Mattila Bows out of MET production

[wagnerfan]

Karita Mattila, the Finnish soprano, has dropped out of a new
production of Verdi�s �Ballo in Maschera� at the Metropolitan Opera
planned for next season, the Met said on Thursday. Ms. Mattila, right,
was to have sung the role of Amelia. �Karita was engaged for �Ballo�
five years ago, and she recently decided the role was not right for
her,� said a Met spokeswoman, Lee Abrahamian. Sondra Radvanovsky will
take on all but 1 of the 10 Amelia performances, the Met said, with
the other replacement to be determined. As part of the domino effect
in opera casting Ms. Radvanovsky stepped out of four performances of
Verdi�s �Trovatore,� and Carmen Giannattasio will take over for her.
Ms. Radvanovsky was also released by the Met from her contract to sing
Elisabeth de Valois in Verdi�s �Don Carlo� in February and March
because she now needs more time to prepare for future roles, the
company said. No replacement was named. The announcements were part of
a barrage of cast comings and goings for next year. The Met also said
that Erwin Schrott would sing Dulcamara in Donizetti�s �Elisir
d�Amore,� a new production of the opera directed by Bartlett Sher, and
that Dolora Zajick would replace Olga Borodina in three performances
of �Aida.�

[chsiii]

Or, at 52, she might not be right for the role. Who has changed? - Karita
or Amelia? Anyhow, I would rather hear Rodvanovsky in Ballo - something new
for her, rather than one more Trovatore, which we already know she sings
better than anybody else.


“Karita was engaged for ‘Ballo’