# "Ah! Non abbiamo un soprano!"



## dreadnought (Nov 27, 2017)

(I know this happened a while ago, but I only just found it, and I love it.)

Background: It's April 2016. Jonas Kaufmann is singing Cavaradossi in Tosca, with Angela Gheorghiu as his Tosca. Last week his "E lucevan le stelle" was received so well that he encored it. His co-star, Gheorghiu, is known to disapprove of encores.

Now he's just finished encoring "E lucevan le stelle" during tonight's performance. But when he finishes, Gheorghiu (who's supposed to immediately appear on stage) is nowhere to be found - she's either missed her cue, wrongly expecting the conductor to stop for applause (the kindly interpretation), or is punishing him for encoring (the diva interpretation).

Kaufmann, abandoned on stage, has the most hilarious "buh?" expression, before ad-libbing (adlib-singing?) a recit-style "Ah! Non abbiamo un soprano" ("Ah, we don't have a soprano!") as the audience descends into giggles. He eventually has to give the audience an impromptu explanation in German, and then the music starts again and Gheorghiu finally makes her entrance.

I can't stop giggling at Kaufmann's confusion as he looks at the traitorously empty stage. xD

(Skip to 2:56 to get to the final phrase of the aria and then the missed cue.)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

It's hilarious, available on bootleg DVD .


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## dreadnought (Nov 27, 2017)

Pugg said:


> It's hilarious, available on bootleg DVD .


If the Youtube clip ever goes down I might have to acquire that DVD, haha. Is this _Tosca _the one with Terfel as Scarpia? It'd be worth it for that too (I like Terfel).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

dreadnought said:


> If the Youtube clip ever goes down I might have to acquire that DVD, haha. Is this _Tosca _the one with Terfel as Scarpia? It'd be worth it for that too (I like Terfel).


 4/16/16. Kaufmann, Gheorghiu, Terfel, Green, Hong, Kobel, Pelz; Cobos (Broadcast, Excellent Quality, No Subtitles)

Complete cast.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Such a total disgrace and so unprofessional of her -- I don't care if she says she was on "the can" (which I wouldn't believe anyway).
No one ever tells her explanation.
What was her reason?


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## dreadnought (Nov 27, 2017)

nina foresti said:


> Such a total disgrace and so unprofessional of her -- I don't care if she says she was on "the can" (which I wouldn't believe anyway).
> No one ever tells her explanation.
> What was her reason?


I believe she just said that she was waiting to go on originally, but went back to her dressing room when she realized Kaufmann was encoring. Then she was on her way back to the stage but the fact that the conductor didn't pause for applause, like she was expecting (a different conductor had paused for applause after Kaufmann's encore the previous week), meant she didn't have time to make her entrance.

I don't really buy it either. The aria isn't really long enough, even with applause, to be wandering back to your dressing room.

Article from the time:

http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/opera_now/tragedy-turns-comedy-gheorghius-tosca-misses-cue-vienna/


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

She was just acting like a long gone Prima Donna, well done Jonas.


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