American to helm American opera company
As La Cieca indicated previously, Francesca Zambello (center) is going to add the notch of General and Artistic Director of Glimmerglass Opera to her already bulging belt. [NYT] La Zambello is perhaps best known for her exquisite visual taste.
You are more right than you say, Alto. Manuela
is all that and more (in the organization). This
is a big plus for Glimmer….and if all goes well,
perhaps in other ways for the NY music theatre
community. FZ is a serious artist; this may
turn out very well.
Now, if they just had a classic 1800-seat
opera house built on the old European model for
which so much operatic literature was written.
Alto,
“’She knows what she is doing and has influential (and wealthy) friends …’
Name one. Just one.” Of course when you challenged us to name “just one” influential person FZ knows you did that because you knew it would be so easy!
Now I can undertand your affinity for George Steel, you both have the desire to appear as ridiculous as possible.
George’s quote from the Times is as follows;
“When asked what these challenges (to NYCO) were, Mr. Steel said, “’I don’t know whether you’ve read the paper, but there’s a downturn that’s affected opera companies all around the country.’”
Given Mr. Steel’s other quotes, among them “It costs more money to put on concerts than not to put on concerts.” I think your irony defence is rather weak. It seems we are dealing with a rather plodding intelligence here.
But since you are the expert on all things Steel (even conversations in which you took no part) explain this to me. Why would a conductor, a protege of Bernstein, pass on the chance to conduct Bernstein’s work?
It can’t be because he is overwhelmed with his responsibilities is it? Why should he be? He’s turned NYCO into the “Spinal Tap” of opera companies. Next year I expect the marquis will read “Puppet Show and New York City Opera.”
Of course, there’s always the possibility someone with some real moolah will walk in the NYCO front door and insist George be sent out the back before that happens. Believe me Mary Cronson does not have enough money to prop up this failing edifice.
I refuse to argue at that level of idiocy.
And besides, I have never disputed Francesca Zabello’s fine qualifications for the job she has been awarded. What I dispute is the hysterical nonsense served up, in Bloomberg sources and elsewhere, with much darker motives than praising her excellent qualities. I trust that those qualities will be much in evidence Upstate and will be heralded in publications that can be respected for objectivity.
Where have I ever claimed any special expertise about or special relationship with Steel? I hope common decency towards a known character does not require a special relationship. You of course don’t even have the well-distributed knowledge of him, or you couldn’t attribute a “plodding intelligence” — something you certainly can’t be accused of — to that person. Your fantasizing about things you don’t understand is reckless and inconsiderate of people and institutions.
Ars longa. Vita brevis.
And since life is too short to be spent thus, you’re seeing the last of Alto. He’s going the way of Bunbury.
Just for the record, I stand by what I said in support of Zambello way back in #6. Of course I’m not going to run off a list of names and institutions on this site. A meaningless challenge since no one would do that. I haven’t been prompted to make my positive statements about Zambello by “the Bloomberg machine” or anyone else. They are my views alone and they are based on personal experience. I think we’ve beaten this topic to death now. The proof will be in the pudding.