Leonard Slatkin withdraws from Met 'Traviata'

[April 20, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Conductor Leonard Slatkin has withdrawn from the Metropolitan Opera's revival of Verdi's "La Traviata" after one performance and critical reviews.

Slatkin, the music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, originally was hired by the Met several years ago to conduct a revival of John Corigliano's "The Ghosts of Versailles." But Met general manager Peter Gelb changed it a year ago to "La Traviata" to cut costs.

"At first, I said I would not do the switch," Slatkin wrote on his Web site last month. "After all, this is an opera I had never conducted and the first real repertoire standard for me at the Met. But after a while, I concluded that since everyone else in the house knew it, I would learn a great deal from the masters."

Reviewers faulted Slatkin for a lack of coordination and clumsiness at Monday's performance, and the Met announced Slatkin's withdrawal on Thursday.

His manager, R. Douglas Sheldon of Columbia Artists Management, said Slatkin withdrew "believing that his artistic contribution, which he feels he has thoroughly prepared, does not however coincide with the musical ideas of the ensemble."

Marco Armiliato will conduct a Verdi doubleheader Saturday, taking over in "La Traviata" after conducting the matinee of "Aida." The Met must find a conductor for April 7 and Steven White, a staff assistant conductor, will make his Met debut in "La Traviata" on April 10.

Yves Abel, principal guest conductor at Berlin's Deutsche Oper, will take over starting April 13.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

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