Cecilia Bartoli has cancelled her participation in the baroque trilogy at La Scala, which was created around her. The project will present three Handel operas over the next three seasons, in the autumn of 2019 (Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare in Egitto), 2020 (Semele) and 2021 (Ariodante).
When tickets went on sale yesterday for Robert Carsen's new production of Giulio Cesare which runs from 18 October to 2 November 2019, it prompted a tweet and an announcement on Bartoli's website which reads:
Dear friends and fans of Cecilia Bartoli!
Cecilia Bartoli has taken note of the fact that the Teatro alla Scala is indicating that she will sing the role of Cleopatra in the new production of Giulio Cesare coming October/November. However, this is not the case. Cecilia Bartoli will not participate in said production! The Teatro alla Scala has been asked to correct accordingly.
However, at this moment, the press office at La Scala has received no information about this change and Bartoli's name and photo remain on its website as it tries to clarify the situation.
This article will be updated as more information emerges.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
