When a conductor hits a player

London has been abuzz all week with reports that a well-known conductor allegedly threw a punch at a musician in the London Symphony Orchestra. Details have been printed in a widely-read newssheet. Facebook sites have gone white-hot with past occurences.

We were interested to find out how the e bullient orchestra responded, the more so since they will be working with the same conductor again before the season is out.

The players, it seems, took a pragmatic view. The conductor was ordered to apologise to the player and the orchestra, which he did. In writing. The letter is being kept on file. Opinion remains divided.

‘Incident’s over,’ said one player, a friend of the conductor’s.

‘He’s been given a yellow card,’ said an orchestra source. ‘Once more…’

Lucky we live in 2014. These things used to be commonplace. Especially in the LSO.

Remember Josef Krips?