Anna Netrebko Prepares For Verdi Roles and Future Recording

Photo: Ruven Afanador

"The soprano needs no prompting to name the roles she expects to sing in the not-too-distant future. Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" is an obvious one; she is to open the Met's 2013-14 season with it. And having received mixed reviews in Massenet's "Manon" at the Met last season, she will try "Manon Lescaut," Puccini's take on the character, rumored for Munich in 2014. Ms. Netrebko is also promising new roles by Verdi, including Leonora in "Il Trovatore" and the title character in his little-known "Giovanna d'Arco." But the part she seems most excited about is Lady Macbeth in Verdi's treatment of Shakespeare's Scottish play. "It is coming, but not that soon," she said. "As a soprano who sings Lucia di Lammermoor, I have the high notes and the trills. No problems there. But going into the low registers is lots of work." To underscore her commitment, she mentions a recently completed recording of Verdi arias—"my new repertoire"—to be released by Deutsche Grammophon next year." [Source]

Stephen Costello Gets Some Limelight Love From WSJ

Stephen Costello (l) with Keith Miller (r)
in Anna Bolena (Photo: Ken Howard)

"Mr. Costello—who arrived for our interview wearing green soccer sneakers, precise facial hair and a slightly rumpled yet European blazer with jeans—began his opera training later than most singers do. He played the trumpet for 15 years, then attended the University of the Arts in his hometown, initially to study musical theater, before going to the prestigious, opera-only Academy of Vocal Arts, also in Philadelphia. Based now in Tennessee with his opera-singer wife, Ailyn Perez, Mr. Costello comes to New York often for continued study with his voice teacher. He also makes a point of seeing Broadway shows when he's here. 'I'm trying like crazy to see Book of Mormon. I have three connections. I'm hoping one of them will work out,' he said, adding that he had already asked the Met's head wig and make-up artist, Tom Watson, who has a number of Broadway credits, including Wicked. 'I said, 'Please tell me you did Book of Mormon. He said no.' The subject of wigs,

Costello with Anna Netrebko as the
title character. (Photo: Ken Howard)

however, brightened Mr. Costello a bit, because in this production of Anna Bolena, he doesn't have to wear one. 'It's kind of nice to use your own head,' he said. "Usually, you've got this wig on, and there's someone poking at you.' That said, the role of Percy calls for other costume constraints. When his character is jailed, he has to sing with his hands bound in front of him. 'It's kind of difficult to breathe, but I'm trying to figure out a way to get comfortable in that scene,' he said. And in an earlier scene, he has to wear a hooded cape, which he's supposed to pull off his head when he enters. But the historically accurate costumes are held against the body with a series of hidden ties that constrict the range of movement. 'The problem,' he said, 'is that it ties under your armpits. So I can only raise my hands so high.' But it's all in a day's work, and at the end of the day Mr. Costello is prone to relax with a burger at the P.J. Clarke's near Lincoln Center: "They have beer. It's my spot.'" [Source]

Wall Street Journal Photo of the Week Features "Anna Bolena"

"Chorus girls sat backstage during rehearsals for the upcoming opera, ‘Anna Bolena,’ by Donizetti, at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Tuesday. The opera premiers Sept. 26." (Photo: Philip Montgomery/The Wall Street Journal ) Click here to see the full-size original image from above and more "Photos of the Week" at the Wall Street Journal.

How Klaus Florian Vogt Spends His Weekend

The heldentenor with Annette Dasch
in the Bayreuth Lohengrin.

"Klaus Florian Vogt is everything a heroic tenor should be: tall, handsome, romantic and in possession of the kind of voice that wins him standing ovations at opera houses from the Met in New York to the hallowed halls of Bayreuth, Germany, where he is currently appearing in Lohengrin. Mr. Vogt takes up the role of the Knight of the Swan for the duration of the opera festival, which ends August 28. When the singer isn't performing, he spends his free time flying a single-engine plane, surfing, riding horses and playing football with his sons and his neighborhood friends. Above all, he says, he's a family man and looks forward to just being home."

The interview discusses how he spends his weekend and topics like hobbies, his wife (also a singer) coaching him, favorite restaurants and whether he sings in the shower at home. Read the full article here.

Hei-Kyung Hong Has Her Moment in the Sun

The soprano has sung nearly 360 performances at the MET and covered countless other evenings
(Photo: Natalie Kessyar/Wall Street Journal)

A native of Seoul, South Korea, the soprano starting studying at the Juilliard School of Music at age 15. Now a highly successful opera singer of 51, she makes her home in Bayside, New York, with her husband. They have three children: two daughters, 30 and 31, and one son that is now 17. Read the Wall Street Journal article about her decisions to make the Metropolitan Opera the central focus of her career, even if that meant not being front-and-center of fame. She also discusses what helped her find the focus that created the longevity in her singing and why the voice maintains a wonderful gleam. You'll also find out if she is really kissing her Roméo et Juliette co-star Piotr Beczala during the performance! [Source]