French Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann’s Debut at the Metropolitan Opera: A Masterstroke, but Marred by Controversy

Taking stock of the 2022-2023 season at the Metropolitan Opera, Zachary Woolfe, music critic at the New York Times, is full of praise for our national Nathalie Stutzmann: “the masterstroke of the year was undoubtedly the debut at the Met of conductor Nathalie Stutzmann”, he writes. “Directing a new production of a Mozart opera is hard enough, especially as an introduction to the company – but two, simultaneously? And Stutzmann’s work in the Don Giovanni austere by Ivo van Hove as in The Magic Flute Simon McBurney’s anticyclonic was superb: supple but rich, propulsive without being rushed or distorting the lyricism of these scores. »

At the same time, the journalist is not kind to the musicians and their musical director, recalling the picrocholine controversy escalated from remarks made by the conductor: “Before the premiere of the FluteStutzmann was quoted in the New York Times, noting that McBurney’s production, which raises the pit almost to stage level, allows the musicians to see what’s going on rather than keeping them, as usual, “deep in a cave” where he there is “nothing more boring”. Simple and harmless. But for some reason, the musicians took to social media and condemned her for accusing them of performing while bored. »

” Even worse “

According to Zachary Woolfe, it is the attitude of the musical director of the Met, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, which would be “even worse”: “rather than defending his colleague or trying to resolve the conflict behind the scenes, [Yannick Nézet-Séguin] publicly encouraged this unseemly pile-up, adding seven applause emojis to an Instagram post of the orchestra,” the reporter reveals. New York Times. Before concluding: “He and the musicians should be ashamed; Stutzmann should be celebrated. »

We understand that Yannick Nézet-Séguin is anxious to show his solidarity with the musicians he directs. But in this specific case, no doubt it would have been more elegant, out of respect for his colleague, for him to display a hint of restraint in his communication.