Angela Gheorghiu Cancels Baden Baden 'Faust' ; A Look At the Diva's Lengthy Cancellation History

Angela Gheorghu has cancelled the Baden Baden production of Gounod's "Faust."

The soprano announced her cancellation on Facebook and stated, "I am very sorry to have to turn down the offer from the Baden-Baden-Festspielhaus to perform in Faust in June this year. It has always been one of my principles not to sing in a new production that has not been conceived from the very beginning for me. It is also rather unusual for me to have to replace another singer. Nevertheless, I have tried to make it possible and to be available for the whole period but unfortunately I have not been successful in doing this.

"I sincerely hope to have the chance to be invited to a new production in Baden-Baden, that will be created for me, in future."

This is the second major cancellation in this production. Anna Netrebko was originally intended to sing the role of Marguerite but after months of preparation she realized the role did not suit her current voice.

The opera world is one of the most unpredictable industries. Singers program their seasons five years in advance but sometimes their voices change and the intended repertoire may not suit them anymore. Additionally singers are also fragile and may often times get sick. Recently Jonas Kaufmann cancelled a new production of Berlioz's "Les Troyens" while Natalie Dessay cancelled a production of Thomas' "Hamlet." Netrebko has recently cancelled a number of anticipated concerts and productions as well.

However Gheorghiu has recently been quiet in the media and has not headlined any scandals or productions. The soprano is known for having a difficult temper and being very specific with productions. She was fired from the Lyric Opera of Chicago when she refused to attend rehearsals and also caused chaos at the Metropolitan Opera in 2000 when the company was about to present a new production of Verdi's "La Traviata." More recently she cancelled a production of Bizet's "Carmen" at the Met because of personal issues with her ex-husband Roberto Alagna and later decided to withdraw from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" due to supposed poisoning. The last major cancellation was for "Faust" at the Met because she did not agree with the concept the director had imposed. More interestingly was the fact that Gheorghiu knew full well what the production would be like since it had premiered at the English National Opera a year before the Met's announcement of her involvement.

With all these cancellation the soprano's career had gone quiet for some time. The soprano stopped performing in the US all together and rarely performs at the Royal Opera House anymore. The assumption of Marguerite at Baden Baden was not seen as a surprise as the company needed a soprano of the same caliber and stature as Netrebko in order to fill the auditorium. Additionally Gheorghiu had recently saved a Verdi Gala which was supposed to be sung by Anja Harteros and Johan Botha but both cancelled. The gala while not conceived for Gheorghiu ended up being sung by her and was huge success.

Gheorghiu's departure from Bartlett Sher's highly anticipated production could have been a way to rebound her status as a superstar especially after a number of young singers have overshadowed her in the past few years. It would have also been her chance to headline a new production since she has not had the honor to do that in a number of years. Additionally Gheorghiu would have been a success especially since the role fo Marguerite is one of her calling cards and one that she has garnered acclaim for.   

The Baden Baden production of Faust will be presented in April and stars Charles Castronovo in the title role and Erwin Schrott. The search for another Marguerite is presumably underway.

Update: Gheorghiu Has Taken Down Her Comments from Her Faceboo Page!