The Royal Opera has announced the withdrawal of Dmitri Hvorostovsky from the recital with Antonio Pappano on Wednesday 24 June and cast changes for Il barbiere di Siviglia.
The Russian baritone cancelled his concert at Covent Garden due to a severe throat infection that he developed during his recent concert in Russia. Advised to take a period of immediate vocal rest, he was forced to withdraw from his engagement to which he had committed after Rolando Villazón's cancellation.
Fortunately, the Royal Opera is glad to announce that the recital with Music Director Antonio Pappano will feature some of the outstanding artists who are currently performing at Covent Garden in different productions. These will be Thomas Hampson, Joseph Calleja, Joyce DiDonato and Vasko Vassilev.
The audience will not be disappointed, as the artists taking part of the recital with Pappano are amongst the world's most distinguished performers. Leading American baritone Thomas Hampson is currently playing the role of Giorgio Germont in Sir Richard Eyre's production of La traviata at the Royal Opera, and he appears regularly at the Met and in the most prestigious opera houses worldwide. His Covent Garden debut dates back to 1993, and since then Hampson's relationship with the Opera House has always been fruitful. In addition, the American baritone has already collaborated closely with the ROH Music Director earlier in the season, when he sang the role of the German Soldier in Britten's War Requiem conducted by Pappano.
Together with Hampson, Joseph Calleja will be on stage on 24 June. The Maltese tenor is one of the stars of the current Traviata at Covent Garden. He made his ROH debut as the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto) in 2002. One of the most acclaimed tenors, his other successful roles at the Royal Opera include Macduff (Macbeth) and Nicias in concert performances of Thaïs.
American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will join Hampson and Calleja. She will be Rosina in the next revival of Il barbiere di Siviglia at Covent Garden, a role which she created in the original 2006 production by Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser. She debuted at the Royal Opera in 2003 as Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen and sang the role of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) earlier in the 2008-09 season.
Finally, Bulgarian violinist Vasko Vassilev will feature in the recital with Pappano. Vassilev, currently Artistic Director of Laureate and of the London Chamber Orchestra, was appointed the first Concert Master of the Orchestra of the ROH in 1995 and Creative Producer of the ROH in 2005. He is also currently performing in La traviata under the baton of Antonio Pappano.
A further cancellation at the Royal Opera involves the revival of Il barbiere di Siviglia, opening on 4 July. Vocal problems have forced Simon Keenlyside to withdraw from the role of Figaro in Il barbiere. Even if regretful for the unfortunate circumstances, the Royal Opera is delighted to announce that Pietro Spagnoli will sing the title role in all performances.
With this Figaro, Italian baritone Pietro Spagnoli will make his debut with the Royal Opera. He is a well-established artist who has previously sung in successful productions at La Scala (Marcello in La Bohème), Paris (Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro), Berlin (Rodomonte in Orlando Paladino) and with Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Dandini in La Cenerentola).
For this Barbiere, Spagnoli will join an outstanding cast, which includes Juan Diego Flórez and Colin Lee (singing the role of Count Almaviva respectively on 4, 7, 10, 15 July and on 13 and 18 July), Joyce DiDonato (Rosina), Alessandro Corbelli (Doctor Bartolo), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Don Basilio). All performances will be conducted by Antonio Pappano, except the 18 July matinee in which Paul Wynne Griffiths will lead the Orchestra of the Royal Opera. The performance on 15 July will be broadcast on BP Summer Big Screens.
Related articles:
News: Rolando Villazon cancels all engagements until the end of 2009
News: The Royal Opera presents free screenings of Covent Garden productions
Interview: Joyce DiDonato chats about her first Barbiere at Covent Garden (2008)
Interview: Simon Keenlyside talks of his roles at the Royal Opera