Person to person
Finally, the background to the story that rocked the operatic world earlier this summer. Peter Stein withdrew from the Met’s Boris Godunov “because he felt offended by his treatment at the United States Consulate in Berlin when he applied for a work visa and by a lack of sympathy from Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, over confrontations with bureaucracy. ” [NYT]
I like of like this thing Nico Muhly just posted about this:
http://nicomuhly.com/news/2010/la-migra/
It’s interesting to see the various posters taking sides, unequivocally, with one or the other. But just to question, would any of you change your mind substantively if it had been Zeffirelli instead of Stein?
The difference is that Zeffirelli has been traveling to and working in the United States for 50 years now. As I understand it, this Boris was Stein’s first directing engagement in this country.
Peter Gelb boasted quite a bit (and with very good reason) about convincing Stein to work at the Met. So it seems to me that he wouldn’t have just shrugged his shoulders and said, “who cares?” at the first sign of trouble in the professional relationship.
Stein has worked internationally before, particularly with Welsh National Opera, but that was almost 20 years ago, and surely with a different sort of experience in obtaining a work visa and traveling.
This is a pity, and I don’t think it’s either Gelb’s or Stein’s fault that they couldn’t come to terms.
Oh, and another detail is that Zeffirelli is now a petulant hack who’s no longer worth pursuing. Stein is still at something like the height of his powers, and he was engaged for what would probably have turned out to be his only American production ever, so it was worth going to a good deal of trouble to clear a path for him.
Well, it may be his first opera gig in the U.S., but he was certainly here back in July for Lincoln Center Festival’s production of The Demons. He introuced each “chapter” and even acted in the big party scene.
So, he made it past the border in July, which he didn’t mention in this article. So I’m not sure why he was so unwilling to try again…
Stein directed a new production of “Don Giovanni” for Lyric Opera of Chicago which opened their 2004-2005 season, FWIW. At one point he must have been given a visa by the US, because he stayed for the whole rehearsal period, approximately one month.
Customs keeps ignoring “John Danson”‘s tips about an elderly Italian heroin mule.
Didn’t Stein have to come over for The Demons?
The Times says Stein “came for the performances and did not need a work visa.” I imagine the procedures for obtaining visas are for a touring company than they would be for an individual working as a contractor.
Oops, you’re right of course.
I find the whole thing revolting Gelb will do ANYTHING for publicity.
Including manipulating Consular staff in Berlin to be deeply unpleasant, it seems. I also heard Gelb personally wrote the J1 visa rules.
What on earth do you mean? The article very clearly reads as originating from Stein. No artistic director immediately busts out the “seeking alternatives” line without having already done a lot of sucking up. The Met even sent a staff member to Berlin to hold his hand through the visa process!
Right. The Met’s original official reaction to the Stein matter was a simple announcement that he departed for “personal reasons” and to announce Wadsworth as the new director of the production.
As a journalist, I can tell you it’s awfully nice that the Met actually bothers to send out press releases to the media when these things happen, or that the Met even has a functioning press department, which it certainly didn’t before Gelb came on board.
The NYT says: “He [Stein] was born in Germany and has lived in Italy for the last 13 years.” Well, I guess you just don’t argue with bureaucrats in Germany and that unpleasant Italian bureaucrats often need to be placated with a little sweetener …
As a European, I have actually been wondering about US feelings on Stein’s statement in the current edition of Opera News that : “The United States has no serious theater tradition.”
I am not exactly sure what he is saying there, or why he is saying it, but having once witnessed Stein grandstanding at a press conference in Salzburg — he pretty much held a 45-minute monologue in which he set the world to rights according to Peter — I doubt he is the world’s most sensitive directorial flower.
Well, he’s right. The United States does have no (or at any rate very little) serious theater tradition. Generally, if a country has a serious theater tradition, they have a national theater or a system of national theaters. The US is a rarity among developed countries in that it lacks this sort of commitment. Even in so major a metropolis as New York, by far the biggest emphasis is on boulevard, for-profit theater, with productions of difficult or classic material shaped to snob appeal or the box-office draw of a film star.
And it’s entirely possible to observe this without involving a value judgment: in other words, to take this lack of “serious theatrical tradition” as a sort of given.
How then to classify the serious regional theatres like the Guthrie, opened in 1963, and the Louisvile Theater Festival?
You’re right about that, though, first, these companies might not be known to Stein, and, second, what exactly does it say about the state of “serious theater” in a country when the two examples of such you produce are located “regionally,” i.e., in contrast to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and the other big metropolitan areas?
The comments here tend to gloss over an issue that, to me, is very important: the humilating, racist, even sadistic way in which the American Immigration system treats foreign artists. If Gheorghiu or Netrebko hadn’t acquired Austrian passports early on in their careers, they would problably not be allowed to travel to the US today and all you people would be deprived of precious bitching opportunities. A talented young Romanian singer, for instance, if invited to the US for an audition today, could not get even a tourist visa because…, well, because he/she is Romanian!!! If this is not called racism (or racialism, which is just as bad), then I don’t know what is!
