“In July, Daniele Gatti, one of the world’s leading conductors, faced allegations that he forced himself on two singers,” writes Alex Marshall in Friday’s (12/28) New York Times. “A few days later, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam terminated his contract…. In December, he was appointed music director of the Rome Opera…. In December 2017, Charles Dutoit … also found himself at the center of a sexual harassment scandal…. Major orchestras around the world, such as the Boston Symphony, severed ties with him. Mr. Dutoit is now back, too. In September, he was named principal guest conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in Russia…. The rapid return of Mr. Gatti and Mr. Dutoit has led some to ask whether the cult of personality that surrounds maestros in a tradition-bound field has won out…. Jan Raes, the managing director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, said in an email that the Rome Opera had not contacted him [about the allegations against Gatti]. The St. Petersburg Philharmonic refused to answer questions about whether they had examined the allegations against Mr. Dutoit.”
Posted January 3, 2019
