ideas. (In that it joins the club of boredom with Vienna’s “Don Giovanni” production that premiered last season.)


Maybe Tommasini should consider visiting the Wiener Staatsoper sometime where a week ago Jean-François Sivadier and his creative team were booed without restraint for their new production of “La Traviata”. After 3 hours of a minimalist staging (a few chairs and pillows, small backdrops showing meadows or sky, the words “Violetta” and “Traviata” scribbled on the wall - a helpful reminder for the audience of what performance they were seeing) it became quiet in the house before Sivadier’s curtain call while the audience gathered momentum for the loudest booing the Staatsoper has heard since, I believe, the catastrophe that was the new production for “Macbeth” two years ago. Despite a large number of traditionalists that would have loved to continue seeing Otto Schenk’s staging for another 40 years, there were many that were looking forward to Sivadier’s new ideas…and they were majorly disappointed.

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General Manager Dominique Meyer felt compelled to comfort his fellow Frenchman Sivadier by saying, “It’s not so bad!” and, “It’s not a sin to show something new. This is a strong production and it will survive.” Will it survive? Once the wonderful Natalie Dessay and her acting skills leave the Staatsoper after six performances all that will be left of this production are the chairs, pillows and backdrops. I am afraid that my prediction stated earlier in this place will come true: An era of Traviata concert versions awaits the Viennese audience.

A Fragile New Traviata

"I like this production a lot because it is very theatrical and also very fragile. Because if not everyone acts with a lot of energy and concentration everything disappears. There is hardly any decoration, the stage is almost naked, a few chairs, that's it. Everything depends on us," says Natalie Dessay about Vienna's new staging of "La Traviata" in an interview with DER STANDARD. "Often singers are just singers. Fortunately, not always. But only if they are also actors opera can be truly great."

After the dress rehearsal of this new production of "La Traviata" at the Wiener Staatsoper two things can be said: 1. This production does work well thanks to Natalie Dessay's wonderful acting. 2. With "singers that are only singers" and without long rehearsal periods we might as well do a Traviata concert version after this premiere run.


Jen-François Sivadier's "La Traviata" premieres Sunday, October 9.