La Traviata Redo

Things have gone askew at the Metropolitan Opera recently. The major conductor Leonard Slatkin, appearing at the Met for the first time in 12 years, gave a poor performance Monday of Verdi’s classic La Traviata.

While Slatkin is known for challenging symphonic repertory, specifically American contemporary music, he has admitted that, “I do not perform a lot of opera,” and that he, “had never conducted,” this specific Verdi opera. He admitted on his personal web site leonardslatkin.com that at rehearsals he apparently was, “the only person who has never performed Traviata,” that supposedly “raised some eyebrows.”

As a result of the poor performance, Slatkin has dropped from the Met for the time being. His representative, R. Douglas Sheldon, sent out a statement saying Slatkin, ““has decided to withdraw from the Metropolitan Opera production of Verdi’s La Traviata, believing that his artistic contribution, which he feels he has thoroughly prepared, does not however coincide with the musical ideas of the ensemble. He wishes the members of the orchestra and musical colleagues well for the remaining performances.”

Taking his place is the conductor Marco Armiliato.