After hard criticism of star conductor Daniel Barenboim, there will be further talks and meetings at the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden. Intendant Matthias Schulz also relies on external support, as he told the dpa news agency.
The playwright Willi Hilgers, who now plays in Munich, had made serious allegations against Barenboim and spoke of frequent harassment that would have led to health problems such as depression and hypertension. After changing to the Bavarian State Opera, he could again play without antidepressants. "I went to the Staatskapelle in Berlin for Daniel Barenboim and stayed there because it's a fantastic orchestra," Hilgers told dpa. "So I went for the same reason, because of Daniel Barenboim."
Also other musicians had particularly by the Bavarian broadcasting or anonymously in the on-line magazine "Van" partly violent criticism expressed. There are tantrums, and Barenboim proving to individual musicians in the rehearsals that he pushed aside a violinist in front of an audience who wanted to present a bouquet of flowers.
Barenboim rejected the allegations of his personal behavior in the dpa interview, but at the same time was ready to talk. As a conductor he is a dictator who determines speed and volume. "But when you talk about human interaction, I am everything else."
In a conversation with the RBB, Argentinean-born Barenboim referred to "a bit of Latin American blood" in his body. He becomes impatient when a musician does not deliver his best, and it happens to him from time to time that he also gets angry in front of an audience: "It rarely happens to me, and I'm sorry, not because of a specific person, but for the whole Orchestra, because when we're on stage, we're one, and nobody has the right to show it. "
"A stupid person would say, I'm the way I am," Barenboim said. He did not know if he was intelligent, "but I'm not completely stupid". So he thinks, "If the orchestra or you get me to the point that I can improve my qualities, my character, I'm just grateful."
The accusations of Barenboim were a major topic in the Berlin daily newspapers. The "Berliner Zeitung" called the General Music Director a "rather moderately educated child prodigy" and reminded the public in another article to get used to the fact that "the alternating weather of artistic participation processes will tend to replace all-year irradiation of ordered Sun Kings."
The "Tagesspiegel" urges the Senate to now have the courage to "put a clear end to the glittering era, to protect the workaholic Barenboim from himself." It was desirable "that his era at the State Opera can remain glamorous until the very end and is not diminished by a lengthy dispute over his leadership style".
External contact point should be named
Intendant Schulz now said that he had come to the conclusion after the first publications together with Berlin's cultural Senator Klaus Lederer (left) that there should be a conversation with the entire workforce. "During this conversation, I made it very clear once again how important an open, appreciative corporate culture is and how we can achieve this together."
He called all contact persons for complaints or for resolving conflicts. "There was also talk of a common understanding of appreciation and trust and how it should be defined, and there were no concrete allegations against Mr. Barenboim," Schulz said. From next week on an independent, external contact point will be named, "and we will actively have interviews conducted with employees".
"I have seen a great deal of solidarity with Mr Barenboim in the House in recent days, but we will continue to follow up on all the leads that should come and then seek the dialogue with everyone involved," Schulz said. Concerts and all the power of the house rested on many shoulders. "Daniel Barenboim is an extremely constructive partner."
Previously, the orchestra board had stood behind Barenboim. With their music director celebrate the Staatskapelle "by mutual trust and in close cooperation" regularly great artistic successes, it said in a statement. "This confidence remains untouched even now, in February 2019. The Staatskapelle is therefore looking forward to further years of successful cooperation."
The Staatskapelle Berlin had chosen Barenboim to be the general music director 28 years ago and in 2000 appointed chief conductor for life. There are currently talks about extending his contract as General Music Director, which ends in 2022.