Soprano cancels Carnegie debut

Anna Netrebko, the glamorous Russian soprano, has canceled her debut recital at Carnegie Hall, saying she’s not ready to perform a solo concert there.

“After much thought, I have asked Carnegie Hall for permission to postpone my recital on March 2, 2006, to a future season,” an apologetic Netrebko said in a statement this week. “I have sung very few recitals in my career, and I do not feel artistically ready yet to present a recital program on the great stage of Carnegie Hall. I know that with more recital experience this will change, and I feel a strong responsibility to present only my very best at this great concert hall and to the New York public.”