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.
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”.