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| Annette Dasch as Elsa von Brabant |
The French-German television channel ARTE last night made it possible for European opera lovers to join the audience at the opening of the 2012/2013 season at the La Scala in Milan. As promised, Wagner's Lohengrin was an evening of "great wagnerian voices", with the fresh septuagenerian Daniel Barenboim conducting a staging by Claus Guth.
Although everything went well, it was actually a small wonder that the opening performance took place at all. This announcement on the La Scala's webpage gives us a hint of how close to a catastrophe they were less then 24 hours before the opening:
Cast change on 7 December - Annette Dasch from Bayreuth to La Scala
Due to a persistent flu, Mrs. Anja Harteros is forced to postpone her debut in Lohengrin, which opens our 2012/2013 Season. With Mrs. Ann Petersen also having contracted a similar indisposition, the part of Elsa will be sung by Mrs. Annette Dasch, who has sung the role since 2010 at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.
The Teatro alla Scala wishes to thank Mrs. Dasch, who arrived last night in Milan, and with her generosity has given a sign of her affection to the Theatre and friendship to La Scala.
Due to a persistent flu, Mrs. Anja Harteros is forced to postpone her debut in Lohengrin, which opens our 2012/2013 Season. With Mrs. Ann Petersen also having contracted a similar indisposition, the part of Elsa will be sung by Mrs. Annette Dasch, who has sung the role since 2010 at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.
The Teatro alla Scala wishes to thank Mrs. Dasch, who arrived last night in Milan, and with her generosity has given a sign of her affection to the Theatre and friendship to La Scala.
Annette Dasch was thus the star of the evening in two ways, as a singer and as the person who saved the opening night of the new opera season at the La Scala. To be able to perform such a major role on very short notice is a feat not many singers are capable of doing.
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| Jonas Kaufmann as Lohengrin |
Jonas Kaufmann was the other great star last night. His Lohengrin was both powerful and - where it was needed - beautifully smooth.
This is a positive blog, which is why it is sufficient to say that Claus Guth had chosen to transfer the opera from the 10th century Antwerp to something that looked like a 19th century Belgian prison. Thank God, he did not choose a date 100 years later, which would have brought us another "modernized" opera performance, with the the singers appearing in Nazi uniforms.
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| Dasch and Kaufmann toghether |
