In Tuesday’s (6/15) Boston Globe, Geoff Edgers writes, “Two months after his most recent back surgery, Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine has not recovered enough to conduct at Tanglewood this summer, the BSO announced yesterday. … Levine, who was not available for comment yesterday, released a statement through the BSO in which he spoke of his disappointment at having to withdraw from Tanglewood. ‘My doctors have told me I have made great progress even beyond their expectations but have advised me to err on the side of caution and take the summer off to recuperate more fully from the two back surgeries of this past year,’ the statement read, in part. ‘The most important thing is to not risk any delay in my recovery so I can return to good health and my conducting duties at the BSO and Met this fall without further interruptions.’ … To replace Levine, the BSO has brought in Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony, Christoph von Dohnányi, former music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Hans Graf, music director of the Houston Symphony.”
Posted June 15, 2010