Covent Garden frontrunner makes a move
NewsWord is going round that the Royal Opera House will name Antonio Pappano’s successor in the next few days.
The frontrunner is the Italian Daniele Rustioni, 39, presently music director at Opéra de Lyon. This weekend, Rustioni upgraded his commitment to the Ulster Orchestra from chief conductor to music director – but only until 2024, which is when the ROH falls vacant.
Other contenders for the post are the Italian Antonello Manacorda and the Englishman Ed Gardner.
All bad choices. Why not Weigle or Hrusa?
Gardner is far from a bad choice.
Gardner would be a grand choice, and it would be good not have someone other than Italian perhaps as we just had that? Weigle? Can’t get him out of Frankfurt soon enough: BORING though diligent Kapellmeister. But not for the ROH, I’d think. Hrusa? After his work in Salzburg last month, GO FOR IT.
Italian? Antonio Pappano was born in Essex and lived there to the age of 13, when he and his family moved to the US.
I don’t believe he ever lived in Italy before he got his Rome position in 2005, and even then he didn’t live in Italy full-time.
Hrusa would be a fantastic choice.
Please Antonello Manacorda.
Did a brilliant La Traviata at ROH last season.
Thank you for yesterday’s post about the incredible pianist Jorge Bolet.
Garden, check out this picture and then tell me if you still want him.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-royal-operas-daniele-rustioni-is-a-talent-to-reckon-with-smzz9qljn
When will major British and US houses learn to stay away from Italians? Leave them to the Germans and the Austrians.
Why? What was wrong with Pappano? Abbado was pretty good, so was Muti in his day. Chailly’s not bad. Serafin? Gui? De Sabata? Toscanini? They seem to do well in Italy too.
Sonics: Where do you see the Serafins, Guis and De Sabatas today? Please, wake me up when you find them!
Pappano is British – from Essex!
Cockney bobby: Pappano is actually British, born in Essex.
YES! Please, leave them to us. Great idea! And while you are at it, consider getting rid of Italian and German music as well. Who needs them people from the continent? Rule Britannia! MAGA!
‘Kin hell, please use that even better acronym, MEGA!
ja, mein F…..!!!
Do you ever listen to opera in Italy? I was fortunate to live there for six years and the standard of conducting – even a little further down the ‘pecking-order’ – is excellent. As is the whole opera scene.
Didn’t take long for the negativism to start, did it?
Yes. You’re right. Negativism is a serious disease.
As much as I like Gardner (and I do not know Manacorda’s work yet), my vote would go to Daniele Rustioni. Regardless a lousy choice for producer for Les Troyens in Munich recently, he conducted it brilliantly – and Don Carlos and Tristan Act Two in Lyon as well. You would not know, on the latter that it was Lyon, just listening to it.
Rustioni is not such a bad choice, especially in Italian repertory.
He is a protege of Pappano and very conscious of the orchestral style Antonio developed at the ROH.
I have heard him conduct quite a lot in Lyon including a ‘mini-Verdi’ cycle a few years ago of (1) ‘Attila’ (2) ‘Macbeth’ and (3) ‘Don Carlo’.
My verdict at the time was (1) Excellent (2) Good (3) Work in progress.
He will conduct a new production of Lohengrin in Lyon next month.
That should establish, or disprove, his broader credentials.
As usual, the orchestral musicians won’t have a say. And they are the ones who know, not the Grey Men in Suits who have, sadly, taken over the classical world!
Edward Gardener would be brilliant.
I saw Rustioni conduct Rigoletto in 2017 in Paris. I think he would be a good choice to succeed Pappano.
How about Valery Gergiev?
Correction. That should be Tannhäuser, not Lohengrin.
Perhaps a more seasoned conductor? Sir Donald Runnicles? I wonder why he does not conduct at ROH …
Runnicles is a great suggestion, and one that would be a suitable continuation of the series Kubelik – Solti – Davis – Haitink – Pappano.
Is Covent Garden aiming high enough? Or is its international prestige no longer sufficiently high to compensate for the fact that other major opera houses can offer higher salaries?
How about Thielemann? I heard that he’s not so keen to work in the USA. For me, it’s in the opera house, not the concert hall, where he excels.
I’ll get my coat.
Because he is quite mediocre? Just a wild guess.
All names seem to promise very little excitement…
Nicola Luisotti or Edward Gardner… surely!
I hope whoever the new director is that Royal Opera reduces the number of Italian operas to be more fully international.