Daniele Gatti Goes To Bayreuth And You Don't

Arturo Toscanini.

Victor De Sabata.

Alberto Erede.

Giuseppe Sinopoli.

Daniele Gatti.

Only five Italians have ever been called to conduct at Bayreuth, more or less like winning the Oskar of the Wagnerite world (the statuette is, of course, a little goose-stepping  golden man).

The 46 year old Milanese maestro has spoken to Corriere della Sera about his date with destiny, his debut on July 25 with Parsifal at Bayreuth.

Gatti, an intelligent, serious maestro whose mild manners have not necessarily helped him in the appalling classical music business, already talks the talk:

"Parsifal is one of the greatest creations of human spirit. In its presence, one can only feel like a tiny little ant".

He even sent a small valentines greeting to Riccardo Muti, who on December 6 will open the season at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, one day before Gatti opens la Scala season with Don Carlo.

"I never conducted at la Scala during Muti's years (ed: zing!) but I have the greatest admiration for all his accomplishments, that shall remain forever. As conductors, we had the age of Mahler, the age of Toscanini, the age of Muti. And maybe one day, who knows, we'll have the age of Gatti".

Comments

[CrewMantle]

Mild manners? from someone who espouses an 'age of Gatti' when speaking about himself in the same breath as Toscanini???

Arrogant nobody fool should be slapped an beaten.

[CrewMantle]

Since this post regards Bayreuth, I will comment here as to why Bayreuth could never see inclusion as anything other than a 'provincial' house internationally. Bayreuth is devoted largely to the works of ONE compser. Regardless of the esteem with which this composer is held (and rightly so), this mission statement alone reduces Bayreuth to a niche festival; however glittering the seasons on rare occasion.

THE list cannot include festivals, or open air arenas for obvious reasons. This does not preclude their importance or relevance to the world of opera. The leading proponents which would be Verona and Aix en Provence

[Marc Geelhoed]

Gatti has a wide repertoire and interpretive skill, and he is far from a nobody.

[CrewMantle]

If one determines to needlessly display an ego the size of a crater, or the operative guile of a Barack Obama @46 years, such a person can only be personally thought of as an arrogant nobody fool.

Regardless of what repertoire or percieved interpretive skill you speak of, this cannot compensate for ill breeding, and a distinctive lack of class or civilty towards others.

[Chevalier]

Dude, give him the benefit of the doubt. It's a written version of what he said, and translated at that. We can't hear his inflections or see his gestures and facial expressions. I'm going to stick my neck out here and bet that Maestro Gatti said it jokingly/self-deprecatingly.

[CrewMantle]

Dude? Alright... since you own sensibilities of depth, I will dissect the notion of his purported goodness slightly for your delectation.

"Parsifal is one of the greatest creations of human spirit. In its presence, one can only feel like a tiny little ant"

A large and expansive statement which evokes such sentiment (greatest creations) to the composer, and a suggested kowtowing humbleness (feel like a tiny little ant)for the conductor.... This is offset rather quietly yet disdainfully by the use (one can) of imperious dialectic.

Next

He makes it known that he was never invited to conduct while La Scala was under the auspices of Maestro Muti. There can be no question this has ruffled his plummage to no end. To have sent a 'small' valentines greeting to the Maestro after he was historically overlooked as insufficient to conduct at the theater, yet now announced for December 7th was petty and ungallant in the extreme.

Next... The coup de gras;

"As conductors, we had the age of Mahler, the age of Toscanini, the age of Muti. And maybe one day, who knows, we'll have the age of Gatti".

Insufferable, arrogant, rude, unworthy nobody of a man.

[Marc Geelhoed]

If lack of class is a crime, we're going to have to lock up every conductor with an international career, CrewMantle, because no one gets to that level without an oceanic sense of importance and ego. If your favorite conductors haven't shown that side of themselves in public, you can bet it's made itself known in private. Cookies often crumble.The fact is that Gatti can conduct Tchaikovsky as well as he can Bartok, and the clearness of thought he gives them will do him well in Wagner.

[CrewMantle]

It is indeed fortunate that a lack of class is not a crime for this conductor. Celebrated conductors that I know of do not own this loathsome trait. As a matter of fact, none come to mind that are ill bred to the degree as boasts this simpering individual.

Ego(not to be lumped in with zero class)in the truest sense belongs to all people who forge a significant destiny. Perhaps I should have utilised 'egotistical' which conveys crisply this mans revolting person.

What textures he implies within the sphere of his work does not compensate for the smallness of character he owns. If there are those who wish to ignore the rude arrogance of this man towards his betters, and find justification for this via his style........

In the end, unworthy men merit a simple line or two in the pages of history.

[tim mangan]

I wonder if Giulini was ever asked to conduct at Bayreuth. He may have been -- but I'm sure if he was, he turned it down summarily. He never conducted Wagner, and I think it was out of moral principle.

[Pier Luigi Itsybitsy]

Daniele Gatti is a great conductor. He knows his Verdi as well as his Schönberg. He is the best Italian conductor of his generation, and one of the finest maestri in the world.

And he is a wonderful human being. Down-to-earth, no-nonsense, unpretentious, intellectual, extremely congenial. Everybody in the classical music business knows that (the Vienna Philharmonic, for instance). Whatever _______ outsiders or journalists babble or write about him is of no importance.

[tim mangan]

Well, Pier, there's this:

http://www.a1musicforum.com/archive/index.php/t-41081.html

[Pier Luigi Itsybitsy]

@tim mangan: Thank you for the link, I didn't know that story! But I must say, I find it quite funny. Especially as it's completely unclear what Gatti was complaining about! Mamma mia! And the reactions to Gatti's encore are hilarious. Obviously some people can be shocked quite easily.