Did she get fired for having breast cancer?
After 20 years of singing in prime opera roles, soprano Ruth Ann Swenson sees her parts being given away to Renée Fleming and Danielle de Niese, her understudy for “Giulio Cesare.” Did her recent bout with breast cancer play a part in the decision made by Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera's general manager? Swenson and her husband David Burnakus say that Gelb "doesn’t like me anyway,” and considers her age, 47, and her full figure more of a detriment. Gelb is changing the Met's emphasis to dramatic and theatrical aspects of opera, over singing quality and power. Swenson, who had surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer, is regrowing her hair, and rebuilding her stamina. She will appear on opera stages in Venice, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Dallas, and at the New York City Opera next season. Photo credit:
AP Photo/Ben Margot
Comments
Tamoxifen and other treatments are known to affect the voice. Some women have lost the ability to sing on key after treatment for breast cancer. This should be handled like other worker’s compensation or disability issues.
Look, even if Ruthie can’t sing like she used to - She is a far superior singer than the *ss and tit shaking Danielle de Niese, Who by the way has nothing even close to Swenson’s magic and vocal ability! Ruthie has ravishing tone, heart melting Piano and crescendos,vocal agility and a dynamite stage presence. What does the Met know?..Nothing..
There are many great singers out there that the Met ignores..Let me list a few..
Cecilia Bartoli,Eva Podwels,Matthias Goerne,The late great Lorriane Hunt Lieberson-who by the way died of Cancer..Who did far too few Operas at the Met!! The singers at the Met are horrible..The only thing saving them is the wonderful Renee Fleming and a handful of others..