Yannick skips Carnegie Hall for a film tour
NewsThe Met’s music director was due to appear tomorrow at Carnegie Hall with the Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble in a mostly contemporary program.
The Hall has posted: ‘Please note that pianist Bryan Wagorn replaces Yannick Nézet-Séguin for this performance.’
That’s it.
The rest of the blurb reads: Experience a fascinating, multidisciplinary program of chamber music with very special guests. Andy Akiho’s exhilarating LIgNEouS 1 features extended technique from string and percussion instruments alike. James Lee III’s Clarinet Quintet was recently premiered by the Pacifica Quartet and New York Philharmonic principal clarinetist Anthony McGill, and two of its movements are featured here. Justinian Tamusuza’s bright and driving “Ekitundu Ekisooka,” made world famous by the Kronos Quartet’s chart-topping Pieces of Africa, features a special appearance by Quamaine “Virtuoso” Daniy’Els, pioneer and innovator of the FLEXN dance style. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard joins for Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle, and the program closes with Beach’s potent Piano Quintet, a work that includes direct references to Brahms’s seminal Piano Quintet.
UPDATE: We just received Yannick’s excuses – He’s not sick, just basking in limelight:
Well, we know what you think of his piano playing, so maybe not a huge loss?
He was never meant to play the Beach beast. Just conduct Chanson.
He sent an email to the orchestra about this. He bailed because Bradley Cooper summoned him to Hollywood for a Maestro event. The guy is a complete tool and a star-f**ker.
Bryan’s the real, multitalented deal. As a pianist he recorded music Brahms and Amanda Maier with Elmira Darvarova and Philip Myers for my label.
This says it all about his priorities and loyalty. I would say his choices will catch up with him, but they already have.
The guy’s got chutzpah, but he’s got a point: Weil recital hall holds only 268 seats (filled by already committed classical fans who would attend a contemporary music series, that probably won’t even be reviewed in the NYT), whereas promoting the Maestro could reach thousands of movie goers and new classical music patrons.
And plus, honestly, how good a pianist is he?
Are you actually defending his disloyalty to the Met? Does Yannick really think getting up Bradley Cooper’s a** or somehow basking in the (true) fame of Leonard Bernstein will reflect well on him? What a ridiculous little man.
I have a feeling the MET musicians are bigger people than most of the folks on SD and will let it slide.
I wish I could agree. The situation with Nathalie Stutzmann & the MET musicians pretty much proves that wrong.
I’m defending his loyalty to the Arts writ large and not to any particular arts organization, which by the way, is not even the Met writ large (or its core mission), but a small group of Met-related musicians playing non-Met related chamber music, at a non-Met venue.
Bernstein would’ve done the same.
The “Arts” do not sign his paycheck. Despite what Terpsichore may say, it is, in the end, a job. Yannick, time and again, has proven that his loyalty is to Yannick, writ large.
The Met at Carnegie, whether the full ensemble or a chamber group, is essential to their identity as a musical entity, not to be diminished as you describe it.
He says he is “sad” and “sorry” but doesn’t sound so at all.
Spoiled brat.
Boo. Hoo.
I find this behavior highly unprofessional.
He has already attended the Venice and New York premieres of the film. As well as a hefty amount of press.
He is a musician. And the supposed musical leader of his opera house. What kind of leadership is he showing his musicians by doing this?
Spot on…”What kind of leadership is he showing his musicians”
Giulini was Yannicks conducting mentor. Yannick adored Giulini so much, that he followed him around for a couple of years. I wonder what the mentor would say about the mentees music making and lifestyle these days.
What do you mean by “lifestyle?” And you think Giulini was some kind of monk?
And don’t forget that Giulini was MD in wicked Los Angeles.
A classical musician isn’t allowed to ‘bask’ in ‘the limelight’? Well, where does that leave Liszt?
He is expected to fulfill professional commitments, both to the musicians of the Met and the audience.
After his mid 30s, Liszt never again performed for a fee. Until his death at 75, he was offered great sums to appear but turned them all down. On the other hand, if there was a natural disaster or some kind of charity, he was there to lend his services for free. He also taught hundreds of students free of charge. He lived simply, and existed in another universe from Yannick’s millions.
