The New York Music Scene
While James Levine battles his health issues and has been forced to resign from the BSO and withdraw from touring with the MET, it seems that New Yorkers are thinking about the New York Music scene- where it has been and where it might go in the future. The below Op-Ed Piece from the New York Times talks about Gustav Mahler’s role in the development of both the NY MET and the NY Phil.
Peter G. Davis
New York has always held its conductors in chief close. Mahler was followed by Arturo Toscanini, who ruled the musical scene for nearly half a century. New York’s love affair with Leonard Bernstein was long and adoring, while James Levine is no less appreciated today, as we celebrate his 40 years at the Met and worry over his health.
Despite his short time among us, Mahler left as large a footprint as his successors. Already a world-famous composer and conductor, he was hired by the Met in 1907, and he arrived with a reputation as an autocrat who demanded nothing less than perfection… (Click for full story).