The singer, his wife and the irate promoter

Unless there is a settlement, the opera singer Erwin Schrott's next big appearance may not be at Covent Garden or the Met, but in the witness box.

The devilishly handsome Uruguayan bass-baritone, whose fiancee, the fiery Russian soprano Anna Netrebko is expecting their first child any day now, is being sued for breach of contract by the London music promoter Ian Rosenblatt.

The dispute follows Schrott allegedly pulling out of a performance in Chelsea's Cadogan Hall last month, reports the Daily Mail, after 800 tickets had been sold and a top orchestra booked. Rosenblatt said that he would have dropped the matter if Schrott made a donation to charity but he maintains that he has heard nothing from the singer and has now issued High Court proceedings. (Continued below)

Rosenblatt, who spends £500,000 a year promoting London recitals, says that Schrott is a fool. "He refused to explain why he was cancelling. Now he's hiding from me, but I'm going to hunt him down." He goes on: "This is not about money, it is about principle. I've got a reputation in the music industry and I'm not having my name screwed up by some idiot sticking two fingers up to me and the people who paid to watch him."Schrott was not available for comment.

Schrott and Netrebko are on the verge of being opera's new golden couple. With a sublime voice, looks to kill and a penchant for dancing the cancan in Russian nightclubs, Netrebko has caused even some of London's fustiest opera critics to admit to a trembling in their knees.