15-30 APRIL 2005

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LA SCALA MUTINY UNDERMINES UK TOUR

The palace coup that has unseated Riccardo Muti from his operatic power base in Milan has left the orchestra of La Scalas planned UK tour headless. According to the press office at Londons South Bank Centre where the La Scala ensemble is due to appear on 27 May the orchestra is actively seeking an appropriate replacement from its roster of conductors who have a significant relationship with La Scala. As Gig went to press, no candidate had been confirmed. Paolo Besana, PR manager of the La Scala Filharmonica, insisted the tour which also takes in Birmingham and Glasgow would go ahead. Im not authorised to tell you the name until the contract is signed, he added.

April 15-30 Gg

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CRAKER (CONT FROM P1)

Jascha Heifetz and Isaac Stern, pianists Vladimir Horowitz and Glenn Gould and singers such as Caruso and Domingo. Its current roster includes cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianists Murray Perahia, violinist Joshua Bell and tenor Ramn Vargas. Theres been a huge shake-up at Sony BMG, Craker told Gig, and Gilbert Hetherwick has given his complete support to core classical. Ill be looking after everything on the Masterworks label anything soundtracky or film scores will be handled by the commercial division in the UK so theres a clear differentiation. Peter Gelb wanted to downscale core classical and focus on things like Titanic,

La Scala mutiny puts tour at risk (CONT FROM P1)

and authoritarian approach. The relationship between Muti and the orchestra is sick, reported flautist David Formisano after one union meeting. Were like a separated husband and wife bickering. In what appears to have been an attempt to consolidate his backing from La Scalas board, Muti withdrew from conducting the orchestra, saying that there were not the conditions for us to play music together. The strategy backfired, serving only to alienate the companys already hostile staff, and Muti stepped down on 2 April. Media speculation about Mutis potential successor began to appear several weeks before his official resignation, with Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado and Antonio Pappano all being touted. The strongest contender is Chailly, a popular figure in his native Milan and music director of the citys Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. But Chailly has entered a labourintensive contract to become chief conductor of the Gewandhausorchester and music director of the Oper Leipzig from September a contract he is unlikely to be able to extricate himself from easily even should he wish to do so. Similarly, Pappano is unlikely to quit the Royal Opera House presently recognised for its artistic adventure and financial stability for a company facing a possible seasons deficit of around 8m. www.teatrodellascala.com La Scala

which commercially were humungous but werent classical. Gilbert has repositioned things in a way that is appropriate for the classical division. Craker also said he was not expecting any more terminations of artist contracts. Craker is now exploring ways of making the archive available to nontraditional classical audiences via internet downloads, an approach he pioneered with his Black Box Music label more than seven years ago. www.chriscraker.com Chris Craker

The cloud over the tour is nothing to the storm which broke over La Scala earlier this month, when 63-year-old Muti became embroiled in a power struggle at the worlds most famous opera house. His troubles began in February, when the board of the lyric theatre decided to dismiss its widely respected superintendent (general manager) Carlo Fontana. Mutis favoured candidate for the job, Mauro Meli former director of La Scalas theatrical division and serving artistic director was appointed as Fontanas successor, prompting anger from members of the Orchestra Filharmonica della Scala and other contract staff. The crisis deepened when an overwhelming majority of staff voted for Mutis removal. Suspicious of his open support for Meli, they attacked the music

directors dictatorial style and took industrial action that led to the cancellation of several performances, including the scheduled run of Hindemiths Sancta Susanna and Azio Corghis Il dissoluto assolto. In return, Muti declared that he would no longer conduct concerts with the Filharmonica della Scala, defending his position in a long letter to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. How can La Scala workers have forgotten my struggles with them against the threats from our rulers to cut arts funding, to suppress music teaching in schools, to bring cultural institutions to their knees and to render their very existence precarious? asked Muti on 8 March. It appears that their gratitude was tempered by resentment of the conductors perceived power-mongering

OPERA NORTH UNVEILS PLANS AHEAD OF VENUE CLOSURE

Opera North is to mount a full, diverse but different season despite losing its Grand Theatre home for a year of extensive renovation work from May. Unveiling the Leeds-based companys future plans on 13 April, general director Richard Mantle said that, despite audiences being venue-loyal, he was confident Opera North would be able to take audiences with us on an artistic journey. Opera North will be performing three semi-staged operas (Duke Bluebeards Castle, Saul and Hansel and Gretel) at Leeds Town Hall and Nabucco and Salome in concert. Both Nabucco and Bluebeard are to be recorded for Chandos Opera In English label. The company is also forging partnerships with a number of other concert venues in the North of England, including The Sage Gateshead, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham and Birminghams Symphony Hall, where a selection of the

THREAT TO SCOTTISH ARTS BODY (CONT FROM P1)

Photos: courtesy of Chris Craker, La Scala and Opera North

have yet to see a cogent argument to support that view. An SAC spokesperson remained unconvinced. Local authorities have no statutory obligation to provide arts through their remit, they told Gig and we are concerned at the variance this might mean for funding culture around the country. We are concerned that expertise will be dissipated and that local authorities will be less willing to invest in risk, which is essential if the arts are to develop. www.cosla.gov.uk Cosla www.scottisharts.org.uk Scottish Arts Council

semi-staged and operas in concert are to be performed. Theres going to be a differentlooking Opera North next year, Mantle told Gig,but its one that will be following on in the tradition weve established. Part of that tradition of staging operetta and music theatre is echoed in the 2005/06 season, when Opera

North mounts Kurt Weills satirical operetta Der Kuhhandel (above). A coproduction with the Bregenz Festival and Vienna Volksoper, it follows previous Opera North productions of Weill works, including last seasons One Touch of Venus. www.operanorth.co.uk Opera North