LA Law

Some months ago, I reported that Esa-Pekka Salonen was joining London's Philharmonia Orchestra as music director and, in doing so, was preparing to leave California. A volley of denials - from the Los Angeles PO, from Salonen himself and from a host of commentators who presumed to know better.

I response to one pained email from a respected LAPO figurehead, I promised to redress any error when an appropriate opportunity arose.

Well, it has now. Salonen and the LAPO announced this weekend that he's quitting in 2009, handing over to young Gus Dudamel. So was there any error in my original assertion? The facts speak for themselves.

How did I know E-P was going to leave? I was privy to a line of internal communications which indicated that he was getting itchy. I can say no more to protect sources, but those of you who read my weekly column should know I never speculate. What you read is built on rock-hard evidence.

Which reminds me that Tessa Jowell, our revered Culture Secretary, recently dismissed as 'rubbish' my report that there is a paper circulating in her department advocating the abolition of English National Opera. Well, I know what I have seen. When, a year from now, arts victims are lined up to pay for the 2012 Olympics, don't be surprised to find ENO top of the altar.

April 10, 2007 9:57 PM | | Comments (3)

Categories:

3 Comments

I'm reminded of the old broken kettle joke...

Sorry, next time I'll respond to what you meant to say instead of what you said. Unfortunately, your column's larger point--that the average American conductor is now "pushing 70" (already false)--is even more inaccurate now that Salonen has stepped down in favor of 26-year-old Dudamel.

NL replies: Not inaccurate, nor even inconsistent. Read
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aXFusypfikPc&refer=muse

Mr. L., you're wrong. Commenter "Huh?" is correct. According to the L.A. Times, E-P S is stepping down from the LA Phil, but not leaving California. Awaiting your correction!

NL: And what makes you think the LA Times is right?

Anyway, where he lives is irrelevant. He's leaving the job, which I predicted accurately and the LA Times did not.

"Some months ago, I reported that Esa-Pekka Salonen was joining London's Philharmonia Orchestra as music director and, in doing so, was preparing to leave California."

You were wrong then, and you're wrong now. He's not leaving California, he's staying. What he's doing is what he's said openly for several years that he would do--leave the podium to concentrate on composing. Get a grip.

NL replies:
Hello? Anybody home? How many times does E-P have to say he's leaving the LA Phil for people to believe him? Neat touch, though, to leave just as the NY Phil comes free.

Leave a comment

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Slipped disc published on April 10, 2007 9:57 PM.

Unfiltered noise was the previous entry in this blog.

You read it here first is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

AJ Ads

Introducing
AJ Arts Blog Ads

Now you can reach the most discerning arts blog readers on the internet. Target individual blogs or topics in the ArtsJournal ad network.

Advertise Here

AJ Blogs

AJBlogCentral | rss

special
Program Notes
the blog of the National Performing Arts Convention
culture
About Last Night
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
Artful Manager
Andrew Taylor on the business of arts & culture
blog riley
rock culture approximately
CultureGulf
Rebuilding Gulf Culture after Katrina
diacritical
Douglas McLennan's blog
Flyover
Art from the American Outback
Mind the Gap
No genre is the new genre
Rockwell Matters
John Rockwell on the arts
Straight Up |
Jan Herman - arts, media & culture with 'tude

dance
Foot in Mouth
Apollinaire Scherr talks about dance
Seeing Things
Tobi Tobias on dance et al...

jazz
Jazz Beyond Jazz
Howard Mandel's freelance Urban Improvisation
ListenGood
Focus on New Orleans. Jazz and Other Sounds
Rifftides
Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

media
Out There
Jeff Weinstein's Cultural Mixology
Serious Popcorn
Martha Bayles on Film...

classical music
The Future of Classical Music?
Greg Sandow performs a book-in-progress
On the Record
Exploring Orchestras w/ Henry Fogel
PostClassic
Kyle Gann on music after the fact
Sandow
Greg Sandow on the future of Classical Music
Slipped Disc
Norman Lebrecht on Shifting Sound Worlds

publishing
book/daddy
Jerome Weeks on Books
Quick Study
Scott McLemee on books, ideas & trash-culture ephemera

theatre
lies like truth
Chloe Veltman on how culture will save the world
Stage Write
Elizabeth Zimmer on time-based art forms

visual
Aesthetic Grounds
Public Art, Public Space
Artopia
John Perreault's art diary
CultureGrrl
Lee Rosenbaum's Cultural Commentary
Modern Art Notes
Tyler Green's modern & contemporary art blog
Creative Commons License
This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.