Antonio Pappano Talks To The Times Ahead Of Kaufmann’s Debut As Otello
Will he or won’t he?
Sydney’s opera lovers are waiting with bated breath on the arrival of star tenor Jonas Kaufmann who will sing a concert version of Parsifal with American mezzo-soprano Michelle de Young as Kundry for Opera Australia in August.
Three years ago, Kaufmann gave two legendary recitals in Sydney which earned standing ovations and appeals for encores from an audience that refused to go home.
Recently, Kaufmann’s performances have been interrupted by illness and cancellations precipitated by a desire to perform closer to home and spend time with his Europe based family. He withdrew from the season of Tosca at the Met scheduled for later this year.
However, on June 21, Jonas Kaufmann debuts in the title role of Verdi’s Otello at the Royal Opera Covent Garden.
In this interview for The Times Antonio Pappano, director of music at the Royal Opera talks about his own future and the risks of working with elite singers.