The single most overrated conductor of his generation.
Where in the original announcement – at least as you reported it – did they say he was “sick”?
Hope he gets permanently lured from Philadelphia. Fed up with limited repertoire and bizarre costuming.
And if he HAD played the program, the comments here would all be about how ‘woke’ the repertoire was and how it had nothing to do with opera anyway, and that Yannick was only grandstanding wokeness, and isn’t a great pianist … yadyada on and on. Give it up, people, 60 percent of you hate him for being gay and another 60% hate him for being sucessful… you’re just lying in wait hoping for something to snipe about, and none of it has to do with music really.
HMUS absolutely true. The sniping about him is ludicrous. it starts from the top of course, and it can’t have much to do about music given the knowledge here.
I have a feeling the world will go on.
I’ve said it before and will say it again, he’s so very tacky.
REaDinG the TITles of ContemPOrarY “Music” makes *MY* eyEs huRT.
Bryan is a much better pianist than Yannick so I’m so nothing of value was lost
I was curious about what music is used in „Maestro“ so I checked the very reliable IMDb (Internet Movie Database), which, for example, has a list of credits for virtually every note heard in „Tár“: composer, title, performer(s).
For „Maestro“ there are zero soundtrack credits.
IMDb lists every credit given on the screen (and more: every uncredited actor who appears, for instance, as „Avery Fisher Hall Concert Attendee“). While there is a sizeable list of people listed under „Music Department“ (including „Conductor teacher: Yannick Nézet-Séguin“), there is only a separate end title credit which reads „Music by Leonard Bernstein“ wedged in between the producers and the cinematographer.
I find this kind of strange …
Perhaps an IMDB oversight more than anything else. Indeed, there’s a soundtrack that can be streamed on Apple for instance plus there was a detailed list of every piece during the credits at screentime.
The actual musicians are the last consideration when it comes to acknowledgement during the end titles. It’s rare they are listed at all.
During the end titles every chorus member and musician that appeared on camera was listed – and quite early on, which surprised me. Then towards the end every piece that was used was listed along with performers.
Yes! The name of every person playing, conducting,composing, or arranging, on every movie soundtrack and commercially released recording should be named, always!!! Including everyone in the orchestra, foreign and domestic!
Totally in character. Hollywood is probably Yannick’s life goal. The big question, of course, is what he will be wearing.
After watching him conduct opera after opera at the MET wearing costumes rivaling those onstage (often with costume changes between acts), bleached blond hair, diamond earrings & colorful nail polish, it’s pretty clear that this Maestro places his Hollywood-infused appearance above the music he’s conducting. He seems to want all eyes on him.
Perhaps this opening will give him, once and for all, the glamour & attention he so desperately seeks & he’ll finally tone it down in the pit.
Look for a spectacular outfit bordering on tacky. It’s too bad that despite his superb conducting skills, that his taste in clothing is still so tacky. Bring it, Maestro Streetwalker.
He’s at Carnegie Hall 14 times this season (literally). I think patrons will be pleased.
Tired of Yawnnick’s antics.
The heinous, bigoted commentary on this hellscape of a website never ceases to amaze. Those of us who worked on this film with YNS are really proud of it.
Commenting on someone’s inept musicianship and being bigoted are not the same thing
Are you really saying the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as Rotterdam in the recent past, have appointed an inept musician? (Given the bigotry implicit in your comment I will not expect you to give any props to the Orchestre Métropolitain).
Finally, Hollywood realized that Bernstein was and had everything: astounding compositional talent, great taste in music, interpretive skills, podium athleticism, a musical personality that still influences so many generations! Dont begrudge these moves (Tar and Maestro) toward cultural/historic relevance! Compared to what else is on the big screen in the last decades, think how much more interesting and globally important they may turn out to be.
Goodness gracious, y’all are being too tough on this fellow. Classical music needs all the mass market development it can get…or it will die if it’s just us aficionados. This is right in line with Bernstein’s many successful calls to the mass market for music, including films, charisma marketing and national soft power. I can understand YNS joining the film premiere.