Cancellitis

[Petrushka]

Patrons attending tonights LSO concert will be startled to find that the concert they originally booked for has lost its original conductor and soprano soloist as well as two-thirds of the programme! Actually the revised programme (Stravinsky, Symphony in 3 Movements, Strauss 4 Last Songs and Beethoven 6) looks rather better than the planned (Ives Thanksgiving, Strauss 4 LS and Ein Heldenleben) and Sir Colin Davis replaces Michael Tilson Thomas.

All this prompted me to recall that potential nightmare of a making a long journey, hotel stay etc only to find the concert hit by cancellations when you've got to the hall. Sometimes it's worked out at least as good or better while at other times I've taken the first train back home again.

Memorable examples of the first for me were when Klaus Tennstedt replaced Eugen Jochum in an LPO Bruckner 8 in 1980 and Bernard Haitink replaced an ailing Claudio Abbado at two BPO Proms in 2000.

I turned tail when Solti cancelled an LPO Bruckner 5 to replaced by Jesus Lopez-Cobos in Bruckner 7.

Anyone else got any interesting cancellation stories good or bad?

[Curalach]

Let's hope the poster with the South American moniker, from the old boards, isn't lurking here!

[Curalach]

Sir Colin Davis replaces Michael Tilson Thomas.

Interestingly, Stéphane Denève is replacing Colin Davis in Boston in a couple of weeks time due to the latter's indisposition.

[Nick Armstrong]

Interestingly, Stéphane Denève is replacing Colin Davis in Boston in a couple of weeks time due to the latter's indisposition.

So Colin Davis is ok today but won't be in two weeks... Something funny going on there, indeed. Maybe he has a doctor's appointment...

[amateur51]

So Colin Davis is ok today but won't be in two weeks... Something funny going on there, indeed. Maybe he has a doctor's appointment...

if I could be a tad more generous ....

Sir Colin's wife died last Summer, and he had a fall very recently. He's in his 80s, probably fed up with long-haul flying. He knows the Boston SO well and, realising they'll need a new conductor with Levine's sudden decision to give them up, he's giving a young up-and-coming conductor a chance to shine.

I'm all sweetness & light, me

[Pianorak]

Three piano recitals by Maria Joao Pires booked - three recitals cancelled. First one at the Wigmore Hall with Louis Lortie stepping in; second time at Brighton with Dmitri Alexeev doing the honours and third time - totally forgotten what happened - all many years ago. Since then have ignored her.

[Petrushka]

While on the subject of Sir Colin (I'm sure Amateur51 is correct, btw), he himself presided over one of the most memorable Proms I ever attended when he replaced Sir Georg Solti who had died that week, in an emotionally charged Verdi Requiem.

With Levine's sudden resignation you can just imagine the Boston people hitting the phones trying to find replacements for the rest of the season. I don't envy them.

[french frank]

Last occasion I remember was when the announcement was made, immediately before curtain up, that the advertised Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer) was ill and his part would be sung by ... Bryn Terfel (who had been singing the part since the production's opening - this was the first performance when he had stood down). The applause was thunderous

[amateur51]

While on the subject of Sir Colin (I'm sure Amateur51 is correct, btw), he himself presided over one of the most memorable Proms I ever attended when he replaced Sir Georg Solti who had died that week, in an emotionally charged Verdi Requiem.

I completely agree about that performance of the Verdi Requiem, Petrushka. I have it on a VHS recoding somewhere but I'm so pleased to have found a small section on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPRNlYGsOXk

I wish the BBC could issue it on DVD but I guess that negotiating all those rights would be a nightmare

[amateur51]

Last occasion I remember was when the announcement was made, immediately before curtain up, that the advertised Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer) was ill and his part would be sung by ... Bryn Terfel (who had been singing the part since the production's opening - this was the first performance when he had stood down). The applause was thunderous

Excellent story, french frank. Sometimes cancellations CAN be good news

Nice new avatar, btw.

[Richard Tarleton]

Anyone else got any interesting cancellation stories good or bad?

Loads, mostly bad...One of the strangest was turning up at the Barbican for a Cecilia Bartoli concert and thinking it was a bit quiet, nobody much about...,(having travelled up from furthest Wales). As this was the second time she'd stood me up I crossed her off the list for good. The Barbican said they did not refund train fares or hotel bills. They had emailed me that pm but as I was already on the train.....

I saw Fonteyn and Nureyev in Sleeping Beauty in '72 at ROH. Before curtain up a suit walked on in front of the curtain - horrified gasp from the audience, as RN well known for cancellitis. His first words were to the effect that Mr Nureyev and Madame Fonteyn would be dancing that night. Thunderous applause. He went on to announce some minor cast change.

[Nick Armstrong]

if I could be a tad more generous ....

Sir Colin's wife died last Summer, and he had a fall very recently. He's in his 80s, probably fed up with long-haul flying. He knows the Boston SO well and, realising they'll need a new conductor with Levine's sudden decision to give them up, he's giving a young up-and-coming conductor a chance to shine.

I'm all sweetness & light, me

I'm sure you're right!! To paraphrase Wodehouse, "One can almost hear the milk of human kindness gurgling and splashing within you" !!

It did occur to me post-posting that it was probably something to do with the rigours of air travel

[amateur51]

I'm sure you're right!! To paraphrase Wodehouse, "One can almost hear the milk of human kindness gurgling and splashing within you" !!

It did occur to me post-posting that it was probably something to do with the rigours of air travel

Aw shucks, Caliban!

[DracoM]

Wasn't Joan Sutherland's first ROC performance along those lines? I bet no-one thunderously applauded then, but later...................!!!!!

[Petrushka]

I believe that Karl Bohm never had a single cancellation until well into his 80's when a fall in a London hotel obliged him to pull out of a Brahms concert with the LSO.

I have to admit that much as I adored Klaus Tennstedt I knew I was taking a big gamble when booking for one of his concerts and in the end had to give up. Mariss Jansons is also becoming a gamble these days. Funnily enough, I've seen Martha Argerich several times without a cancellation taking place and considering her notoriety in this regard think I must have been lucky.