Not Good News

Lord knows, as do regular readers of S&F, that we're no fan of songbirds, especially Italian opera songbirds, and couldn't care less about their excesses and daily comings and goings, both personal and professional, but this is particularly disturbing to us. Had it come from the lips of any other songbird we'd toss it off as a PR or negotiating ploy, or a for-the-moment whim. But coming from the always bluntly honest Anna Netrebko it has the ring of plain intention, and is not good news for opera as Ms. Netrebko is one of its rarest birds: a genuinely, even prodigiously, gifted singer-actor.

What would I like to do besides singing? I can tell you honestly, I’m not that passionate anymore about singing and all this stuff, you know? Once I have a family and a kid, I’m so happy to have a family, and I’m not that enthusiastic anymore.

[...]

I wish to have a little more free time, that’s all. I would like to spend more time with the family and enjoy my life more. You know, even to go to dinner with my husband [baritone, Erwin Schrott], to buy food and cook, put on nice music, watch a nice movie, walk in the park, do the things together. I’m definitely not that singer who is like, ‘Ahh, my life is singing and nothing else.’ Definitely not. I have so many other wonderful things in my life.

Not good news for opera and opera fans. Not good news at all.