Striking a low note: Erwin Schrott (left) in a 2006 production of The Marriage of Figaro. Photograph: Tristram Kenton
A PS to the Schrott cancellation saga: the hoped-for High Court showdown of Ian Rosenblatt v Erwin Schrott (AKA Mr Anna Netrebko), will now, alas, have to be cancelled. Schrott has climbed down, with magnificent contrition, as per this statement: "I regret the unfortunate misunderstanding between Mr Rosenblatt and me, and that I was unable to perform at the concert scheduled on 11 June 2008 at Cadogan Hall. I am aware of the problems and losses Rosenblatt Recitals suffered by this cancelled concert, and by way of amends I am pleased to make a donation to charity. I admire Mr. Rosenblatt and his Rosenblatt Recitals series and the loyal audiences of this series, I wish Rosenblatt Recitals great and continued success."
Schrott's charity du choix is COSMIC (Children of St Mary's Intensive Care); and it's good that there will be other winners to this story of baritone brinkmanship other than Ian Rosenblatt's reputation as the scourge of singers' sick-notes. But Schrott probably has other things on his mind right now: he's singing in an almost unanimously lambasted production of Don Giovanni in Salzburg this month (his performance, as Leporello, was damned as "uninteresting" in the Austrian press - reviews are collated here). Still, at least there's parenthood with Anna Netrebko to look forward to.
