Rolando Villazón Out of Met 50th Anniversary Gala, But Company Makes Great Addition to Cast

By David Salazar

There have been two major changes to the Metropolitan Opera’s gala this Sunday.

The big news is the cancellation of Rolando Villazón from the 50th Anniversary Gala.

The Mexican tenor’s name, which was featured prominently on the list of artists to perform at the big event, is no longer there.

The cancellation is not surprising considering that Villazón recently canceled his run of “L’Elisir d’Amore” at the Royal Opera House due to medical reasons.

This is yet another blow to the tenor who a decade ago was one of the most sought-after artists around. He remains a prominent figure on the opera stage but has also made numerous cancellations over the years.

On the flipside, Günther Groissböck, who has struck gold for his work in “Der Rosenkavalier,” has been added. It is a surprising, but justified move, as the company had overlooked the brilliant bass for major roles for years; he is currently not scheduled for a major role in 2017-18.

Fortunately, the company has seemingly changed its mind about him after the revelatory success in the Strauss opera this season in the addition to the gala.

There may yet be more changes coming to the gala as the company has added and subtracted singers from the list throughout the season.

Categories

News