Slatkin doesn't know how to conduct La Traviata

[Sylph]

In Revival of Verdi, a New Note of Drama

by Anthony Tommasini

Who would have guessed that a routine revival of "La Traviata" at the Metropolitan Opera could cause such a ruckus? The problem was that the conductor Leonard Slatkin, appearing at the Met for the first time in 12 years, showed up for rehearsals not fully knowing the score. You did not have to believe the reports that spread on opera chat lines to know this. Mr. Slatkin conceded as much on his personal Web site, leonardslatkin.com.

"I do not perform a lot of opera" and "had never conducted" this Verdi staple, he wrote in a post earlier this month. But he figured that "since everyone else in the house knew it, I would learn a great deal from the masters."

Hmmm. For a conductor to use the opportunity of a Met production to learn "La Traviata" doesn't seem the best idea. Those "masters" Mr. Slatkin referred to included the soprano Angela Gheorghiu, an acclaimed Violetta, and the baritone Thomas Hampson, a veteran Germont. Mr. Slatkin reported on his Web site that during rehearsals he seemed to be "the only person who has never performed 'Traviata,' " which, he added, caused "some raised eyebrows."

The rest is here.

[Wendell_E]

Yeah, I listened to the first act and the beginning of the second, but fell asleep before Germont père arrived on the seen.  Even in the bit I heard, there was quite a bit that wasn't quite together, and from what I've read, it didn't get any better.

Of course, as the review mentions, the opera Slatkin was originally engaged to conduct was John Coriglano's The Ghosts of Versailles (Gheorghiu was supposed to sing the ghost of Marie Antoinette), but that was replaced with Traviata.  Why didn't Slatkin just withdraw and let someone else conduct?

[Sylph]

Maybe he saw it as some sort of a challenge and wanted to try it and learn the piece? It's just that it didn't quite go as he thought it would...

Or he needed the money...

Who knows?

[Wendell_E]

It looks like once was enough for Slatkin.  According to the Met's website, the conductors for the remaing performances are:

April 3 Marco Armiliato
April 7 TBA
April 10 Steven White
April 13, 17, 21,  24 Yves Abel

[Sylph]

Wow, I'm disappointed! I really thought he'd try to make this right.

Oh, well...

[knight66]

Perhaps the initial performance was a real trial for him and he does not want to repeat it. It is a surprising turn of events for an experienced well known conductor. It might also be that behind the scene the singers and players had some input.

Mike

[Sergeant Rock]

Slatkin redeemed? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/arts/music/03schuman.html

Sarge

[Tsaraslondon]

Perhaps the initial performance was a real trial for him and he does not want to repeat it. It is a surprising turn of events for an experienced well known conductor. It might also be that behind the scene the singers and players had some input.

Mike

And, maybe, just maybe, he thought conducting an opera such as La Traviata would be easy, when in fact it is not. I heard Solti conduct it at Covent Garden, on the occasion of Gheorghiu's debut in the role. I thought his conducting prosaic, four square and completely devoid of Italianate lyricism, the oom-pah-pah rhythms in the accompaniment stressed emphatically, the strings never allowed to soar and sing as they should. But then, I have never found Solti convincing in Italian opera. There was a perception many years ago, that conducting Italian opera was easy, but I thought that had died out.

[knight66]

It looks like he ought to have withdrawn when his original booking was altered to Traviata. It seems an odd idea that someone would be conducting a repertoire work for the first time in such a House.

Conductors used to learn their trade in this respect away from the major venues, or be so experienced in the idiom and with a company that his track record pretty much guaranteed a professional standard.

Mike

[Tsaraslondon]

It looks like he ought to have withdrawn when his original booking was altered to Traviata. It seems an odd idea that someone would be conducting a repertoire work for the first time in such a House.

Conductors used to learn their trade in this respect away from the major venues, or be so experienced in the idiom and with a company that his track record pretty much guaranteed a professional standard.

Mike

Though, many years ago (1953), when Callas first sang Medea at La Scala, the opera was a last minute replacement for Scarlatti's Mitridate Eupatore, a switch made after Callas had performed the role so successfully in Florence. Not only did they have to change designer, but Victor De Sabata, who was to have conducted the opera, fell ill and they had to quickly find a replacement for an opera, that was hardly a repertoire piece. In the event, they engaged the young Leonard Bernstein, who had never appeared in a major opera house and had never even heard of the opera, and just happened to be finishing a successful concert tour of Italy. Despite these setbacks, the first night was a triumph, as can be heard from the broadcast of the opening night. Perhaps the fact that it wasn't a repertoire piece added to its success. With so popular an opera, as La Traviata, there is always a suggestion that everyone know it so well, it can take care of itself.

[knight66]

I think that also, most would readily be able to tell whether the pacing etc of Traviata was in order, whereas for Medea, unless the stage at pit were clearly at odds, almost no one would be able to tell whether what was happening was to the score or not.

Mike

[Tsaraslondon]

I think that also, most would readily be able to tell whether the pacing etc of Traviata was in order, whereas for Medea, unless the stage at pit were clearly at odds, almost no one would be able to tell whether what was happening was to the score or not.

Mike

I have the recording of that performance, Mike, and it is absolutely thrilling from first note to last. There is absolutely no sense of hasty preparation.

[Wendell_E]

It seems an odd idea that someone would be conducting a repertoire work for the first time in such a House.

The Solti/Gheorghiu Traviata was the the first time he (and she, for that matter) had done the work, and Covent Garden ain't a bad little House itself.

Of course, Solti was much more experienced in opera, and Verdi, than Slatkin.  And Solti was more of the old-school "learn their trade in this respect away from the major venues" type you mention.  Slatkin was already fairly well known before he conducted his first opera.

[springrite]

This attitude from Slatkins does not surprise me a bit. The first time I ever saw him conduct, he did Dvorak 8 with the Los Angeles Philharmonics. During the second movement, he spent much time smiling and looking around, NOT at the orchestra but at the people in the front rows (where I was seated), winking at the ladies and generally not being a serious musician whatsoever. I was so upset by it I left at the intermission and have ever since refused to buy his recordings or attend any of his concerts even when free tickets were presented. I happen to have a musician friend with the orchestra who said as much about the conductor. He does not seem to have any respect for the public at all, nor to the art he is presenting.

[Sylph]

There is a nice account of the rehearsals on Slatkin's blog. People should read it.