Whatever the actual details of the Peter Stein/Gelb/Met situation, the upside is that it shines some light on the appalling behaviour of these twits that work for the US Immigration Authority wordlwide, whose attitude is: we don’t care what your credentials are, since you are not American or, at least, Western European, you are a lesser human being, as far as we are concerned.
I used to make the trip to New York for the Met at least two or three times a season, but each time I contemplate coming, I think of the hassle of immigration and being treated like someone who might be coming into the country to blow up the Rockefeller Center. At the end of the day, it seems preferable to go to the cinema, buy the DVD and spend the saved shekels on European trips. I’m sure UK immigration isn’t much better for non-residents, so I can understand if Americans feel the same about coming here. But once you are through the Eurostar tunnel, Europe is open. You can travel anywhere without being challenged. We had a similar incident here when an Iranian director – momentarily I’ve forgotten his name but he is a noted film-maker – has problems with the British Embassy in Iran and decided not to come for ENO’s Cosi fan tutte. His assistant staged it, and he issued directions by email.
Abbas Kiarostami.
And it was bloody awful.
Going through customs at European airports can also be very painful. I arrived at Heathrow on July 3, 8 am and had to stand in line for almost four hours to get my passport stamped. The line went around and around and around and on to the hallway and around again and again. Not exactly a “welcome” sign.
I was sure you were going to turn out to be wrong about Romania, but you’re quite right, it is not on the Visa Waiver Programme. I do find that difficult to understand, when it’s a member of the EU – you’d think there would be 1 rule for all member states.
Regina, I know what you mean, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the experience the last couple of times. I always get the same silly question because my place of birth is a different country from my citizenship, but unless you’re very unlucky with the time your flight lands and you end up in a 2 hour cue, I don’t personally think that for a tourist, it’s much worse than the passport control you have to go through if you fly within the EU.
I havemn’t been to the USA since 1999. Does the American visa waiver form still include that question about whether you have ever been engaged in genocide?
Which is worse,saying ‘yes’ to that or trying to smuggle in an apple?
You have to answer it online now before you go, but yes, the question remains. I’m not sure apples are such a huge issue these days, but woe betide you if you enter the country with snails.
You seem to think I don’t know what I am talking about, so I will cite a concrete example (without names, though). A young and already successful Romanian singer has an open invitation to the US from a NY foundation that was created by a proeminent singer to support young talent. Although she has close family in America, her (tourist) visa application was turned down; no explanation, but hints that, God forbid!, she might decide to STAY in the US. She tried again the following year and the irrate American consulate employee asked her how come she DARED apply again, since she had been turned down once already. The foundation is still trying to find a way…
And yes -for those who are still naive-, some countries are more equal than others, even WITHIN the European Community.
No, I’m quite sure you DO know what you’re talking about, it was just news to me that the situation is the way it is. My expression of incredulity was not in any way an attempt to cast doubt over what you said – I was just rather taken aback at the whole affair.
I’m surprised that Mr Stein actually went in person to make the application. Now I must admit I’m not familiar with how the Visa processing is handled at US Embassies/Consulates or what the restrictions are but when occasionally working in the Immigration Section at my Country’s Embassies abroad that sort of thing – work permits for performers/artists – has been arranged and handled by artists’ agents.
Only once do I remember a big name artist coming in themselves – Ewa Poddles in Warsaw and that was beause she wanted to personally say thank you to the people involved.
To the best of my knowledge, J Visas must be interviewed in person. Pre 9/11 there used to be a ‘group’ visa, which meant you got one whole visa for an entire orchestra. Following 9/11, a lot of European orchestras (Halle was one) cancelled US tours because they couldn’t afford to send all their musicians to the nearest US consulate for an interview. I think nowadays the only visas that don’t require interview are A and G (diplomats and- I think- NATO/UN staff).
But within the past two months, State has recognised the frustrations of presenters in trying to get artists into the countries on J visas, and the sometimes inexplicable delays and denials. There was a big conference call to address it- I believe the opera world was represented by Scorca.
What BS, Alto and others of that persuasion. We lost thousands of lives and billions of dollars on 9/11. Spanish Railroad cars, anyone?
You know that there have been PUBLIC threats from certain extremist elements to the effect that they are far from done doing all the damage they can here in the US. The result is that it takes longer and you need more documentation to deal with not only our consulates but also airport security.
Old man? More BS. I’m older than he is and I had NO PROBLEM in dealing with either a foreign immigration organization or an American Consulate in getting a passport in a foreign land in April of 2009. I lost my passport aboard a flight to Israel. You can imagine the reaction when I showed up in the office of the chief immigration officer at the airport. Yes, it took an hour or so. Yes they went through my carry-on, checked the aircraft and had me turn out my pockets. Yes they threatened me with immediate rejection. No, they didn’t act on the threat but took the time to verify my credentials and finally, once they were satisfied that I was no threat, allowed me into the country.
The experience at the American Consulate was also strenuous but at all times courteous and positive. First, the consulate is in the Arab section of Jerusalem. Visiting Israel, as I was, made me just a tad uneasy. The place was mobbed, as families who had come to Israel from the US can get US passports and citizenship for all their many offspring born in Israel. Each child becomes a separate case, with documentation need. What a workload! The consulate took me in turn, assisted me in getting a new passport, showed me how to expedite its delivery (a passport takes a while to produce and my stay was not so long as it was not dicey that I would receive it before my scheduled departure.)
