Toulouse cuddles up to its former chief
NewsThe national orchestra in Toulouse has just rolled out a new season with a great many gaps, most of which result from the departure of its Russian chief conductor Tugan Sokhiev after he was asked to make an anti-Putin statement.
Sokhiev has now been given the title of ‘honorary conductor’ and will be back to give three concerts in a pretty threadbare season with few likely successors in the pack.
It’s important to have some respect for this orchestra and the fantastic progress done during the last 20 years. Especially in a country like France where everything is centralized. It’s harder to have some attention. France is not like Spain, italy or Germany.
Two of the countries you mentioned are not centralized at all: Germany and Italy. Spain is, but its centralism is disputed.
I am sorry, I misread your comment. I wish I could delete my previous answer.
Don’t worry.
Er, remember that the Orchestre du Capitole was world-renowned under Michel Plasson, who made it the go-to band for French repertoire. It’s not as if they started from nothing under Sokhiev.