Originally posted by Dave2002
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Rattle better than both in Firebird. -
When the allegations came to light he was artistic director and principal conductor of the RPO. He had to resign from this post and he also had scheduled concerts cancelled by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra (which also removed his title of conductor laureate), so it did have real consequences for Dutoit (at least in the UK and US).Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
He does still conduct in Europe (which seems much less bothered by allegations such as this), and has scheduled concerts in the coming months in Switzerland, Monte Carlo and Italy including some with Martha Argerich and Gautier Capucon"I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square."
Lady Bracknell The importance of Being EarnestComment
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Help me out here. I’m struggling with my French currently and my mind can’t extend to try GermanOriginally posted by oliver sudden View Post
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A Google translate option box helpfully popped up when I opened the article link, but my attempt to link the processed version defaulted to the original German I'm afraid.Originally posted by richardfinegold View PostComment
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You should be able to paste the link into google translate and get a translated page…
Then you will just have to work out what “The SWR Symphony Orchestra is not finding peace after sticking with François-Xavier Roth. Now the management is also coming under pressure internally. A report from the orchestra's belly” is supposed to mean. Better than nothing though.Comment
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OG, I could open and read the translation myself but I couldn't link the Google translate mechanism for rfg and didn't want to cut and paste a great chunk(s) of text.Comment
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Thanks OOO. I misinterpreted your post and thought you could not open the translated document. I have deleted the copied text as I would not wish to cause a "stuck" thread!Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
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Crikey ! What a can of worms in Baden-Württemberg ! Axel Brüggemann's allegations of SWR's managerial chicanery in Backstage Classical are mind-boggling if true -- general managers & programme directors doubling-down in support of F-XR, whereas Gürzenich, Les Siecles, LSO and partners in Japan dropped him like a hot potato after the undenied dick pic revelations, maintaining radio silence during his predecessor Currentzis's tenure on the conductor's links with sanctioned Russian enterprises such as GazProm, propagandising SWR's journalistic output to reinforce their agenda, appointing an unqualified crony to the directorship of the prestigious Schwetzingen Festival. In 2024, the reputational damage which could accrue from all this should be clear to anyone with half a brain. I am truly gobsmacked...Originally posted by oliver sudden View PostComment
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And of course, just a little further back, the whole business of the fusion of the Baden-Baden/Freiburg and Stuttgart orchestras…Originally posted by Maclintick View PostComment
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Originally posted by Maclintick View Post
. Given that it’s a mere 82 miles away shouldn’t it be a Diet of Worms ?
Unfortunately the Google translate of this article is pretty much impenetrable …Comment
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Have you tried Chat GPT? That seems to work pretty well.Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostComment
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Translated via ChatGPT:
The beginning of the online conference at the SWR Symphony Orchestra last Wednesday was telling: part of the group sat in one chat room, while the other part sat in another. The discussion was supposed to focus on the topic of unity and how to improve internal communication structures. However, incorrect invitations were sent for the meeting.
A discussion between the orchestra management, program directors, and the musicians was urgently needed after the orchestra management (and explicitly also General Director Kai Gniffke) decided to continue collaborating with the designated chief conductor, François-Xavier Roth. Since then, increasingly severe conflicts have been raging within the orchestra: while the leadership is concerned with maintaining its image and attempting to deflect public criticism, internal pressure is mounting. Orchestra members are complaining about the management culture at the broadcaster, there are tensions with the orchestra board, letters are being written to the directors, and help is being sought from the public.
BackstageClassical now has various documents that shed light on why the SWR Symphony Orchestra simply cannot find peace, why the ensemble is divided over working with François-Xavier Roth, why Orchestra Director Sabrina Haane is increasingly losing the trust of the musicians, and why internal disagreements about the former chief conductor, Teodor Currentzis, are having a lasting impact on this situation.
At its core, many musicians feel they are not represented in the SWR’s communication process. After the orchestra merger and the botched communication in the case of Teodor Currentzis, some ensemble members clearly no longer want to continue accepting the uncompromising course of the SWR leadership without criticism. For them, the François-Xavier Roth case is a step too far.
Leadership Suggests False Unity
It’s helpful to review what has happened in the last few weeks and months: after it became public that conductor François-Xavier Roth had sent lewd text messages and apparently images of his genitals to orchestra members, public criticism of the SWR’s designated chief conductor grew. The Gürzenich Orchestra and Roth subsequently decided to part ways a year before the official contract ended. The ensemble Les Siècles also distanced itself from its conductor, and international performances were canceled.
The SWR Orchestra under François-Xavier Roth (Photo: SWR, Kremper)
Nevertheless, SWR Symphony Orchestra Director Sabrina Haane, SWR Program Director Anke Mai, and General Director Kai Gniffke continued to support Roth. In a press release, SWR announced that there were no legal reasons preventing him from taking the position of chief conductor and referred to the orchestra board. This is an important detail for understanding why the situation is now escalating.
On July 21, 48 members of the SWR Symphony Orchestra wrote to the station management, pointing out that there were many voices within the ensemble opposed to a contract with Roth. While they accepted the station’s decision, they objected to the public portrayal of unanimity. The musicians requested that the leadership correct this misrepresentation. When Anke Mai and Sabrina Haane failed to do so and instead tried to downplay the criticism again, the letter was leaked to the press – including its publication in the Badische Zeitung. BackstageClassical also reported on the matter.
In the latest crisis meeting, Anke Mai and Sabrina Haane barely addressed the criticism against them. Instead, they launched a counterattack, collectively accusing the 48 signatories of damaging SWR’s image by going public (or one of them going public). This accusation was immediately met with protests, with the orchestra calling it a classic case of “victim-blaming.”
Haane Celebrates Her “Press Strategy”
Sabrina Haane tried to explain to the ensemble that “there has rarely been such a successful press strategy” as SWR’s public statement regarding François-Xavier Roth. In the same breath, she indirectly admitted that, for the sake of this public success, she had refrained from accurately reflecting the divided mood within the orchestra in the press release. In her view, the “success” of the press release was also due to the quote from the orchestra board, as it suggested a united front. In other words, the SWR leadership deliberately aimed to “suggest” an image of unity to the public. This, too, has contributed to some musicians in the SWR Symphony Orchestra feeling exploited by their leadership.
Haane also emphasized to the orchestra that “all the organizers” she spoke to “definitely wanted” the SWR Symphony Orchestra to perform with Roth. The international cancellations of François-Xavier Roth’s performances with Les Siècles tell a very different story. BackstageClassical also has statements suggesting that some of the station’s cooperation partners have also raised concerns about working with Roth.
Program Director Anke Mai also seemed disinterested in addressing her own communication failures during the discussion with the orchestra. Instead, she insisted that in the future, the entire orchestra must maintain joint and, most importantly, internal communication. She acknowledged that “for many, our decision doesn’t reflect their opinion.”
It’s an SWR tradition that the management alone decides on the chief conductor, and no vote is held within the orchestra. But even in the obviously contentious issue of continuing to work with François-Xavier Roth, the orchestra management didn’t seek an anonymous vote within the ensemble. Instead, despite all the concerns raised by the orchestra, they voted in favor of the contract. This has led Anke Mai and Sabrina Haane into a situation where they demand internal trust from the orchestra, which they themselves have likely long lost.
The five-member orchestra board also seems to have lost the support of the entire ensemble after it consciously chose to stay out of the decision-making process, stating that it “trusted the management’s judgment.”
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