3 musicians are suspended over controversial conductor
OrchestrasWe’re hearing that three musicians in the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana in Palermo have been suspended after voicing criticism of Beatrice Venezi.
The visiting conductor is a friend of premier Meloni and an adviser to the culture minister. Her father was founder of a neo-fascist party.
Two of the musicians have been suspended for a week, the third for a day. The orchestra management is terrified of losing its state subsidy.
Let’s face it: she is an inferior conductor with very limited technical and musical skills. The opinion expressed by the three suspended musicians is the opinion of most musicians in the orchestras that know her. That they got suspended is troubling but understandable: musicians should not personally go public with their personal opinions about guests of their orchestras but just express their opinion to the management.
“Making a highly auspicious UK debut is conductor Beatrice Venezi, whose rhythmic flexibility and palpable engagement help maintain the highest musical standards.” George Hall in The Stage….
my bad, i thought that’s written by Susan Hall.
She conducted L’ Amico Fritz at Opera Holland Park,London a few years ago and it had excellent reviews.
Means nothing. Third-rate. Hired only because she is female.
As if reviews matter…only when they support one’s view, or career…
Frustrated male?
“rhythmic flexibility” ….so she can’t keep time…
Maybe she’s inconsistent?
She is a third-rate conductor. An ignorant review does not mean anything positive or true. And she is riding the increasingly insufferable wave and trend of mediocre female conductors who are only being hired because of politically correct behavior on the part of opera companies. I am glad the musicians spoke out. Everyone in the business knows she is a joke.
“And she is riding the increasingly insufferable wave and trend of mediocre female conductors who are only being hired because of politically correct behavior on the part of opera companies.”
This is true everywhere, not just music: Movies, politics, literature, painting, manufacturing, design, teaching…If you are “progressive” (spout utter ridiculous things and have a picture of AOC taped to your ceiling over the bed) and female you are in. Melanin is a HUGE plus. Melanin and surgery between the legs and GRAND SLAM!
Ahh… then Jenny is not a female name in this case?
Worked with her this summer in Taormina and she did a fine job with Puccini’s Trittico.
Musicians should be free to express their views, but certainly not to management!
Fascists are always the bad guys!
That is correct.
Three musicians suspended over a conductor? Is this a reduced performance of Stockhausen’s Helicopter Quartet?
Comment of the week. Many thanks for the laugh.
It would be good to know whether their criticism was musical or political. Is there any more information available?
Quite a lot. But it doesn’t make such a good story for Mr Lebrecht! It’s all about those clicks…
Have a look at any of her conducting on you tube and you answer yourself to your question!
YouTube, really? I actually saw a performance of her conducting Fritz at Opera Holland Park and it was excellent. A view shared unanimously including by all of the UK critics. Unless you’re of the opinion that they know nothing which, of course, may be a valid view of that profession!
Please excuse me, as I don’t know if you’re a professional musician. But the performance could be good regardless of the conductor. In my orchestra we often play with no conductor. And in various orchestras in my career I’ve performed with many useless conductors but the musicians ignore them and ensure the performance is good.
Amen! Great and accurate comment! And by the way, she is terrible.
No caro non è terribile, al contrario è una buona professionista
She’s mediocre. Poor technique, doesn’t know the operas very well. Gender-hire.
There’s been plenty of information in Italian newspapers. It had nothing to do with politics.
As the players pointed out, her gestures are uncoordinated with the music, meaning she has no technique, meaning she can’t lead the orchestra properly.
Not the first, not the last.
But why should the players accept that low of a standard without protesting? And on top of that getting suspended for speaking their minds.
The fact that the union hasn’t spoken a word about it, just tells you how much politics weighs into culture.
The matter is practical on one side (funding getting cut) and ethical on the other (no criticism permitted).
I find it all very demoralizing
Thank you. It is good to have some real information on this site, even if it has to come from a comment.
Your accurate and important comment has helped me keep my sanity. She is third-rate. The opera business is being severely hurt and the standard lowered by these politically correct , gender-based hires. Enough already.
Fascist “La Russa” attended La Scala opening in December and Chailly, orchestra and Netrebko all carried on as normal.
At least she can sing… this ‘conductor’ has no talent.
Your repeated negative comments sound as if fueled by frustration and jealousy. Are you a professional musician or a “wanna be”. Aldo Ceccato, an international conductor was interviewed by Corriere Della Sera, probably the leading Italian newspaper. He stated that apart from the politics involved Venezi is talented and would have emerged anyway. Now if you more of an expert than Maestro Ceccato …
You go girl!
Go where?
I’d be interested to know how people evaluated her conducting skills had her father not apparently etc etc blah blah blah.
One could improve over years, but you can see where this lady started from this video.
https://youtu.be/rC8FPvpmtT4?feature=shared
My compliments to the orchestra for getting through the performance in one piece. I imagine any players who caught sight of her antics had to be treated for seasickness afterwards.
It’s tragic that politics interferes with music and everything else in the world!
Sounds like a stitch up to me. One mustn’t criticise women.
So guilty by association? Those pesky Nazis are everywhere… How sad… when everyone immediately wants to become a victim of some plague, they’ll dig as far as possible to validate their victimhood.
The classical music audiences are mostly upper middle class or above. They naturally align with fascists. Europe is hurtling towards self destruction.