Friday, December 13, 2013

Thoughts from Kristen, Opera L



As I understand la scala has a young artist program right? Just who are the ITALIAN singers out of this program recently worthy of world class singing? I recognize some names from the program but they are all from Eastern Europe: Anita Rachvelishvili, Nino Machaidze, was Maija Kovalevska out of this program? There was one promising tenor I heard a bit of Radames from (Riccardo Massi?) - and he gets just one or two Radames at the Met and disappears from the scene.

I just don’t see many Italian youth interested in opera or many take interest going into classical singing training. Many Italian youth (or some middle aged people) can name every member of Blink 182 or One Direction but most I talked to never even heard of Mirella Freni.(They do seem to recognize Pavarotti though) The so-called Italian tenors we hear often here are light weights (from Sicily, Sardegna - I don't even know if they consider themselves Italians) who sing Fentons and Nemorinos. Vittorio Grigolo, Massimo Giordano -they are not bad but are these the best Italy has to offer nowadays? I had high hopes for Filianoti and I hope he recovers well but he's in and out of the picture due to health reasons.

I am not sure how many Japanese or German audience members who occupy the pricy section of la scala have the patience for your young talent to grow and create their own style while carrying on the tradition - I like the idea but I am not sure if it's realistic -Some might prefer to say I heard some famous so-and-so at la scala and there were booeing and riots and flying radishes.>>

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