Today the last concert of the bass-baritone Adam Plachetka took place in Prague. Don't worry about his health, he's just starting next season at the Wiener Staatsoper. :-) Dear Wieners, take good care of him, don't make him appear in crazy productions, and let him get back to Prague as often as possible!
At mere 25 years of age, Mr.Plachetka has got an extremely beautiful voice, excellent technique, breathtaking expressiveness and an artistic approach of a middle-aged Met soloist. His artistic intelligence is way ahead of his age, and he is a wonderful actor, too.
His today recital with piano compiled of a selection of songs by Mozart, Sibelius, Ravel's Songs of Don Quijote, topped with four Schönberg's Cabaret Songs. Having heard Mr.Plachetka several times in full operas, never a concert, I must admit that I didn't expect he would make me laugh with Mozart's Warnung, or nearly shred a tear with Sibelius's Säf, Säf, Susa or Svarta Rosor. For the last four cabaret songs, he had a high chair brought on stage, changed his bow tie for a red one, put a red flower in his lapel and acted a cabaret singer. I still laugh when I remember it! The encores were my beloved Impossible Dream and On the Street Where You Live. The atmosphere was simply great. I can't remember the last time my hands hurt from applauding. The pianist, David Švec, had to ostentatiously close the piano keyboard to show that there would be no further encores (what a pity). Oh, yeah, and besides all the voice and acting and intelligence and sense of humour, he does look as good as on this photo *swoon*!
So, don't overuse him in Vienna, return him if possible, and if not, definitely go and see him. He might appear elsewhere in Austria, and in 2012 he's going to be doing Masetto at ROH. Quite a career ahead of him, let us enjoy him while we can. We are going to hear about this man.
