Sun, 22 November 2009
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Glamourous yet stressed-out singers are turning to alcohol and drugs to beat the pressures of performing. |
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Most performers continue to avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse and no figures exist documenting the extent of such behavior. But insiders agree that heightened competition, unyielding sponsor demands and the weight of stardom are leading to excesses that invite comparisons of opera to sports tarnished by doping scandals.
Some attempts to stay on top are relatively harmless, like popping a beta-blocker to soothe the butterflies before stepping on stage. But others are more alarming.
Singers often overuse steroids in the form of cortisone to control inflamed vocal cords -- sometimes in amounts that can permanently impair their abilities, say performers and their doctors. Others drink too much. Still others snort cocaine, according to insiders.
Sometimes a tragedy
Inability to cope sometimes turns into tragedy -- as in the case of American tenor Jerry Hadley, who killed himself last month after what friends said was a prolonged bout of depression and reported financial and drinking problems.
''It's become somewhat like a pop-star culture,'' the Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka said of the growing pressures to get to the top -- and stay there.
''People are already talking about a new Anna Netrebko and she's only in her mid-30s,'' Pieczonka told The Associated Press, referring to the superstar Russian soprano. ''Now it's kind of like 'Anna's passe, let's get a new person.'''
Reflecting today's harsh environment, even Netrebko, who became Austria's darling when she took out citizenship last year, was scathingly criticized by Salzburg Festival officials when she recently canceled a performance because of throat problems.
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