Richards replaces Kaufmann

Mr. Richards as Werther in Vilnius December 2009.

COMMANDOpera has just learned Mr. Jonas Kaufmann has withdrawn from at least one performance of the Werther at the Opera National de Paris after only two performances due to illness. The highly anticipated participation of Mr. Kaufmann is noted in this COMMANDOpera article found here. Mr. Andrew Richards is flying in first thing tomorrow to take over. Mr. Richards interviewed here, has only just ended a run of Pinkertons at the Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin on Saturday. He will have one day to rehearse before the curtain rises Wednesday. It is fortunate the Opera National de Paris has such a stylistically excellent Werther so close at hand as Mr. Richards has just completed a run of Werther in Vilnius from where the picture above was taken. Here is what the audiences in Paris will be quite thrilled to enjoy:

Mr. Richards as Werther in 2007.

COMMANDOpera has no doubt the elegant Mr. Richards will not only save the performances he takes on for the Opera National de Paris, but will garnish tremendous applause from the Parisians while doing so. None the less it is amazing to COMMANDOpera that Mr. Richards agreed to take on this assignment given he is scheduled to begin work on his first Wagner role, Parsifal, for the Staatsoper Stuttgart. Bravo Signor.