mortier on the green hill?
Opera Chic reports this morning that Gerard Mortier is throwing his hat in the, uh, Ring for the co-directorship of the Bayreuth Festival. The Belgian intendant is reportedly teaming up with Nike Wagner to apply for the top Bayreuth spot to be vacated as soon as it can be pried from Wolfgang Wagner’s cold dead fingers. (And he’s not even dead yet, so don’t hold your breath.)
The Mortier/Nike partnership is considered a dark horse for the job, with the odds-on favorite the team comprised of Wolfgang’s daughters Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier.
So…go fuck yourself, NYCO? Does he really think he can do both? If he’s already looking for another job before he’s started his next, this is not a good sign.
This is a great idea. Nike and Morty can cancel all the opera productions and replace them with concerts in interesting makeshift locations around the town of Bayreuth.
…the top Bayreuth spot to be vacated as soon as it can be pried from Wolfgang Wagner’s cold dead fingers.
It was pried from his fingers well over a month ago. He voluntarily resigned his position in writing at that time. He’s out, no matter what.
ACD
Hey! I have a great idea for that Cycle’s production.
Let’s Make Wotan a CEO, Brunnhilde his daughter something like a CFO, Erda his secretary and Fricka his spurned wife because he cheated on her with Erda.
The Walkures could be mailroom workers, Hunding can be a high-powered company attorney and Segliende his trophy wife who was forced into a marriage of convenience by her father.
I am sure this will be shocking to all of you, since this concept is completely new and goes against everything what is done at the Bayreuth Festival; but it can work, can’t it?
Nike is far and away the most intelligent and psycholgically healthy ( a relative term with this family, you understand ) of her Wagner generation.
They’ll never let her near the top job.
I’ve no idea if that means NYCO is saved, though.
hey … if placido can helm both LA and DC, why cant mortier handle city opera and bayreuth?
Oops: I wrote above:
It [Wolfgang Wagner's position as director of the Bayreuther Festspiele] was pried from his [Wolfgang Wagner's] fingers well over a month ago.
I misremembered the date. Wolfgang’s formal letter of resignation was dated (or rather publicly announced) 29 April 2008.
ACD
If NYCO weren’t in such trouble, I’d say it would be possible for him to run both companies. But the two are half-way across the world from each other, and one of them is on life support. I can only imagine which would end up getting the most attention after a time. When would this schizophrenia start?
Wolfgang Wagner may not be dead yet, but he’s VERY OLD, so it can’t be that long.
I think it would be a shame for Mortier to bail on the NYCO job before he has even done his inaugural season. His first season is unique, after all, while the MET in the same season is offering almost all warhorses.
He seems to be either passionately hated, or revered as the Jesus Christ of opera by all and sundry. I wonder if Bayreuth wants to really take on his baggage. He does come with a great deal of baggage. I guess it comes down to “does his baggage outweigh his talent and ability”.
Mortier at Bayreuth? Nike allying herself with an outsider to wrest control? Probably not gonna happen. But this does seems like Mortier realizes the quagmire that he has gotten himself into at NYCO. Focusing on the Festspielhaus wouldn’t be a glamorous excuse to take an early leave from NYC after a couple of seasons. His second in charge has already headed for COC. How many more of his trusted staff may not be making the trip across the pond?
Who has the poopy on what’s going on at NYCO?
Correction: “focusing on the Festpielhaus WOULD create glamorous exit”
If Wolfgang hangs on until May 22, 2013 he will be around for the 200th anniversary of his grandfather’s birth.
MYB: True, but that is a little under 5 years away. It seems unlikely that he could last another 5 years.
Does anyone know, has he written a memoir of any sort? Imagine what he could tell about so many people, especially now, when he is old, presumably embittered by his (forced?) departure from Bayreuth, and has nothing to lose except his balance on the banana peel he’s standing on, next to a yawning grave.
The German press is going to report some “financial irregularities” attached to Katherina.
She may wind up needing the tender ministrations of a Karl Rove.
He wrote a memoir ten or fifteen years ago. It was “a good read” and had some amusing stories about the rivalry between Karajan and Kna.
Apparently, Karajan insisted upon having his own private toilet. Arrangements were duly made for him. One day, Kna pointed it out and said, “This is Herr Karajan’s WC. And that one is for the other assholes.”
He seems to be either passionately hated, or revered as the Jesus Christ of opera by all and sundry
Or: he’s an interesting, cultured man who cares passionately about opera and sometimes gets it right, sometimes fails spectacularly. Seriously, what could he do at City Opera that would cause the company to be any LESS relevant or buzz-creating? I’m not being facetious, that’s a serious question. He bit the bullet for the renovations, and the first season looks quite promising, as do the bits of future seasons that have leaked out. If nothing else, he should be lauded for ditching the musicals and I think it’s a great idea to go to the stagione system. Once the City Opera season ends, he would go to Bayreuth, when that ends, he’s back in New York. There’s this thing called multi-tasking, I hear it’s all the rage these days.
His second in charge has already headed for COC
And that was Mortier’s fault how? The man, Alexander Neef, was offered the General Director-ship of the sixth largest opera company in North America, a company that just moved in to a new opera house. I’ve seen this bit of human resources stuff used as a ding against Mortier before and I *still* don’t get how it reflects badly on him, in fact it’s the exact opposite: his underling was so highly thought of in the opera business, a pretty substantial company handed him the reins with no prior experience as a GD. And yes, a wife-and-baby is not guarantee of heterosexuality, but he doesn’t appear to be one of Mortier’s Homosexual Cabal, dedicated to taking over opera administration one high profile job at a time either.
Once the City Opera season ends, he would go to Bayreuth, when that ends, he’s back in New York. There’s this thing called multi-tasking, I hear it’s all the rage these days.
