A disastrous Traviata!!!

Genova (Italy), 17 Feb 1983.

Dame Joan Sutherland is singing Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata" at the Teatro Margherita: towards the end of the performance, the audience roundly booed tenor Lamberto Furlan to the point that Richard Bonynge, who was conducting and Dame Joan, who had personally picked Furlan for the role, left the stage and refused to complete the performance.
This is what Joan Sutherland tells about this frightening evening in her autobiography: "After a very slight crack of the tenor in act 1, the audience voiced its disapproval momentarily. The opera proceeded without further interruption until the last act duet "Parigi o cara" when catcalls and booing erupted from a portion of the house, the rest calling for silence and wanting the opera to continue. Lamberto had done nothing to warrant such an outburst and I said quietly to him "We don't have to try and sing against that - come on", nodded to Richard and the three of us returned to our dressing-rooms."
Listen to the angry audience booing and insulting the whole cast!!!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• soprano
• joan
• sutherland
• lamberto
• furlan
• traviata
• opera
• verdi
• genova
• italy
• 1983
• crack
• boos
• perle
• nere
• diva

[ejrouge]

People like to think they know about music by booing and criticizing. If they know about music, they should show it by making it.

[Ale92Bass]

I'm italian and I hate such stupid people that interrupted a performance in this way... please, don't call us all the same as berlusconi, not all the italian are so stupid and rud.

[kh3205]

Like or not, the rude audience is one reason why opera singers try their best in Italy. If a singer does not want to be booed, he/she should not sing in Italy. I know Gencer got booed many times, but she did not care. Or I should say that she still wanted to win wars against the hostile audience. In any case, for this Traviata, the tenor had a war against the audience of Rome and he lost it.

[claireantoine]

L'erreur est humaine,la voix imprévisible,et capricieuse,une telle réaction est inappropriée! Un peu de tolérence ! Mettez vous à sa place! Le stress ,la difficulté de l'air,la concentration,chanter aux côtés de Sutherland... C'est vrai, jamais vous ne défaillez dans votre travail! Vous êtes parfaits!

[GA4N]

The italian people are wonderful ! They know what music is ! BRAVO !!!!

[dht23]

I think sometimes we like to forget that opera singers are human as well. We like to think that because they can sing amazingly, and have an amazing sound that they can't mess up or have bad nights. I didn't think anything was terribly wrong with his voice, his high notes weren't great, but he still had a nice point. No matter where the performance is though I think the audience should respect that these people do have an incredibly difficult job, and can't always be perfect.

[alfonsorama1]

Me parece fatal como reaccionó parte del público, vaya energúmenos. Te esperas a que acabe la función y si no te gusta no aplaudes. Seguramente hoy en día se moriría ese público de escuchar a muchos cantantes de hoy en día. He visto cosas mucho peores.

[cdoggiefizzle]

How rude of the audience! They should have been far more respectful to Sutherland, even if they were disappointed by the tenor.

[branko1b]

with music reviews (and other mass media issues) being as they are, the audiences like this are the only hope for some merit in performance(s) to survive

2 years ago i was at perf. of Lucia (over $300 - about 7-8 rows from stage) in Sydney OH, in s-t or s-b duets one could only hear the male voice(s)... will never regret not yelling "WE CAN'T HEAR YOU" - i can die ashamed for not doing it, even if it would certainly be solely to my own embarrassment...

reviews were more then just ravishing...

[photo161]

the tenor is unacceptable period.His voice is very small and unattractive, and his pitch is frequently just off enough to be questionable.  The audience has every right to expect better. The cynical might wonder if he wasn't chosen because is voice is so small and as such will make it an easier night for M. Sutherland. In addition, It's impossible not notice that the great M. Sutherland is far from being at her best. ...a bad night all around.

[makihara30chise]

@duffman7793 :D I AGREE WITH YOU PAL!! ^_^

[makihara30chise]

@mikey1011mikey O.O maybe bellebeast is just a jealous person not having his/her (the name maybe a trap xD) record and fame unnoticed! >:D let's just let it be, he/she just wants attention. <_<