James Levine Suspended by The Met

[Conchis]

The scandals that have recently engulfed the film and theatre world have now extended to the opera house:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42213054

Rumours about Levine have circulated for many years, of course.

[richardfinegold]

This is a hot topic on another music forum.
I am confused if any of these accusations are new or if they are old ones getting new legs as a result of the general climate.
Management of the Met is also being criticized for allegedly shielding Levine

[Conchis]

This is a hot topic on another music forum.
I am confused if any of these accusations are new or if they are old ones getting new legs as a result of the general climate.
Management of the Met is also being criticized for allegedly shielding Levine

Levine exercisesd vast power over the Met during his lengthy tenure. He is arguably the most powerful frontstage figure in American classical music.

Several stories were printed about him in Norman Lebrecht's Maestro Myth but he was given a (not very convincing) pseudonym 'Jimmy'.

I once read that he has been persona non grata for some years in Britain owing to alleged incidents that took place in the late seventies.

[underthecountertenor]

Levine exercisesd vast power over the Met during his lengthy tenure. He is arguably the most powerful frontstage figure in American classical music.

Several stories were printed about him in Norman Lebrecht's Maestro Myth but he was given a (not very convincing) pseudonym 'Jimmy'.

I once read that he has been persona non grata for some years in Britain owing to alleged incidents that took place in the late seventies.

Even laying aside these allegations, I have long felt that Levine was the figurehead representing all that was wrong with the Met, a smug and soulless temple of overindulgence.

I think you are right about him having been persona non grata in Britain - my understanding is that the MU blacklisted him. How any of this can have been news to the Met is beyond me (quite apart from the fact that they have known of the police inquiry since last year).

[LHC]

Even laying aside these allegations, I have long felt that Levine was the figurehead representing all that was wrong with the Met, a smug and soulless temple of overindulgence.

I think you are right about him having been persona non grata in Britain - my understanding is that the MU blacklisted him. How any of this can have been news to the Met is beyond me (quite apart from the fact that they have known of the police inquiry since last year).

As with Harvey Weinstein, whose company was for a long time prepared to pay the women he had assaulted to be silent, I have seen it alleged that the Met has previously made payments to Levine's accusers in return for their silence. Even if that turns out not to be the case, the Met will still face questions as to why it appointed Levine to the new position of Music Director Emeritus at the end of last season, after it had been told of the allegations made to the police last year.

[Conchis]

Judging by reports, it sounds like Peter Gelb has hung Levine out to dry.

If this is the case, it really is the end for Levine and he will be stripped of his C.E. title.

The Met will have a very hard time explaining away the near forty year period when he ruled its roost.

This is potentially a massive story: could it actually cause the collapse of the Met as an institution?

[richardfinegold]

Judging by reports, it sounds like Peter Gelb has hung Levine out to dry.

If this is the case, it really is the end for Levine and he will be stripped of his C.E. title.

The Met will have a very hard time explaining away the near forty year period when he ruled its roost.

This is potentially a massive story: could it actually cause the collapse of the Met as an institution?

I think the Met will survive. There was a major University, Penn(Sylvania) State University, that survived shielding an assistant coach that was routinely raping young boys in their shower facilities over a few decades. Opera is not as popular as football, but if any company has the power to survive it will be the Met. A more regional company might be more existentially threatened.

[Stanfordian]

The scandals that have recently engulfed the film and theatre world have now extended to the opera house:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42213054

Rumours about Levine have circulated for many years, of course.

I'll be interested to see if the BBC and Classic FM will continue to play Levine's recordings?

The Met will certainly survive!

[underthecountertenor]

I'll be interested to see if the BBC and Classic FM will continue to play Levine's recordings?

The Met will certainly survive!

Well, they continued to play Robert King's. Don't hear so much of Philip Pickett these days though.

[Dave2002]

Well, they continued to play Robert King's. Don't hear so much of Philip Pickett these days though.

Bit of a sad thread this. PP is away right now.

[teamsaint]

The Met will survive, of course.
The BBC did.
The Kings Consort did.
Even if it was under any kind of threat, plenty of money, influential friends and the odd tame judge would likely come to its aid.



Sorry, that should have read " wise and knowledgeable judge".

[Stanfordian]

Well, they continued to play Robert King's. Don't hear so much of Philip Pickett these days though.

From what I can see Jimmy Saville programmes are absent from BBC schedules and Rolf Harris programmes and music too.

[teamsaint]

From what I can see Jimmy Saville programmes are absent from BBC schedules and Rolf Harris programmes and music too.

and Gary Glitter, Lost Prophets, and Jonathan King.

[Petrushka]

When even an ordinary music lover (like me) has been aware of the general substance of these allegations for some time, one wonders why it has been tolerated for so long.

Only saw him once (VPO, London, 1994). I won't be chucking away his recordings just yet, his Mahler set on Sony is really very good.

[pastoralguy]

I really had no idea about these revelations. It's a desperate situation and one wonders who else is going to stand accused.