I suppose that’s possible, but the time commitment for a job like this is not just while the season is on, but in preparing for the season and for the next one. I can’t say as I know what the specifics of the job are like in both cases, but it does seem like it would be a strain to be running two major operations. I’m no fan of when conductors spread themselves thin and ensure that no place gets the benefit of their focused attention.
Interesting that the chairman of the board of NYCO was having lunch with a recent NYC mayor… now that could be interesting programming
I can’t say as I know what the specifics of the job are like in both cases, but it does seem like it would be a strain to be running two major operations
Mortier wouldn’t be “running” Bayreuth, he’d be a co-director with the awesomely named Nike if they’re appointed. I’m assuming she’s there to do more than pose for photo ops. I agree about “spreading too thin” –it’s a concern my friends and I have about Gustavo Dudamel when he takes over the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009-10– but already, I’ve read two other opera-centric blogs that have the knives out for Mortier re: NYCO and he hasn’t even gotten the Bayreuth job yet! It’s unreal to me. Gawd, it’s like some bad musical where a provincial little podunk town rallies around to mock and scorn and drive out someone who “isn’t one of us”.
well, Neef is quite a hottie. If he decides to swing that door open (if it exists) he can call me. I am no more than 3 hours away from Chicago, and if he or Nathan Gunn called, I am sure I can make it in 2.
OK, OK, I guesses wrong COC and COT are not the same thing. Still, I’d take me a little longer, but I would still take the drive. Have you queens seen his pictures in the COC site?
“Interesting that the chairman of the board of NYCO was having lunch with a recent NYC mayor… now that could be interesting programming”
Where did she and Ed Koch eat?
I understand he is partial to the works of Marschner, Lortzing and Nicolai.
Where were you nattering Nells who think someone running the NYCO can’t be a co-director of a summer festival during the years when Paul Kellogg was *sole* intendant of both NYCO and Glimmerglass?
And how is it, as is constantly implied here, Mortier’s fault that the City Opera is without a director for two seasons? Or that one of the seasons has to be shut down because of construction in the house? (Though I can easily imagine his horror at most of what went up on that stage last season.) How is it his duty to make up for the board’s improvidence and the, um, serious clinical dysfunction of his predecessor in the job even before he takes office?
What on earth, NO. 23, would make you assume Koch? Wouldn’t Giuliani be the more intelligent guess, not to mention “recent.”
Though I can’t imagine why this sliver of gossip is implied to be of the slightest importance. You or I could easily have lunch with Mrs. Baker, and I have had it with Giuliani, as have many thousands of others. Why is it of any operatic significance if they ate together?
Where were you nattering Nells who think someone running the NYCO can’t be a co-director of a summer festival during the years when Paul Kellogg was *sole* intendant of both NYCO and Glimmerglass?
Good question, though the response would probably be “Glimmerglass and Bayreuth are not even close to being comparable”. I wonder if Mortier is there to mentor Nike Wagner, teach her the ropes of opera management and then leave or become a consultant, like I think he did after starting the RuhrTriennale? Wait! He started an arts festival while running the Salzburg Festival, that’s unpossible (tm Ralph Wiggums), you can’t do two things at once!
Hedging his bets already? What a putz.
Re: Alto:
People on the Internet being inconsistently critical? What a shock, a complete and utter shock!
Henry Holland: Well said regarding Alexander Neef. After serving as Mortier’s second-in-command for a few years at the prestigious Paris Opera, I think that a move to a similar position at NYCO would be more a step down than up. Neef got a great gig (I live in Toronto and actually worked on the opera house as a fundraiser; it is a great facility with near-perfect acoustics. The company is full of potential). I don’t think that it needs to be seen as a slight against Mortier.
At first I thought that it was odd of Mortier to be applying for the Bayreuth position not having started his NYCO position yet. However, in terms of scheduling, the two organisations might be a perfect complement. Bayreuth is a summer festival while NYCO runs in the typical Fall-Winter-Spring schedules. The yearly administrative cycles would probably ebb and flow nicely. And as has been mentioned, Mortier won’t have full responsibility at either organisation (I’m sure he’ll hire an administrative no. 2 at NYCO) so the work involved wouldn’t be all-consuming.
Thanks, Kashania, I appreciate the kind words. Yes, COC is full of potential, they’re currently doing stuff like War and Peace amidst the warhorses, if he clicks with the board, the staff and the fundraisers, Toronto could become an opera-travel destination spot for those of us that like 20th century non-standard rep stuff. Erm, that is, if he programs it first!
People on the Internet being inconsistently critical? What a shock, a complete and utter shock!
Hahahaha, well played. I’ve always loved the lines from Jesus Christ Superstar, where Judas sings to Jesus “It doesn’t help us if you’re inconsistent / They only need a small excuse / To put us all away”. Whatever would Judas think of the Internet?
Mr. Holland – I know that I am days late on getting back to this. I mentioned that his second in charge leaving for Canada only in saying that he will not be bringing his full “team” to NYCO. Nothing against Mortier for that – the guy would have been a fool to pass up that opportunity. I also never stated that he couldn’t do both jobs.I am HUGE fan of Mortier and like you said considering the past 5 seasons or so; he has nowhere to go but up from there.
Do the people at NYCO want to twin with Bayreuth? Isn’t this double dipping before the first dip has even started? Is American opera going to be buried? What about the pure partnership with Glimmerglass, in the shadow of the Baseball Hall of Fame. If the Opera needs to merge, at least they could merge with an American company.
If I were on the board at NYCO I’d give him 100,000 dollars and put him on the first plane back to Europe. Running an opera company (and certainly one in trouble) requires commitment and focus, not pocket filling self-interest. Simple as that.