Yannick adds new job at the Met
mainYannick Nézet-Séguin has taken over as artistic director of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The idea is to cleanse the stable of the taints of his predecessor, James Levine.
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Yannick doesn’t know the first thing about training singers.
https://slippedisc.com/2019/10/yannick-nezet-seguin-and-vocal-technique-the-row-resumes/
I think it wrong to use Yannick’s appointment as another opportunity to bash Levine. Jim Levine was a great coach of young singers and offered nothing but advice and insight into singing and interpretation. Many artists have come through the program and as far as I know none have done anything but praise Levine and the other artists and coaches connected with the program. Let Yannick establish his own legacy without reference to Levine.
Give an actual fucking break!!!!! This man knows NOTHING about young voices. Let me be perfectly clear. This man knows NOTHING at all about voices.
This is getting more and more like those photos of the old Communist leaders on top of Lenin’s Tomb on May Day. One never knew who would be removed by the next year. Completely obliterated not just from photos but from history.
Hahaha ! Judging by his recent “master class”, he is about as qualified to be in charge of any program training young singers, as he is to play in the NBA. By the way, Levine established this program.
It is a relief that James Levine was never one of my favourite conductors, primarily because he never made exceptional recordings & I have never seen him live. Charles Dutoit was a favourite & it was such a roller coaster to see him embroiled in all this. The overall effect is positive though, I think we are now much more mindful in our conduct & strive to be more respectful of others. I hope people have got the message & witch hunting can stop.
I’ve read the Times article to which this item presumably alludes.
As usual, Nézet-Séguin comes off well. He’s diplomatic, circumspect and positive. He takes no opportunity to bash his predecessor, and resists being drawn into talk about specific allegations and cases. What he says about leadership culture and the encouragement of singers sounds good, but of course, the talk is the easy part.
I think he inherited a difficult situation. Gelb and the board should have eased Levine out years before it was done. He was a music director in no more than title and salary for about his last decade. His own performances were increasingly wobbly and precarious, and the quality of the playing fell off somewhat in those years, as players defected and those remaining were no longer getting the strong, consistent leadership of yore.
As for what Nézet-Séguin can accomplish in his position, I think that that has to be seen in the fullness of time. His appointment was accelerated by two years. We aren’t even yet at the point of seeing seasons he had a lot to do with planning, let alone seeing what the Lindemann alumni under his influence would sound like. Those results, good or bad, will mean more to me than edited YouTube videos that further someone’s agenda.
I did wonder at the lack of mention of Matthew Rose and Sophie Joyce, whom we were told in 2018 were the new heads of the Lindemann program. Are they no longer involved?
No comment on Levine’s taint.
Lolol I too was waiting for someone to point out that word choice.
Let’s hope Nézet-Séguin never violated the 1/2 + 7 rule. That’s the only thing Levine was guilty of.
I see from the Met’s website that they have expunged Levine’s name totally from the description of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Formerly, he had been credited with its founding.
Reminded me of cutting the faces out of family photos. You can re-write history.
It’s obscene. Not only was this program Levine’s idea, he also convinced the Lindemann family to fund it. Down with Gelb and his tiny minion !!
Anyone who heard lisa Oropesa sing yesterday at the Met would not think the “stable needs cleaning”. Rather, they would be reminded of the exceptional singers nurtured, trained and developed there.
The snarky comments about YNS being unqualified are nonsensical. The program will be headed by YNS while the day-to-day vocal coaching will be handled by a staff of vocal coaches who are the best in the world.
Unlike certain other conductors or singers who shall remain nameless, YNS will not be using the casting couch to “groom” certain singers.