Salonen is … soot

Tim Mangan flags up the cover of new Port magazine.

He wrote the piece. He didn’t take the picture.

Is this what it takes to be a conductor in 2014?

UPDATE: We’ve received this clarification from Esa-Pekka’s publicist:

I just wanted to clarify … that the “soot” / dirt (/ whatever it’s meant to be) was added to those Esa-Pekka Salonen photos by the Port magazine editors after the photo shoot. The photos were quite nice and normal, taken at a dressing room at the Hollywood Bowl. Just me, Esa-Pekka, an LA Phil press person, a stylist, and the photographer: business as usual. I only realized what had been done when I saw the cover online. They did that to all the photos inside, too – just got my copy in the mail. We had no warning. I think they’re trying to be Artists? “Edgy”? Who knows.