I read on Slipped Disc that I’d been fired
NewsThe Russian conductor Vladimir Spivakov has been complaining on French radio about the manner of his dismissal from the Colmar Festival, which he had headed since 1989:
‘ I learned about it through an SMS from a French friend, who forwarded me the news published on the Slippedisc site, and not through a personal letter from the mayor of the city or from another representative of the administration of the festival ( …) I would add that I was officially informed of my resignation by email on October 25th. It was a letter full of vague terms like, for example, “For reasons that everyone understands” (God knows what that means)! A letter in a few lines, not even signed .’
Spivakov added: ‘The negotiations were conducted behind my back. Obviously, I felt betrayed”.
Now he’ll be reading on Slippedisc that he read on Slippedisc that he was fired.
I heard Spivakov live in concert and have heard some of his recordings as well.
Let’s put it this way: He is not an artist remotely of the caliber of Yuri Temirkanov or the late Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
0r Gidon Kremer
Amen.
..and as Spivakov might say…whatever that means.
“…I was officially informed of my resignation…” Valodya, you were informed of your termination – not your resignation. And as for “betrayal” – considering the many dirty things you’ve done to people over the years – particularly people who trusted you — it’s about time you got a taste of your own medicine. What you send around comes around. But do not despair – your good buddy Putin will come to your aid, as always.
Having been involved with the festival personally and all that..
This is how it is:-
Vladimir and Sati should know very well by now, that A-hole H(ubert) Niess, not only has never had any culture, but has engaged in all sorts of diffamation over decades – behind everyone’s backs with total impunity.
It’s now pay-back time, with little left of the golden times touring Russia & presenting programs on Kultura (ru) over the last decade.
The writing was already on the wall years ago.
Auf wiedersehn Colmar!
Ciao to backers like Timken and Arnaud’s LVMH, they probably got tired of paying.
Yet another festival to bite the dust after the covid plandemic.
Nobody should shed any tears.
Your terms “Covid plandemic” and “auf wiedersehen” (Colmar is French since 1945) give away that you have only commented to make an ox of yourself, not to make an intelligent contribution. The festival is not dead, it will go on. As for Hubert Niess, I doubt that he’s the imbecile you make him out to be: https://www.paris-moscou.com/hubert-niess-directeur-du-festival-de-colmar/
Being as you claim to know so much about Colmar AND Alsace, having lived and worked there, you actually know f-all about Alsacien ( a German based patois) similar to Luxembourgisch.
(It’s quite acceptable in Alsace to use German language expressions for fun…or stuff like “fierover” at the end of the day)
eg. Hubert Niess made a total A-hole of himself in front of my engineers, who were fantastic professionals.
Niess is well known in the region for his lack of any musical culture.. (eg. didn’t know the difference between an alto and a mezzo!).
I happen to know how much Sati (S) hated dealing with him.
At least I suppose she will be relieved about ending that!
If you had ever heard of Primus or Percu de Strasbourg then you would shut up.
It’s YOU that know nothing about the background behind Colmar, and the fact Spivakov (like it or not) and LVMH put the Colmar festival on the map.
Without Timken and LVMH the festival will cease to exist.
Certainly none of the big names like Kissin or Zacharias will ever be seen there again, in that church with the most horrible acoustics anyhow. (only the front 3 rows could ever hear anything properly).
Baden-Baden, Lausanne, Montreux and other much better festivals the other side of the Rhine will profit from it.
“diffamation” is when you’re the recipient of diffuse misdirected anger at nothing in particular. 😉
This is a great example of the wisdom in waiting to hear all sides of a story instead of making your stance based on the first two sentences of something you read on the internet.