In Sunday’s (4/24) New York Times, Daniel J. Wakin writes, “He is moving to an apartment off Central Park and paring down his European conducting dates. But never, ever, imply that Fabio Luisi is preparing to take on one of opera’s most important jobs: music director of the Metropolitan Opera. … Just discussing the matter was inappropriate, he argued. Being principal guest conductor was honor enough. ‘I’m helping Jimmy and whatever they need,’ he said of the Met. Jimmy is James Levine, the Met’s music director and artistic backbone. A barrage of health problems have forced Mr. Levine to scale back his conducting and give up the music director’s job at the Boston Symphony after this summer. That development has given rise to thoughts of his departure from the Met, although any public talk of succession is taboo. … Mr. Luisi shares with Mr. Levine the qualities it takes to run the Met: a wide-ranging repertory that makes him equally comfortable with Wagner and Verdi, Strauss and Puccini; respect and admiration from both singers and orchestra players (two constituencies whom surprisingly few conductors satisfy simultaneously); and accomplished pianism, which helps in accompanying and coaching singers. … Musicians who have played with Mr. Luisi praise his crystalline technique, firm ideas about the score and excellent preparation.”
Posted April 26, 2011
