While the conductor was to conduct Berlioz’s Les Troyens over two evenings, a violent incident allegedly took place yesterday.
The complete grand opera The Trojans in two evenings conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, this is what the Festival dedicated to Berlioz promised in his birthplace, at La Côte Saint-André. The first part, The Capture of Troywas indeed given last night under the direction of the Briton who has shown his attachment to Berlioz on many occasions, but the conductor will give way to his assistant Dinis Sousa for The Trojans at Carthage this August 23.
Slap and drug
According to several witnesses, and as the blogger Norman Lebrecht indicates on his Slipped Disc site, an incident took place between John Eliot Gardiner and the singer William Thomas who takes on the role of Narbal: “According to our informants, and with the confirmation of a person authorized to speak on behalf of Gardiner, the latter was upset that the English bass singer […] exited the stage from the wrong side. After having violently reprimanded the singer in front of his colleagues, the maestro allegedly slapped him. Information confirmed by France Musique.
The British chef urgently left La Côte Saint-André this morning for London to consult his doctor, because “a representative of Sir John Eliot Gardiner told Slipped Disc that he was suffering from the extreme heat which reigned in France last night and that he suspects that a recent change in his medication may have caused behavior that he now regrets. »
The tour of the Orchester Révolutionnaire et Romantique with Berlioz’s opera should continue, after passing through La Côte Saint-André, and pass through Salzburg, Berlin, Versailles, London. Will Sir John Eliot return to the podium? As for the Proms, where Les Troyens must be given on September 3, the BBC claims to have “opened an investigation into the alleged incident”. A BBC spokesperson said: “We take allegations of inappropriate behavior seriously and are in the process of establishing the facts of this incident. ” To be continued.
