Just in: Thielemann, facing surgery, quits La Scala Ring
OperaChristian Thielemann has told La Scala he has to undergo surgery next month and cannot conduct Das Rheingold, which opens on October 28. Simone Young and Alexander Soddy will step in.
Since he misses the beginning, Thielemann will withdraw from the whole Ring, directed by David McVicar. (Walkuere opens in February and no conductor has yet been assigned.
Withdrawing from the entire Ring is a bit drastic, even Wagner himself settled for premiering Rhinegold as a standalone opera albeit against his wishes, but he did it nonetheless out of necessity (well, ok, King Ludwig II demanded it).
Plus, since the La Scala Walkure comes some 4 months later in February 2025, there’s really no need to be such a purist about a “unified vision”, that’s enough of a time lapse that the audience, the orchestra, the singers will adapt to Thielemann’s sound world.
It’s throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Questioning Thielemann’s decision to withdraw from the whole cycle assumes you know something about his illness. He knows – and he has made his decision. We should accept that and wish him a speedly and full recovery.
He seemed in good health last week in Lucerne, where he conducted two great concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic. Mendelssohn 3, Heldenleben, Schumann cello concerto with the extraordinary Julia Hagen and Bruckner 1. I wish him a speedy recovery.
We all love Christian Thielemann.
Sad news for the Milanese…
Get well soon, maestro!
Strange to pull out of the whole thing because he can’t do the first instalment?
That sound you hear is a shriek of terror at the Berlin Staatsoper, who just appointed Thielemann to get out of a shaky transition with an ailing conductor who couldn’t take on the Ring.
Let’s hope he recovers fully. Gotta wonder why he withdraws from the whole Ring if the Scala can’t guarantee that Young/Soddy will take on the Walküre. If they’re not getting a single musical leadership anyway, what point is there for Thielemann to walk?
Only point if the surgery is just the start of the treatment and things are pretty serious.
Yea, obviously nothing indicates that this is serious. But he has had some mild health issues in the past years (https://slippedisc.com/2016/04/breaking-thielemann-cancels-health-questions-raised/; https://slippedisc.com/2022/11/christian-thielemann-retires-hurt/), and Berlin will naturally be scarred by the uncomfortable management of the Barenboim situation.
As mentioned, with no information about the nature of the surgery, we all hope it’s nothing lasting and that he recovers fully.
He conducted the Vienna Phil in Amsterdam this week.
#1 guest room was Thielemann. #2 was for a doctor. #3 was for the concertmaster (playing Ein Heldenleben).
Poor Christian. What bad luck. Hope he recovers soon
I’m hoping Deniz Uz is tapped for the February run.
Reportedly withdrawing from the entire Ring was Thielemann’s choice. I see it as a sign of artistic integrity. I don’t think this is ever in question in Thielemann’s case, whether one likes his interpretations or not.
the ring project was made with Dominique Meyer who leave.
C.Thielemann speak about the uncertain situation of the Scala.
Is it all the bending over he does to try and get ‘intimate’ ?!
I just saw him in Berlin. He was clearly limping, so might be knee related
He has knee problems for quite some years.