Four women accuse Charles Dutoit of sexual assault

[Brian]

Including a two-time Grammy winner. Some have additional witnesses to their incidents.
http://time.com/5075834/charles-dutoit-sexual-assault-accusation/

[Baron Scarpia]

Why am I not surprised?  I think if truth be told we would find a lot of classical music conductors are harassers or abusers.

I wonder why the accusations seem to come out in bunches. Is that because when one person comes forward reporters start searching for other victims, or do the victims typically organize themselves before they come forward?

[Ken B]

Why am I not surprised?  I think if truth be told we would find a lot of classical music conductors are harassers or abusers.

I wonder why the accusations seem to come out in bunches. Is that because when one person comes forward reporters start searching for other victims, or do the victims typically organize themselves before they come forward?

Without implying anything about Dutoit, as I know no facts, it seems to happen a lot in "look at me" industries like movies, music, TV, punditry. In those industries the difference between being one of the "ins" and one of the "outs" can be stark and huge, and since there is a lot of subjectivity to it those who function as de facto gatekeepers have a LOT of unreviewable discretion and power.

Unaccountable power, the ability to disguise bad actions as "judgments", and a steep reward slope -- easy to see the potential for abuse of all kinds.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I have a vague memory of reading, many years ago, that musicians in Montreal frequently criticized Dutoit for abusive and tyrannical behavior. If this is true, then the present accusations are hardly a surprise.

[Wendell_E]

Love the opening of the article: "Three opera singers and a classical musician". 

[BasilValentine]

Oh! So that's why the ladies of two major orchestras I worked for called him Maestro Guess Your Weight! These propensities were well-known. Put the pig on a spit.

[Karl Henning]

Oh! So that's why the ladies of two major orchestras I worked for called him Maestro Guess Your Weight!

On a light tangent:  A highlight of The Jerk.

[Brian]

I wonder why the accusations seem to come out in bunches. Is that because when one person comes forward reporters start searching for other victims, or do the victims typically organize themselves before they come forward?

In my very very limited experience knowing reporters who are working on these stories, it's a combination: the reporters search for other victims to build a stronger case, and the victims - if not organize - may say something like "you should also talk to XYZ," or "you should ask women who worked there before I did," or "I always wondered why she was fired"...

[vandermolen]

This story is on the BBC News website today.

The RPO have cancelled his forthcoming appearances.

[Mahlerian]

The Boston Symphony cut ties with him yesterday as well.

[Pat B]

Without implying anything about Dutoit, as I know no facts, it seems to happen a lot in "look at me" industries like movies, music, TV, punditry. In those industries the difference between being one of the "ins" and one of the "outs" can be stark and huge, and since there is a lot of subjectivity to it those who function as de facto gatekeepers have a LOT of unreviewable discretion and power.

Unaccountable power, the ability to disguise bad actions as "judgments", and a steep reward slope -- easy to see the potential for abuse of all kinds.

True, but also, these are the industries where individuals are most likely to make headlines for any reason. If a financial analyst or a software developer gets divorced or goes bankrupt or whatever, it generally doesn't get noticed by the general public. But if a movie star or politician does those same things, then everybody who buys groceries finds out about it.

Which is not at all a defense of celebrity abusers. I just suspect there is also a lot of harassment and exploitation in various industries that either gets handled privately, or not at all.

[Mirror Image]

This is all classical music needs to put yet another nail in its' coffin.

[vandermolen]

Dutoit's denial of impropriety was one of the BBC News headlines yesterday.

[vandermolen]

This is all classical music needs to put yet another nail in its' coffin.

Good point John though depressing.

[Rinaldo]

This is all classical music needs to put yet another nail in its' coffin.

I beg to differ. These revelations, while ugly & uncomfortable, will help to make the classical world safer and 'healthier' for both performers and audiences – and in turn allow it to grow.

[Jo498]

As other fields of entertainment are proportionally probably more affected by such unacceptable behavior I do not see why classical music will especially suffer from such revelations. Only maybe because many people expected nothing better from Hollywood and some other entertainment subcultures but are surprised that some proponents of high art are as bad.

[zamyrabyrd]

I thought classical music was supposed to improve character.

[Mirror Image]

I beg to differ. These revelations, while ugly & uncomfortable, will help to make the classical world safer and 'healthier' for both performers and audiences – and in turn allow it to grow.

In Europe, certainly, since classical music is still flourishing there. In the US, however, classical music seems to be nothing more than a relic of the past. The demographic of classical concert goers in the US vs. in Europe tells us the whole tale. The US has become quite the cultural wasteland.

[San Antone]

In Europe, certainly, since classical music is still flourishing there. In the US, however, classical music seems to be nothing more than a relic of the past. The demographic of classical concert goers in the US vs. in Europe tells us the whole tale. The US has become quite the cultural wasteland.

"The United States" is a big place.  Plenty of great events occur in New York City, Brooklyn, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Santa Fe, even Nashville, and many other cities I've left out.  A person has to seek it out, but its there.

[Mirror Image]

"The United States" is a big place.  Plenty of great events occur in New York City, Brooklyn, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Santa Fe, even Nashville, and many other cities I've left out.  A person has to seek it out, but its there.

It's pretty blatantly obvious that if you live in a large metropolitan area that it's easier to find classical music concerts. Be that as it may, that wasn't my point. My point is the interest in classical music in the States is drying up and that people with that same interest, with the exception of a certain demographic that do attend classical concerts or buy recordings on a regular basis, are a rare breed.