Brian Schembri withdraws as conductor of Romeo et Juliette
The Sunday Times last week confirmed that Brian Schembri will not be conducting the upcoming two performances of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, as part of the Bank of Valletta Opera Festival, on March 16 and 18, as originally planned and advertised in the...
The Sunday Times last week confirmed that Brian Schembri will not be conducting the upcoming two performances of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, as part of the Bank of Valletta Opera Festival, on March 16 and 18, as originally planned and advertised in the Teatru Manoel's Performance Diary for 2004-05.
The performances will be conducted instead by Michael Laus, resident conductor of the National Orchestra.
The main roles in the opera will be sung by Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, currently appearing with great success in La Traviata at Covent Garden, and his Moldovan wife, soprano Tatjana Lisnic.
It is understood that Paris-based Mro Schembri, who in December gave a piano recital at the Manoel, withdrew his services after the Manoel Theatre found it could not meet a number of conditions he had laid down, particularly concerning the number and period of rehearsals for the opera, after initially agreeing to them.
Asked to comment, Wilfred Kenely, chairman of the Manoel Theatre Management Committee, said that when Mro Schembri withdrew, this put the theatre in an awkward situation, but he respected the conductor's decision on professional and artistic grounds, once the theatre could not meet his conditions.
However, Mr Kenely added, "the show must go on", and this was why he felt he should express his gratitude to Mro Laus, who has taken over the direction of the opera "in unusual circumstances" and "to provide opera lovers with a quality production of Romeo et Juliette as planned".
Mro Schembri told The Sunday Times that he had accepted this contract on certain artistic, technical, professional and financial conditions which were agreed to by the Manoel Theatre.
However, "most of these conditions were little by little compromised to such a degree that I felt that my participation, contribution and services as music director of this production were no longer required or appreciated. This has rendered my participation impossible.
"It is sad, but interesting to point out that, regardless of the fact that the competent authorities involved have shown full understanding and even agreement and sympathy with my contentions, it seems that the production is to go on without my participation."