I wonder what his legacy will be. He made some terrific recordings and gave many, many memorable concerts at the Met, in Boston, Chicago and everywhere else he conducted. Then the sordid events of his private life ruined it all. It's a shame - he could have been another Great American Conductor, but now he'll probably be swept aside. I won't be getting rid of my Levine CDs; there's so many excellent ones: Mahler, Brahms, Wagner, Tchaikovsky...RIP, maestro.
RIP James Levine
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I suspect that we'll soon see appreciations of his accomplishments as a musician, which have been pretty much overshadowed during the past few years by his sordid nonmusical activities.I wonder what his legacy will be. He made some terrific recordings and gave many, many memorable concerts at the Met, in Boston, Chicago and everywhere else he conducted.
It's odd that he died more than a week ago, and it's just hitting the news today.
I remember seeing him in concert around 1990 in Evanston near Chicago. He played piano in a Dawn Upshaw recital. A few hours earlier I had seen him in a local park. RIP.
Cancel culture.I wonder what his legacy will be. He made some terrific recordings and gave many, many memorable concerts at the Met, in Boston, Chicago and everywhere else he conducted. Then the sordid events of his private life ruined it all. It's a shame - he could have been another Great American Conductor, but now he'll probably be swept aside. I won't be getting rid of my Levine CDs; there's so many excellent ones: Mahler, Brahms, Wagner, Tchaikovsky...RIP, maestro.
Grim Reaper cancels everyoneCancel culture.
Not really. "Cancel culture" is about ruining people's lives because of something they may have said, not because of things that they actually did.Cancel culture.
Yes, a great career, and a sadly tainted legacy. But with a conductor or musician--as opposed to, say, an actor--I don't find it that difficult to separate the person from their work, so I too have held on to my Levine recordings.
This is so sad.
I never got to any of his concerts (don't know if he ever came to the UK) but I would not part with the superb recordings I have - 2VS, Cage, Carter, Babbitt, Schuller, Brahms, Wagner, Mahler et al.
R.I.P. Maestro, and thank you for the music .......
I never got to any of his concerts (don't know if he ever came to the UK) but I would not part with the superb recordings I have - 2VS, Cage, Carter, Babbitt, Schuller, Brahms, Wagner, Mahler et al.
R.I.P. Maestro, and thank you for the music .......
One of my favorite conductors.
His Brahms, Schumann are among my favorites.
He's in God's hands now.
His Brahms, Schumann are among my favorites.
He's in God's hands now.
The Met speaks, after 2 weeks? Well, 1 week .....
His Brahms is sublime. He recorded the best performances of those symphonies
Great musician, fine conductor...many great recordings, and many memorable live performances....I esp appreciate his revitalizing the BSO after the long, rather dreary, inconsistent Ozawa tenure...specifically- we heard a concert including Le Sacre, Schoenberg 5 Pieces for Orch, Ligeti "Atmospheres"....orchestra sounded better than they had in years..real energy, excitement...wonderful program...of course, then there was his "admission" process for Blossom Festival back in c1969-70.....
Indeed. I know nothing much about the details of the allegations, but I did look at the New York Times obituary linked to at the top of this thread. It stated that Levine and the Met settled his action out of court with a payment to him of $3.5m. So are the allegations proven, highly credible, doubtful, or what? What is an outsider with no detailed knowledge of the allegations or of the details of the settlement reached to make of this sort of stuff? Unless there has been a proper court process we outsiders are just left not really knowing. I find all this "settling" stuff hugely unsatisfactory. It is interesting that the Met remarks linked to above make no reference to them settling with him. What do we read into that, if anything?Yes, a great career, and a sadly tainted legacy. But with a conductor or musician--as opposed to, say, an actor--I don't find it that difficult to separate the person from their work, so I too have held on to my Levine recordings.
A legacy is tainted, as you say, but what can an outsider make of any of it. I haven't the time to look into the Levine story, the Dutoit story, and the Pletnev story (and that's just a few from classical music), so I just end up feeling (as you also say) that it is all awfully sad, as well as feeling the truth that mud almost always sticks whatever the reality. What a world.
Well said. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIndeed. I know nothing much about the details of the allegations, but I did look at the New York Times obituary linked to at the top of this thread. It stated that Levine and the Met settled his action out of court with a payment to him of $3.5m. So are the allegations proven, highly credible, doubtful, or what? What is an outsider with no detailed knowledge of the allegations or of the details of the settlement reached to make of this sort of stuff? Unless there has been a proper court process we outsiders are just left not really knowing. I find all this "settling" stuff hugely unsatisfactory. It is interesting that the Met remarks linked to above make no reference to them settling with him. What do we read into that, if anything?
A legacy is tainted, as you say, but what can an outsider make of any of it. I haven't the time to look into the Levine story, the Dutoit story, and the Pletnev story (and that's just a few from classical music), so I just end up feeling (as you also say) that it is all awfully sad, as well as feeling the truth that mud almost always sticks whatever the reality. What a world.
Caravaggio and Gesualdo were horrible persons. Sartre, Althusser, Saint-Saens... Yet few people associate them with their crimes.
When there are numerous allegations, stretching back over many years, I find it pretty persuasive. Cases typically get settled because it would be more costly--in legal fees and adverse publicity--to continue them.Indeed. I know nothing much about the details of the allegations, but I did look at the New York Times obituary linked to at the top of this thread. It stated that Levine and the Met settled his action out of court with a payment to him of $3.5m. So are the allegations proven, highly credible, doubtful, or what? What is an outsider with no detailed knowledge of the allegations or of the details of the settlement reached to make of this sort of stuff? Unless there has been a proper court process we outsiders are just left not really knowing. I find all this "settling" stuff hugely unsatisfactory. It is interesting that the Met remarks linked to above make no reference to them settling with him. What do we read into that, if anything?
A legacy is tainted, as you say, but what can an outsider make of any of it. I haven't the time to look into the Levine story, the Dutoit story, and the Pletnev story (and that's just a few from classical music), so I just end up feeling (as you also say) that it is all awfully sad, as well as feeling the truth that mud almost always sticks whatever the reality. What a world.
As with artists of the past, I suspect both his life and his work will be remembered.
I think Gesualdo falls into a different category. Note the opening paragraph of his Wikipedia entry:Caravaggio and Gesualdo were horrible persons. Sartre, Althusser, Saint-Saens... Yet few people associate them with their crimes.
"Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (c. 8 March 1566 - 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing intensely expressive madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century. The best known fact of his life is his gruesome killing of his first wife and her aristocratic lover upon finding them in flagrante delicto. The fascination for his extraordinary music and for his shocking acts have gone hand in hand."
Gesualdo's case has been treated in an anachronistic manner and milked for its sensational aspect based on had it happened today.Caravaggio and Gesualdo were horrible persons. Sartre, Althusser, Saint-Saens... Yet few people associate them with their crimes.
However, for his time, what he did was entirely in keeping with the social mores of his time. It was investigated and found that no crime had been committed. In fact, had he not responded in this manner to his wife's public adultery he would have lost standing in his community, of which he was a leader.
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