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?

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.

People on the Internet being inconsistently critical? What a shock, a complete and utter shock!

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!

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?

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?

Where did she and Ed Koch eat?

I understand he is partial to the works of Marschner, Lortzing and Nicolai.

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”.

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.

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.

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.”

She may wind up needing the tender ministrations of a Karl Rove.

Who has the poopy on what’s going on at NYCO?

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”.

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

They’ll never let her near the top job.

I’ve no idea if that means NYCO is saved, though.

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?