When I got antsy about the home delivery and called back about picking the passport up, the personnel at the consulte took the time to go through the receipts and packaging for the home delivery, extracted it from that stack, told me to come in and pick it up if I liked and, when I arrived back at the consulate, were most cordial and expedited my processing so that I took my turn to just get the delivery, bypassing the crowd just starting the process. I dealt with several different people there, including the cashier and other staff functions. Despite a great crush of people, some of whom were full of complaint over nothing and rude about it, the staff was polite and, at least to me, cordial and understanding about a situation that could only be described as no ones fault but my own.
I also had a very cordial reception at the Arab passport photo shop, so from Israeli immigration through photo to new passport, I can only say that what could have been a terrible burden became a life experience. By the way, I was exactly Stein’s present age when all this occurred. Of course, Mr. Stein considers himself very important but then, so do I but I do not have a contract with someone I can beat unmercifully for slavish attention.
OFF-TOPIC:
Today at 2:30pm, Fidelio is being broadcast on operacast, with Jonas Kaufmann, Nina Stemme…and my favourite cameo, Peter Mattei.
Highly recommended
Thanks for the reminder. This is a performance that should not be missed!
my apologies!! it’s at 2:00pm.
Abbado is on the podium
I am sure that the LOC sent someone to take care of the visa process for Mr. Stein. I have to secure visas for artist all the time for venues all over the world and it is something that I rarely as a client to do for themselves unless it is a situation where the passport holder needs to be physically present which is usually the case for foreign nationals. However, there are always ways to get around that problem. Mr. Gelb’s e,ail reads like: I am just so tired of all of your whiny demands. I am sure that Mr. Stein has never stood in a line for a visa in his life. I mean really Mr. Gelb. The man is 72 years old and you couldn’t have found a way to not inconvenience him? Sounds like the last straw in a long list of demands and Gelb made the decision to send that email knowing that he would pull out. Hey they got the production, the production and a new director who well with the Met staff. I think Stein is a genius, but the Met IS a well-oiled machine and old fashioned arteurs really don’t fit in there.
The description by Stein of how he was treated at the US embassy may also be a bit exagerated. Did embassy officials really say what Stein says they said? Hmmm. If so, what could have prompted them to be so curt? Perhaps Mr. Stein had been such a pain that the embassy official lost his cool. More often than not we’re treated the way we treat others…
Proud sponsor of the battle:
While work visas in many countries can be obtained via a third party as NYCOQ describes, it’s my understanding that non-Americans coming to work in the US need to collect their visas in person following 9/11, so presumably LOC could not have sent someone to take care of the visa process for Stein. If there was a way around that process, I’m sure Gelb would have staff take care of that not just for Stein but for all top singers, conductors, and directors at the Met. It just doesn’t make sense otherwise.
Arianna’s observation jibes with the report, within the last few years, of Kiri te Kanawa complaining to a SF (I think) concert audience re having to stand in line at the US consulate or embassy (don’t recall which is correct) in London for a visa–no way, as she apparently said in so many words, to treat a Dame of the British Empire.
Arianna – I must admit that the majority of visas that I procure for my clients are for American citizens (or green card holders)working abroad. The process to handle a visa (to certain countries) is to purchase a plane ticket (that states that the person is in whatever city the consulate is in) in the persons name and present that at the consulate in lieu of that person actually being there along with their credentials at a foreign consulate here in this country. Of course, this can’t always be done and I have yet to work with an artist who does not understand this process (keeping my fingers crossed. Paying $500 or $1000 to not inconvenience a client is well worth it. But of course if youare dealing with an up-and-coming artist or a superstar makes all the difference. Trust me there is nothing that cannot be accomplished if there is money available and the person is of status. Why should a person have to leave their home in the Caribbean or the South of France to take care of the “petty” matters? And you all better realize that I am being facetious.
I do not know the reverse of the situation with foreign nationals applying for visas abroad to enter the U.S., but I am sure that after the Met sent someone to hold his hand at the consulate that Mr. Stein must be a difficult individual BUT he is correct there is something that can be done to expedite entry into this country and Gelb knows full and well that if he wanted to he could have made the actual entry into country no problem. I have one client who ALWAYS has problems entering other countries no matter what. But that is because he is a MAJOR ASSHOLE and is offended that the customs procedure applies to someone like him. I think that this is definitely the case with Mr. Stein. Can I also just say that of all places that I have traveled to post 9/11 Canada (of all places) if the WORST. We tightened our borders and it’s like they go out of their way to harrass Americans traveling into their country.
NYCOQ, any suggestions how to solve the stalemate I mentioned in 15.2.2? I would love to help out.
Gelb knows full and well that if he wanted to he could have made the actual entry into country no problem.
I am interested to know how a) you are so sure you know what Gelb “knows full and well” and b) you are so sure that there would be “no problem” for Stein when entering the country.
Gelb is battling apple fritters?
Sorry, couldn’t help it!