NY Post: Page Six
December 18th, 2008
WE HEAR...
"THAT Placido Domingo is being touted as the next general manager of the Metropolitan Opera should Peter Gelb depart. The tenor would presumably quit his posts at the Washington National Opera and the LA Opera."
Did no one else see this on one of the most notorious gossip pages presumably in the country? Or am I the only gossip hound in the opera blogosphere?
However, I digress. The main point here is for me to say: WHAT THE HELL, PETER GELB, WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT YOUR RETIREMENT?
You just got here, for crying out loud! I don't mean to be rude, but quite frankly (if Peter Gelb doesn't mean to retire right away) wouldn't Placido Domingo be too old to take his place? I love him, I really do, but he has two other opera companies and I don't think it would be fair to them and their fans if he picked up and left them for the Met.
Peter Gelb leaving the Met was not on my radar at all until I saw this little blurb. Why would he leave? Why would he do this to us?
Yes, granted, the Met has been through some trying economic times, but isn't that part of the process of change? You need the valley to get to the mountain, right? That's no reason to ditch the whole project.
I'm getting ahead of myself. This is, after all, a gossip column. This could be totally fictitious in every way, shape, and form.
It's late, I'll revisit this in the morning.... or after Christmas.
Happy Listening!!!!!!
AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!! =) =) =)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Did No One Else Hear This?
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2 comments:
Well, I suppose if Gelb was to stand down, the Board would have to search for a replacement and I guess they would start with a shortlist of possibles, which would probably include Plácido.
His contracts with LA and Washington both expire in 2011. However, he's planning singing engagements in 2013/14 (provisionally, I think!) and I don't think he would be in a position to take on a Gelb-type role.
If the Met want him, they'd be better off offering him something like an Associate Artistic Director or somesuch, because they ain't never going to get him full time.
But this is all predicated on an unevidenced assumption that Gelb is going...
Years later, I wonder if you still feel the same about Gelb!!
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