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Welcome to La Scena Musicale’s weekly Highlights, a roundup of classical music news from Canada and beyond. Canadians in Royal Ballet and Opera’s 24-25 season; conductor Gustavo Dudamel opens up about his hasty retreat from the Paris Opera as well as ongoing fodder for the “iPhones in concert halls” debate.
Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta. Photo: Tim Dunk
Royal Ballet and Opera 24-25 includes these Canadian stars
In addition to revealing their new 24-25 season, the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet have announced a rebranding. The UK’s renowned opera and ballet companies which call London’s Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) their home will now be known as Royal Ballet and Opera. As stated by the Royal Ballet‘s director Kevin O’Hare, “the flags outside will now say ‘Royal Ballet and Opera’, so as you walk in you go, “OK, this is what happens here.”
Several Canadian artists will appear at Covent Garden next season including Saskatchewan bass-baritone Gordon Bintner who will sing the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Ottawa mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta makes her company debut in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. The season also sees a revival of Canadian director Robert Carsen‘s 2022 staging of Verdi’s Aida.
Bass-baritone Gerald Finley is featured in Festen, a new opera by British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage who had great success at the Royal Ballet and Opera with his 2011 opera Anna Nicole. His new piece is inspired by the film by Thomas Vinterberg, a member of late 1990s Danish avant-garde film movement Dogme95.
On the dance front, the season includes a revival renowned Canadian choreography Crystal Pite‘s Light of Passage set to set to Henryk Górecki’s affecting Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.
Full information on Royal Ballet and Opera’s 24-25 season can be found here.
Conductor Rosemary Thomson
Okanagan Symphony music director Rosemary Thomson returns
In a press release, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra has announced that its recently-ousted music director Rosemary Thomson will return to conduct its final concerts this season. Thomson was suddenly released from her position late last year, to which she responded with charges of alleged wrongful dismissal and threatened to sue the organization.
As reported in Kelowna’s The Daily Courier, it is not known whether Thomson’s threatened lawsuit has proceeded or been resolved amicably with a financial settlement.
Thomson sent a message to supporters who had signed a Change.org petition demanding she be permitted to finish her contract that was set to end with the current season. She stated: “I know that I would not have made it back on the stage if it wasn’t for the incredible support that I have received from this wonderful community, both locally and nationally. I will be forever grateful for your advocacy, and the hundreds of private messages that I have received in addition to the fortitude of this petition. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!”
Pianist Stephen Hough weighs in on iPhone-gate
Following on from tenor Ian Bostridge, pianist Stephen Hough has broadcast his own feelings on City of Birmingham Symphony Orchesta’s decision to encourage audience members to take videos during live performances.
The British pianist posted on X “I’m happy to be filmed on phones by the audience except for the following bars” and then proceeded to list all of the sections of the Brahms concerto in which the solo piano takes part. Judging by his followers’ responses, none seem to particularly enamored of the orchestra’s latest bid to be hip and inclusive.
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel
Dudamel opens (well, a little) about his Paris Opera departure
French magazine Diapason has published a short interview with conductor Gustavo Dudamel in which he offers a bit more context to his reasons for leaving his post as music director at Paris Opera in May 2023. At the time he was barely two years into the coveted role.
Dudamel reveals that the cancellation of an orchestra tour in spring 2023, due to lack of agreement between opera management and the musicians, was “the last straw that broke the camel’s back.” He added he did not feel he was able to fulfill his artistic ambitions within such a large company. He expresses regret that he wasn’t able to communicate his decision with the orchestra’s musicians due to the fact that management had “chosen to terminate my employment with immediate effect.”
He does not rule out the possibility of a return to the company should he be invited.
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