Musicians in Cologne’s Gurzenich orchestra have been told that the contract of their French chief conductor, François-Xavier Roth, will be ended this month, a year ahead of schedule.
Roth, 52, has gone into purdah after being accused of sending unwanted pictures to female orchestra players.
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I hope not Claudia Roth?
Sadly not….
In God’s name, we agree for the first time! Cheers bro!
The French people are famous for being hypocrites. Roth isn’t the only one who has been one of the slimiest in the music business.
Next will be Renaud Capuçon who will be brought to justice for destroying the Menuhin Academy. Lord Menuhin and Maestro Lysy have been screaming from their graves witnessing what happened to their beloved music academy in Switzerland destroyed by R. Capuçon!
If his penis is half as appalling as his conducting, those pictures must have been horrifying.
I saw one he sent to a freelance member of a London orchestra and it was most unpleasant.
What I saw was sent over ten years ago… He’s lucky to have got away with it till now, and incredibly stupid/entitled.
I’m gonna go with Freud here and say that these men who so obviously – and literally – expose themselves to eventually being discovered at some level *want* to be exposed for all to see. And I actually don’t think it’s about exercising power as is popularly supposed but rather about *humiliation*, and not of their unwitting victims, but *of themselves*. It is their own humiliation that gets them off. Sexuality is a really labyrinthine and recondite arena, and its mechanisms are more often than not paradoxical and seemingly nonsensical.
Oh ok…….so really we should accept and pity the ‘pinger’ for his paradoxical Freudian displays?
Details, please.
Any indication of a Napoleon complex?
The headline is misleading; it would probably have been more correct: Cologne parts ways with Roth. What appears to be an obvious step is ultimately a win-win situation for both Roth and the city of Cologne.
It is reported that Roth will receive a five-figure settlement. So his departure is unlikely to hurt him financially. What may be more important, however, is that the investigation into misconduct has now been closed and no public report is to be expected. If any misconduct had been reflected in such a report, the public broadcaster SWR would have had to cancel the planned inauguration of Roth as chief conductor. For the time being at least, Roth’s path to southern Germany now appears to be open.
The city of Cologne also benefits in two ways: Firstly, it can now present itself as a fighter for the just cause, as it has very quickly parted company with a (presumably) misbehaving person. Secondly, possible failures on her part (were complaints not adequately investigated?) remain under wraps.
This separation, as sensible as it may seem, leaves an unpleasant taste. The probable victims do not receive justice.
Not just female players. Male, too.
In the age of DEI, you have to be inclusive! At least he’s got that much going for him.
I just do not understand how anybody can think this would work. Just like the cliche of construction workers whistling at a woman who walks by. When in human history has this ever worked?
So FXR gets away with a large sum of tax payers money for doing harm to other people and takes it?
That’s not very noble of him, isn’t it?
What about the traumatized victims? They get nothing?
So this is a case where one alleged abuser (for many years apparently) gets away and gets also money for the run and doesn’t need to face other investigations? Amazing example.
That could be seen as unjust and unfair, while everybody in charge “save their faces”.
Very concerning also the fact, that people in charge tolerated this environment where a highly paid artist can take advantage of others for such a long time and artists had to duck away from him not to suffer consequences.
Being responsible surely would be a different thing.
Shame!
Apparently what has come to light is only the tip of the Iceberg, but musicians are afraid of consequences, which ironically again is protecting the man.
So: did M. Roth send these unwanted photographs to female members of (a) the Gurzenich Orchestra (b) Les Siecles (c) both or (d) neither? Were the complaints real or the result of a conspiracy?
I have yet to hear a recording of M. Roth’s that I haven’t enjoyed.
Since he has voluntarily (?) resigned, I suppose, sadly, that the complaints are justified. It seems an extraordinary way for a responsible adult to behave. Perhaps he needs professional help. He is a public figure in the world of classical music, and his behaviour to his orchestral colleagues should have been beyond reproach.
Hitting on the male viola players, just shows how desperate he is.
So if the worst comes to the worst, what happens to Les Siecles?