Here’s what they have posted on Facebook:
We would like to apologise for the inconvenience that has arisen for each of you as a result of the programme change. Concert tickets may, of course, be returned if desired. Nevertheless, we would be very pleased to welcome you to our concerts with the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA and Claudio Abbado.
Not good enough, say many patrons.
It’s not entirely clear here, but if they’re offering to refund the tickets, it’s hard to see what more they can reasonably be expected to do.
I agree, Richard…. but people who had booked flights might feel better if they came clean on the reasons for the cancellation – and the lateness
Apart from being more explicit about the reasons, I agree that this is all what they can do and nothing more can be expected. I guess one can be happy they agreed to refund.
As for me, I’ll still attend one of the 3 performances…I’m not a Mozart fan, but I’m a LFO fan, I haven’t’ missed anything since 2003 and I still think great things can be done from them with this program. But the other 2 evenings’s tickets are going back, it’s just not the kind of program I feel “mine” enough to invest that much time and money. It’s a pity it all went this way, really.
I will still attend one of the concert as well but will get refund for the other 2 nights tickat that I purchased. Not enough passion to attend same concert 3 times for Requiem. Nevertherless, I could have been much happier if the changed program was Mahler 2nd instead of Mozart requiem as it seems that changed program was chosen to utilize the cast that they already hired including chior.
Just because Mahler 2nd was performed once in 2003 as part of a Mahler cycle, they shouldn’t have avoid repeated program. If it is an artistic reason, the best way to minimize refunds for disappointed Mahlerian would be changing program to Resurrection. I would still keep all 3 nights concert tickets if that were the case.
Agree with general sentiments – Abbado and the LFO are most certainly worth hearing and I’m still really looking forward to the concert (the Requiem more than Egmont!).. So, all in all, “first world problems” as some might say!
However, there’s no denying it’s just all been a PR disaster – more information would be good as NL suggests – otherwise most would naturally find it quite hard to believe that 3 weeks ago, when tickets were released, management had no idea of changes to the programme. For those who have already purchased non-refundable flights (and hotels), and want only Mahler, there’s bound to be disappointment, which can at least be eased with more honest information. Also, I’m not so sure they’re offering a refund – they say tickets may be “returned” – which all tickets may be with a 30% commission.
PS @Waldo – wish they had changed to Beethoven 9 or Mahler 3 instead. I didn’t know they had ever played Beethoven 9 – lucky you.
They played both Beeth 9th and M3 during the 2007 edition. I was there.
And btw…on the email I got before they went on FB they state they’ll refund “the ticket value”. No words on that 30% they usually apply if they succeed reselling your returned ticket (one thing you usually just can do for sold out concerts, and without the warranty they’ll succeed to sell it).
They are definitely refunding 100% of the ticket cost (though not the booking fee) and in a very efficient way too.
Some skeptical part of me thought that these concerts might never happen I think. So although I’m extremely disappointed I’m more fortunate than many not to be out of pocket at least.
I wish had booked for the Beethoven / Bruckner programme instead though! Ah well, there’s always next year…
It’s not like they changed the program to a John Williams medley. Yes, Mahler 8 is a big event, and especially when Abbado does it with that orchestra, but I don’t really understand complaining about the Mozart Requiem. I heard the orchestra play Beethoven 9 and Mahler 3 in New York when Abbado had to cancel, even with different conductors it was still a life-altering experience to hear them live.
Well, not all Mahler lovers have to love Mozart as well, or? No matter how well it’s played.
At least Mahler wrote ALL of his 8th Symphony.
Much of ‘Mozart’s Requiem wasn’t by Mozart!
I agrued with an emminent conductor some years ago when he said he didn’t conduct Mahler’s completed 10th because Mahler didn’t write it all. I asked him if he conducxted Mozart’s Requiem. When he said Yes, I pointed out that there is more Mahler in the compled 10th than there is Mozart in Mozart’s Requiem.
He couldn’t answer that one, apart from stating that he needed to rethink his reasons!!
People who love Mahler 8 would, I am sure, rather have kept the Symphony & changed the conductor.
Perhaps the people who run the festival just didn’t have the guts to make this kind of decision & took the easy way out (for them)
Keeping the symphony and changing the conductor would have been a viable choice…there are several conductors who usually perform at Lucerne who would have been capable to perform a superb 8th with such a cast, think about Mariss Jansons or Pierre Boulez (who even already worked with the LFO). It has to be seen how Abbado would have reacted if invited to lend “his” orchestra to someone else.
But anyways, there would have been complaints from the ones who wanted Abbado’s M8 and not “just” M8…
Tim,
Good point about the Mozart. That’s why I felt it was a poor choice to scratch Mahler’s 8th in favor of “Mostly Sussmayer”
“Perhaps the people who run the festival just didn’t have the guts to make this kind of decision & took the easy way out (for them)”
Things are never as simple as they seem, First, artist contracts never contain a cancellation clause that stipulates “if you make a change in the program.” Once the contract is signed, it is more or less nothing but a certain guarantee that the artist shows up.
If the artist decides to change the program, management really can’t do much about it, and if they get another artist to do the original programming, they’d be stuck with paying the originally contracted artist’s fee (which in Abbado’s case probably isn’t peanuts).
Other than that, you don’t just tell a conductor of Abbado’s stature “well, if you won’t do it, we’ll find someone who can.” Not even if you pay him his contract fee. It would be seen as a monumental snub, pretty much guaranteeing that Abbado would never be seen in front of the LFO again.
As I mentioned in another comment, it is usually the artist, not management, who makes a change in the program.
The press release from Luzern sounds fishy, anyway. It doesn’t provide a real explanation for the change, and even offers a refund, which indicates to me that management wasn’t at all happy at all about the change. But you can’t write “because Maestro Abbado didn’t feel like doing the piece after all” in a press release as much as you may be itching to do.
The lesson to be learned is this: always buy the travel insurance, at least when visiting war-torn countries or going to see a sickly old man conduct.
And still no further info on the real reasons for the Mahler 8 cancellation – I assume they simply don’t think it’s important. Disappointing.