Dudamel in Paris: good idea?

The Venezuelan conductor, who turned 40 in January, has just been installed at the Opéra de Paris with a raft of promises to rejuvenate the company and its audience, using all modern technology and media.

It sounds good, and it’s no more than we expected.

But apart from disclosing a ballet commission to a middleaged English composer, there is no substance in today’s presentation.

Asked how many weeks a year Dudamel will spend in Paris, the company’s German boss Alexander Neef fudged, hedged, flapped and closed the press conference. This does not augur well for transaprency, or for the democracy that Dudamel promised.

It feels more 20th century than 21st.

Dudamel, who is now  Spanish citizen, divides his time between Madrid and Los Angeles, his main job.

Where does Paris come into the picture?

It’s not hugely promising.