Makeover day: Susanna adds style to substance

norman lebrecht says:

Comment from Dr Wolfgang Scheidt:
By order oft the court I am obliged to revoke reproaches and accusations against Thérèse Mahler and Jonathan Floril in my „Open letter“ from August 22nd 2014:
Beilage./A
REVOCATION
In two open letters, from 22.08.2014 and,22.089.2014I made the following statements:
a)
Th6röse Mahler and Jonathan Floril are completely “disconnected”, one can’t even leave a
message on your mailbox), apparently
to avoid probably numerous complaints and demands by orchestra musicians, singers of your so called Salzburg Voice Festival (SVF) and participating conductors of the master class under his artistic responsibility!
b) After all what had happened due to their ignorance, arogance, incompetence,
megalomania, unreliability and total lack of organizing capabilities.
c) They were promising things by trying to appear as
if
they were the Rockefeller Foundation and Columbia Artists Management together and the most exquisite artists around the globe, to study with would be an enormously rewarding and prestigious experience.
d)
e)
0
s)
h)
i)
Jonathan Floril gives vocal masterclasses.
There has been an accumulation of actions and from ignorance, incompetence, unreliability etc. possibly fraudulent intentions
!
activities, which not only result but, I’m afraid to say so, from
He can assure Laura Virella and all the other young singers who signed and felt cheated, that their brave and
justified
expression of outrage and disappointment is entitled.
They are not acting according to commitments they have made.
Legal steps would be unavoidable and would destroy their further reputation.
They should provide substantial refund to the singers participating in the SVF
as compensation for not even having received half of what they had promised to them. j)
They would dare now to blackmail the orchestra musicians by forcing them to sign a paper in order to make the earlier signed “legal agreement” invalid, otherwise they wouldn’t pay them.
k) There have been a disastrous organization and wrong doings, which were heavily denounced by numerous “victims” (even participants of 2012 and20l3 SVF) in the internet during the past weeks. l)
That they really believe that anyone from any part of the world would ever be ready to work with or for them again after all what has happened.
n) I
should
just like to again express my wannest sympathies for the young singers of SVF, who were so badly cheated by giving them the wrong information, that I would be member of the
jury of Leo Slezak competition (nothing like that had ever been agreed upon with him) by falsely promising to them three orchestra rehearsals under my baton.
o) After these two weeks with all the bad incidents sloppiness
of Jonathan Floril and Thdröse Mahler mentally, physically and emotionally after having I caused by negligence felt completely exhausted
been confronted with all
and – the problems, complaints and demands of the musicians every day, although all
these issues should have been addressed to Jonathan Floril and Thdröse Mahler.
They prominently declare “Mahler Festspiele 201.4” then the name of the orchestra and his name (!), although my name (!), although I haven’t conducted a single bar in this concert!
They even show this photograph of Carnegie Hall, making people falsely believe, they had been presented by Carnegie Hall. Anyone can rent this venue if he pays!
p) Still a significant number of musicians have not yet received their money.
q) Refund to two conductors of the master class (hotel bills) and singers (participants
of the SVF) has not been provided.
r) According to my knowledge they must have earned e62.500 plus estimated proceeds from the ticket sales of two concerts to the amount of €10.000-12.000. That makes up to almost €75.000! The expenses
– all inclusive – can’t have been more than up to €40.000 (according to my calculation)!
s) Amongst the many lies (from telling him that each orchestra musician would earn a € 1.000 – they only granted them €500), was also their information that they would have to pay €6.000 for the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn! In fact they had to only pay C2.750(l) plus a couple of hundred euros for staff. t)
What happened with the difference of about €35.000? They pretended to be a non- profit organization. Maybe the Austrian revenue (tax) office will find the answer?!
u)
I
suffered from their incompetence and unreliability. But at this stage
I still
was convinced, they were acting “bona fide”. But I’m afraid, I now have to consider them – after all what has happened – as “mala
fide”!
I revoke these statements
Dr. Wolfgang Scheidt