James Levine

[SurprisedByBeauty]

All good examples. I would add Alan Gilbert and Kent Nagano.

Absolutely. And while Nagano has technical issues, I'd rank him well above the technically more accomplished Alsop and Slatkin. But his career's been mostly European/Canadian. And Alan Gilbert I've come to think the world of! Wonderful programmer and excellent conductor and superb rehearser. He's probably my American No.1; Robertson having slipped a little, because he never got the big move while he was still really hot. And now he's a tad on the seasoned side.

[André]

Nagano's contract in Montreal will not be renewed, ending sometime in 2018 IIRC. He'll be free, but not quite: he still has lots of stuff going on in Europe.

[Pat B]

I suppose my query is (and if this obviously comes from a composer in a broadly similar situation, I apologize in advance) where do the American conductors who want to "come up the ranks" go?

Top positions at smaller orchestras and/or assistant positions. For most, the going will be slower than it was for Nelsons, but that's true for Latvians too.

Regardless of nationality, I would like to see an end to the preference for ultra-established conductors that had U.S. orchestras seemingly trading the likes of Muti and Maazel among themselves — or bringing in Levine.

AFAICT there are fewer formal positions for composers which makes it tougher. No apology necessary anyway.

[Pat B]

Robertson having slipped a little, because he never got the big move while he was still really hot. And now he's a tad on the seasoned side.

I haven't heard his work, but I've heard good things about him. For a while, the big American orchestras mostly wanted the usual suspects from the heyday of recording, now they want youngsters. There was an entire generation that was mostly bypassed (with a few exceptions — Salonen, Welser-Möst, Van Zweden). If "a tad on the seasoned side" is his biggest flaw then I hope he gets a shot.

Same for Spano.

[Karl Henning]

AFAICT there are fewer formal positions for composers which makes it tougher.

Aye.  Part of that problem, too, is an environment in which Levine and Dudamel are paid as if they were the CEO of an S&P 500 company.

[Mandryka]

What do you do, . . . for . . . mature adults. It has got to suck. ... but if that's your inclination, you really have to kill something within you -- and totally, not just mostly. For all the overdue empathy for all the victims, I have to say: I do feel for the perps in some of these cases.

Yes, I agree with this.

[Omicron9]

...snip....I don't think that artists are generally good people. Mostly they are assholes and their primary value is the scrawls they put on the page. ....snip

Wow.

[Omicron9]

...snip....Anyway, at the end of the day, for me, the beauty of art triumphs over anything that happens on this earth.

^^^ This.

[Karl Henning]

Wow.

Aye. Another post for me not to take personally 

[Omicron9]

Aye. Another post for me not to take personally 

+1.

[anothername]

Shouldn't we be discussing James Levine?  He is all over the news (at least in the U.S.) now.

You mean that he is cleared .

[Pat B]

You mean that he is cleared .

"Will not face criminal charges" is not the same thing as "cleared."

[Mirror Image]

"Will not face criminal charges" is not the same thing as "cleared."

Indeed. The investigation is still pending.

[Baron Scarpia]

...snip....I don't think that artists are generally good people. Mostly they are assholes and their primary value is the scrawls they put on the page. ....snip

Wow.

The claim is not that being an artist makes you a bad person, but that creating a beautiful work of art is not evidence that the artist is a good person. Those who attain positions of great prestige, such as Levine, often owe their success to Machiavellian maneuvering as much as to talent.

[Karl Henning]

The claim is not that being an artist makes you a bad person, but that creating a beautiful work of art is not evidence that the artist is a good person.

That is the plain truth.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

There are rumors which are crippling
It seems he did some fiddling -
On the other hand he sounds sublime:
Tricky business - James Levine.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

(I find the use of the non-word "impacted" highly offensive.)

[vandermolen]

That is the plain truth.

+1

[Karl Henning]

(I find the use of the non-word "impacted" highly offensive.)

That horse is long out of the barn, too.  Just saying.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Hurwitz has posted an editorial on this topic.

https://www.classicstoday.com/editorial-sexual-shenanigans-classical-musicians-recordings/

A couple of quick reax from me:

1. "Anyway, I'm not too worried about classical music. Granted, it's worse than pop in some ways—not because classical artists are any more disgusting, but because they are often much more pretentious, and certainly more sanctimonious"

I totally disagree with this. Pop musicians are often ridiculously pretentious, sanctimonious, and all-around narcissistic. All the classical musicians I have met were down-to-earth, relatable people. Mind you, things might be different for "stars," but even then I doubt it.

2. "Still, I believe the true reason for the disposability of even major artists today is classical music's dirtiest secret, one so shocking that few dare utter it. Here it is: None of these people matter. After all the hype, the publicity, the PR bubbles touting their uniqueness, they are still playing the same music as their colleagues, any one of whom is ready, willing, and able to replace them on a moment's notice"

I do think he has a point here.