Another list ::) but there is a point to this....We in Britain have two Russians (Vladimir Petrenko and Vasily Petrenko), one Ukrainian (Kiril Karabits) and now two Danes
Actually you've got a third Russian in Britain - Vladimir Jurowski at the LPO, who stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of the pack as an international conductor in the upper echelons of achievement.
Vasily Petrenko is similarly a top-flight international conductor. His work in Liverpool has revived the fortunes of the RLPO.
Rather than dismissing ENO as a 'poisoned chalice', perhaps we might do rather better to ask
why the Arts Council of Great Britain has laboured long and hard for the past ten years to sabotage ENO, close it down, and fulfil its sordid dream of merging it into the ROH?? Surely that's the real scandal behind the way Britain dumps on its musicians from such a great height, hmm? And indeed the same questions can be asked regarding Scottish Opera (whose orchestral players were recently told to look for part-time jobs in supermarkets), and work and coverage that used to be done by the marvellous Kent Opera?
Britain wants to have a rich cultural life. Provided it can be beamed into the Roxy on the High Street from the Met on Saturday nights, and doesn't need to be paid for :(
Two Russians: Vladimir Jurowski and Vasily Petrenko. I had written "Vladimir Petrenko" when I meant "Vladimir Jurowski". ::)
I totally agree that both Jurowski and Petrenko are exceptionally fine conductors. It just seems somewhat odd to me that conductors like Daniel Harding should be considered good enough to be appointed to the Orchestre de Paris and Jonathan Nott to the Suisse Romande. Jonathan Nott is hardly known to the concert public in Britain.
I did not intend when using the phrase "poisoned chalice" to "dismiss" the ENO. Taking over the musical directorship at this time however will be very far from easy. Paul Daniel had a terrible time there.
