Thursday (11/29) on the New York Times blog ArtsBeat, Daniel J. Wakin reports, “Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, ‘The Great’; the prelude to Act I of Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’; and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, with Evgeny Kissin as soloist, will make up the program for James Levine’s comeback as a conductor on May 19. Mr. Levine will lead the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and it will be his first public performance in two years after a series of health problems. The program replaces another one, which was announced when it was not clear whether Mr. Levine could conduct and no conductor was listed. The lineup then was Sibelius’ Symphony No. 4, the Grieg piano concerto and Schumann’s ‘Konzertstück’ for four horns and orchestra. In mid-October, Mr. Levine announced his return to conducting, which will include several opera productions next season at the Met, where he has remained music director despite a number of absences. The Met released the new Carnegie Hall program on Thursday, a sign that Mr. Levine, 69, remains confident that he can return to conducting after lengthy physical therapy following damage to his spine and back operations. Fabio Luisi, the Met’s principal conductor, will lead the orchestra at Carnegie on Dec. 2.”
Posted November 30, 2012
