Just in: Salzburg fires director
NewsThe Salzburg Festival has taken the unusual step of sacking one of its directors for alleged breach of contract.
The Russian Marina Davydova took up the post as Director of Drama just over a year ago.
Today we learn:
The Salzburg Festival has terminated Marina Davydova’s employment, effective immediately, due to a breach of her contractual duties, specifically her work at a theatre festival in Berlin that the Directorate of the Salzburg Festival was not informed of and had not authorized. The decision of the Directorate, Kristina Hammer, Markus Hinterhäuser and Lukas Crepaz, was submitted to the Supervisory Board and approved by it. The Directorate of the Salzburg Festival regrets this development enormously.
Th dismissal came days before Davydova was due to present next summer’s programme. Clearly, the other directors felt a complete breakdown of trust in their relations with her.
I am less interested in the moonlighting activities of Madame Davydova than the Salzburg Festival’s management team now calling itself the “Directorate”.
As if memories of ruthless Russian troikas are not bad enough, the French “Directoire” period of government from 1795-1799 led to the devastating coup d’état by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Surely the wily Herr Hinterhäuser is not thinking of replicating such a pugnacious power grab?
In a city which affirms the morality of “Jedermann” on an annual basis, the inevitable consequences of such hubris should not be dismissed so lightly by the zealot from La Spezia.
Or perhaps “hubris” is a trait Herr Hinterhäuser shares all too easily with his “Lieblingsdirigent” Teodor Currentzis.
Maybe if these cheap bastards had paid her more she wouldn’t need to get a 2nd job.
“cheap bastards”
She can always go back to ruzzia. (So can you, btw.)
Herr Hinterhäuser’s explanation on Austrian National Broadcast today gives interesting insights into his attitudes: “I personally have helped her a lot by making her the gift of a new “Jedermann”. The vacancy will not be advertised publicly, I will take my time and decide personally about a successor in due course.” Sounds like Elon Musk, or Vladimir Putin.