Andrei Serban

 

One of the greatest disasters of my career was representing Andrei Serban to Covent Garden for ... Fidelio. I absolutely knew it would be a disaster based on Serban's unsuitable personality. His Turandot for the ROH (still running)  was a fantastic success but truth be known, he had little to do with it. When they offered it to him for the ROH at the Los Angeles olympics,he said he had only 10 days availability so he got them to engage a team from Peter Brook's company (his Dramaturg and Chloe Obolensky) and Kate Flatt for movement and said they should get on with it and he would come in at the end and change everything as was his wont.

For the re-engagement they said he could do either 'Dutchman'* or 'Fidelio.' Andrew and I had the following conversation;

Me: Drew, what should I do? ROH want Serban to direct 'Fidelio' and I know for a fact it's going to be a disaster. He has no idea what Fidelio is and he doesn't have the character to do it justice.

Drew: It's our job to take commission. 

So I did and it was a fiasco.

Not my finest hour, not Serban's and I am afraid it probably sent people away thinking this was not a good opera.

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