Netrebko withdraws from ROH Norma

[underthecountertenor]

I've just had an email from the ROH informing me that Anna Netrebko has decided to withdraw from the role of Norma:

“As I have begun to prepare the role, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion my voice has evolved in a different direction. This is something I could not have anticipated when Maestro Pappano and I planned this project four years ago, as we singers have to make decisions about roles and projects several years in advance. It pains me greatly to disappoint him, the Royal Opera House, and audiences in the UK. Knowing that tickets will soon go on sale and not wanting to mislead anyone, I feel I must now be honest with myself as an artist and make this very difficult decision.”

I have to say that I was surprised to see her billed in the role in the first place (as was conchis - see the ROH 2016/7 thread), so this doesn't come as a great surprise. At least she's had the honesty and decency to withdraw before tickets have gone on sale. I wonder how easy it will be for the ROH to find an adequate replacement at this short notice. Decent Normas are not exactly thick on the ground these days.

[underthecountertenor]

Interestingly, there is an indication in the email that they are going to revise the ticket prices.

[DracoM]

Anyone keeping a count of how many times the lady is not for singing? She seems to be a serial withdrawer.

[Nick Armstrong]

Comment from Kasper Holten is perhaps a shade more ... forthright than the usual 'press statement platitude'!

"Whilst we regret that her withdrawal has come at such a late stage, we do respect her decision"

but also

"We are, of course, very frustrated that Anna has felt it necessary to cancel a major role debut with us for the second time. We have done everything we can to avoid this situation."

In other words: and ....

[underthecountertenor]

She withdrew from the ROH Faust in 2014 at not much more than a month's notice. The statement issued on that occasion has an air of familiarity about it:

In a statement issued by her spokesperson, Anna Netrebko said:

‘I am so sorry to have to withdraw from the role of Marguerite in Faust. After much consideration and intensive preparation, I have come to the conclusion that the role is not right for me. I had been very much looking forward to debuting this role at the Royal Opera House and following it with further performances in Vienna and Baden-Baden. Unfortunately, I must now withdraw from all these productions. I am very sad to be disappointing my fans in these cities and hope they will understand the difficult decision that I have had to make. However, I am very much looking forward to returning to The Royal Opera to perform with the Company again in 2015.’

At least on this occasion she's given them a bit more time and spared the ROH the howls of protest from people who had (rashly in my view) bought tickets solely in order to see her. The ROH statement this time (by Pappano and and Holten) says that the news is 'a huge frustration and sadness for us,' but then goes on to say that 'there are already other plans with Anna for the future here, in particular one of the major roles in which she has recently triumphed.' You might think that they would be reconsidering those plans, but of course Netrebko, like Gheorghiu in her prime, is box office gold.

[underthecountertenor]

Comment from Kasper Holten is perhaps a shade more ... forthright than the usual 'press statement platitude'!

"Whilst we regret that her withdrawal has come at such a late stage, we do respect her decision"

but also

"We are, of course, very frustrated that Anna has felt it necessary to cancel a major role debut with us for the second time. We have done everything we can to avoid this situation."

In other words: and ....

Crikey. I hadn't seen that from Kasper Holten. His joint statement with Pappano (see above) was somewhat less pointed. Where has Holten said this?

[underthecountertenor]

Ah yes, I see now: website

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'm thinking that unless the artist has a benevolent attitude to London, or perhaps is dedicated to their vocation (unrealistic? - perhaps Pappano is a draw) we are not important enough for today's stars to come, and if they agree to be billed, to turn up. Netrebko is one of a few names who I disregard when I see them billed and certainly would not count on them being there on the day. (This includes quitting a run of scheduled dates early).

[Flosshilde]

Perhaps she didn't like the production ?

Although I can understand (& respect) her comment about her voice's development since she originally said yes to the role, surely it must mean that opera managements are taking rather a risky step to book her for any role in the future? Or, indeed, booking any singer for more than a couple of years ahead? Is it only 'stars' like Netrebko who are booked four years or more in advance?

If the ROH are considering reducing ticket prices, I wonder if they feel inclined to sue her for loss of income, given that it will make a dent in their budget for the production & they will have to find the money from elsewhere - possibly from another production? (although possibly the replacement singer might cost rather less, so it might balance out, or even leave them with a profit )

[underthecountertenor]

I'm thinking that unless the artist has a benevolent attitude to London, or perhaps is dedicated to their vocation (unrealistic? - perhaps Pappano is a draw) we are not important enough for today's stars to come, and if they agree to be billed, to turn up. Netrebko is one of a few names who I disregard when I see them billed and certainly would not count on them being there on the day. (This includes quitting a run of scheduled dates early).

I'm actually prepared to take her at her word on this one. Mainly because I would not have thought, based on recent experience of her singing, that she would be at all comfortable in the role. I'd rather not pay a lot of money to hear someone who can't actually sing it comfortably. Voices do change and move in unexpected directions, and it's therefore entirely credible that what seemed achievable in 4 years' time 4 years ago is now not achievable. We can of course speculate as to when she ought to have realised that it wasn't on, but such speculation will inevitably be futile.

[underthecountertenor]

Perhaps she didn't like the production ?

She tends to be quite honest about that sort of thing: http://slippedisc.com/2014/11/just-i...-disagreement/

So I'm wiling to assume in everyone's favour that the production has nothing to do with her withdrawal on this occasion.

[Flosshilde]

Didn't Jon Vickers once withdraw from a production of Tristan (I think, or was it Tannhauser), not because he didn't feel able to sing it, not because he didn't like the production, but because he had moral qualms about the character?! One would have thought that he should have had some idea of what the character was like before accepting the role.

[Conchis]

Didn't Jon Vickers once withdraw from a production of Tristan (I think, or was it Tannhauser), not because he didn't feel able to sing it, not because he didn't like the production, but because he had moral qualms about the character?! One would have thought that he should have had some idea of what the character was like before accepting the role.

He did - Tannhauser in 1977 at the ROH. American tenor Richard Versalle took over at short notice (and received terrible reviews). Vickers' reasoning for withdrawal seemed to be based on a combination of religious qualms and an 'inability to relate' to the character. Walter Legge wrote a rather hilarious riposte to this, to the effect that Vickers experienced no such moral qualms about portraying a man who 'screwed his sister' (Legge's words) , or committed adultery (Nerone in ...Poppea).

As to L'Affaire Netrbeko, I'm also willing to take her at her word - I think the ROH was probably asking for the moon even four years' ago and if Netrebko is guilty of anything it's of overestimating her vocal resources (and she's hardly the first to have done that). Stars of this magnitude do seem to have the ROH over the barrel, though: Terfel really did leave them up the creek when he withdrew from the 2007 Ring during rehearsals and I thought after that that he might never be asked back again. Yet he returned the next season. These people can write their own contracts, it seems.

[underthecountertenor]

Update: she's now also withdrawn from the Met Norma in 2017, which is really the only logical consequence of her ROH statement.

[Lento]

Taking things at face value: I wouldn't be so indelicate as to mention a woman's age, but is it the case that changes to the voice are more likely to occur as early as, say, 40 in a soprano? Maybe someone with expertise could comment? It seems to me that there is considerable potential for occupational stress if one is frequently booking one's engagements 3 or 4 years ahead. I'm not sure how far back the booking was made in this case.