South Florida Classical Review

Christopher Bengochea

Palm Beach Opera has a new tenor for this weekend’s performances of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, which opens tonight and runs through Sunday.

Giuseppe Filianoti, who was scheduled to sing, “is unable to perform the services required” said the company, for its production at the Kravis Center. The Sicilian tenor has been beset by intermittent vocal problems in recent seasons, including last year’s Rigoletto at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Christopher Bengochea, who made his Palm Beach debut in the company’s 2009 La Boheme, will take on the role of the romantically prolific title poet for all three performances.

“Christopher is a charismatic artist with a voice perfectly suited to Offenbach’s vocal writing in The Tales of Hoffmann,” said Daniel Biaggi, Palm Beach Opera’s general director in a statement released by the company. “The brilliance yet also warmth in his sound lends itself wonderfully to French repertoire.”

For info go to pbopera.org or call 561-833-7888.

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Also Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos has cancelled next weekend’s dates with the New World Symphony. The 80-year-old Spanish conductor was stricken last week while conducting the National Symphony Orchestra, and, though he finished the concert, has cancelled all upcoming dates.

NWS conducting fellow Joshua Gersen will take over podium duties for the program March 28 at New World Center and March 29 at the Arsht Center.

For the Arsht concert, Albeniz’s Suite Espanola has been replaced with Ravel’s Mother Goose. The rest of the program for each venue remains the same: Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Garrick Ohlsson. nws.edu; 305-673-3331

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One Response to “New tenor for PB Opera “Hoffmann” & new conductor for NWS date”

1. Posted Mar 24, 2014 at 9:04 am by george

   was very disappointed to arrive at kravis to find out that Filianoti had been replaced. all the beautiful PR pieces in the post and delivered to my home featured one of my favorite tenors (Filianoti).

   Daniel Biaggi, in his pre=performance welcoming speech, made no mention of the change in the title role.

   the opera house was not full at the beginning of the performance and dwindled even more after act I and then act II.

   very disappointing.

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