Enlightened despotism should not be among the objectives of that movement that, which emerged in the fifties and sixties, advocated authenticity in the interpretation of early music by resorting to documentary sources, the use of original instruments and respect for intentions. of the composer. And yet, whether due to the longevity of some ensembles under the same musical director or the extreme personalism of certain leaders in this type of orchestral projects, it is not uncommon to hear of tyrannies and humiliating attitudes that would be closer to those of great divos of yesteryear at the head of powerful symphonic formations.
The blunder that John Eliot Gardiner made this summer when he slapped a singer at the Berlioz Festival in France, because he came onto the stage from the wrong side, is an extreme example of these tyrannical behaviors that take place only behind the scenes, out of the public eye. Oblivious to his oversized ego, the audience continues to adore the genius for his artistry.
The author of Music in Heaven's Castle, one of the reference literary volumes on the figure of Bach – in which he captures, what things, his violent and despicable side –, lost his temper backstage when he screamed, slapped and slapped punch – in this order – to bass William Thomas. It happened on August 22. The singer played Narval and Priame in The Trojans with the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchester Révolutionnaire et Romantique, two of Gardiner's ensembles, in Côte-Saint-André.
In the world of early music, these anecdotes of mistreatment by the English conductor who performed at the coronation of Charles III were unofficially known. Gardiner allowed himself to yell at his workers and artists. And apparently he did not hold back even with those who were external, hired for a single project, like William Thomas, from whom Gardiner perhaps expected loyalty, given the opportunity he had given him. But he didn't shut up.
After the facts became known, the octogenarian director retired to London to see his doctor and gave up all his performances until Christmas. It remains to be seen whether his planned spring visits to the Palau de la Música Catalana will take place.
The facts also show to what extent groups founded by unique personalities like Gardiner's, whose sound finds no equivalent, can survive when they disappear or retire. Generally, these foundations have a hard time finding a successor. The Concentus Musicus Wien that Nikolaus Harnoncourt created in 1953 is today a shadow of what it once was. And although William Christie sees Paul Agnew as his successor, it is difficult to predict what will become of Les Arts Florissants when he is gone.
In any case, if anyone expected these revolutionary early music conductors to apply for positions in large orchestras, they have been disappointed. No one has given up being the owner of their farm to occupy a larger property.
