So, this is what La Cieca gathers in the way of hearsay and rumor about the “future” of the New York City Opera.

According to an NYCO insider, in the wake of La Cieca’s speculation that Gérard Mortier might not be taking on the NYCO job after all, “total chaos ensued,” spurring an emergency meeting between the board and Mortier on speaker phone, with the intendant-elect receiving “quite a drubbing for at least an hour.” Mortier then reassured the board that all was well, he was practically out the door, etc., etc., provided Jane M. Gullong (executive director) would be fired. Which, as we eventually discovered, she was, summarily.

Since then, Mortier has been conspicuous by his absence from New York. He has reportedly signed the NYCO contract, and at one point announced plans to make a permanent move to New York early in 2009. However, it seems he will be detained in Paris since Nicolas Joël‘s series of strokes has complicated the transition process at the Opéra National.

In the meantime, Cory Lippiello and Kevin Murphy are acting as Mortier’s artistic administrators here, but they’re apparently in a holding pattern. La Cieca’s sources at big management agencies (e.g, CAMI) report that there are no contracts signed with artists for the 2009-2010 season, though there are some “inquiries” and “holds” for various singers. Contracts for NYCO’s January 2009 concert performances of Antony and Cleopatra are apparently all in order, and the project seems to be a “go.”

Meanwhile at the State Theater, construction continues on the new improved orchestra pit.