Opera de Paris opens season without chief conductor

Having finished last season on a high note (MacMillan’s Manon at the Opera Garnier, Caroline Carlson’s Signs and Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet in the new production of Tom Joly at the Opera Bastille were sold out until the last performances), the Paris Opera opens the new season with many unknown, the main of which is the absence of a musical director. A replacement for the unexpectedly resigned Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel (see “Kommersant” on May 26), General Director Alexander Nef is looking slowly and thoroughly. Tells Maria Sidelnikova.

By the official announcement of the resignation of Gustavo Dudamel from the post of musical director of the Paris Opera, which broke out at the end of May, the 23/24 season had already been fully formed and announced, so Alexandre Nef had to urgently look for a replacement for Dudamel the conductor first. The September premiere of Wagner’s Lohengrin, the first director’s work at the Kirill Serebrennikov Opera, was agreed to be picked up by the British conductor Alexander Soddy, who established himself in Paris in Peter Grimes last January. One of the most anticipated world premieres of the upcoming season, scheduled for the end of February, will be played by its author, British composer Thomas Ades, at the remote control of “Destroying Angel”.

There are no leaks from the Opera on this matter, journalists are left guessing on the coffee grounds. Le Figaro, for example, operates by elimination. If we remove all the masters without French experience (Simon Rattle, Christian Thielemann, Franz Welser-Möst), without opera experience (Paavo Järvi, Jaap van Zveden, Manfred Honeck, Lava Shani, Klaus Mäkelä), all those who have ever been offended in Paris and whom musicians (Daniel Harding – the orchestra refused to work with him, Esa-Pekka Salonen – the premiere was canceled due to a strike; Kent Nagano and Mark Minkowski), the choice is already significantly reduced. Vladimir Yurovsky, according to Le Figaro, made a strong impression in Paris, as did Gianandrea Noseda. Of the respected names on the hearing and past the baptism of fire by the Paris Opera – Alain Altinoglu, Michele Mariotti, Nicola Luisotti, Dan Ettinger, Edward Gardner. The journalist also reminds of the unemployed Tugan Sokhiev, who left both the Bolshoi Theater and the National Orchestra of the Capitol of Toulouse.

But immediate availability, apparently, is not a decisive factor in choosing a future artistic director. There will be no open competitions, as in the case of the ballet director, there are no deadlines either, the press service of the Opera assured Kommersant. The candidate will be personally selected by Alexander Nef. “We are taking a pause for reflection,” the CEO said in a recent interview with Radio France Musique. “There are many conductors who have worked with the Opera once, others are just about to make their debut. And I want to think about choosing a candidate who is not just free this second, but who meets our artistic requirements for the long term.

At the Paris Opera, more than one star alien broke off his teeth. Starting with Rudolf Nureyev, who did not call the Opera anything other than a “snake’s nest”, ending with Benjamin Millepied, whose ambitions at all speeds shattered against the age-old golden walls of Garnier, and he left with curses. And now Gustavo Dudamel. His sudden departure again raised the question of why world stars do not take root at the Paris Opera. Why do they get down to work with such enthusiasm and after a season or two, at best, leave with a polished wording for “personal circumstances”? In an interview with Le Pont, Alexander Nef presented his version: “He (Gustavo Dudamel.— “b”) realized that the Paris Opera is an ogre who is always hungry. It was really too much for him. We felt this stress, which grew from January to the time of his resignation. It was difficult for him to put it into words, because as soon as he took his place in the orchestra pit, he was happy. But he understood that he could not fulfill the obligations envisaged.” Terrible thing. It is even surprising how Alexander Nef himself has not yet become a victim of this cannibal.