It is an earthquake for musical Berlin: late in the morning of Epiphany, Daniel Barenboim announced his resignation from the post of General Music Director (GMD) of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

The personal statement of the eighty-year-old conductor and pianist begins with the sentence: "Unfortunately, my health has deteriorated significantly in the last year.

I can no longer provide the performance that is rightly demanded of a general music director.

Therefore, I ask for your understanding that I will give up this job on January 31, 2023.

I ask the Senator for Culture to terminate the contract between us at the specified time.”

For about a year, Barenboim had had to cancel concerts and opera performances due to various illnesses.

The State Opera under the directorship of Matthias Schulz nevertheless proved its ability to act and guaranteed performances at a high level.

But in order to plan major projects, to hire directors, soloists and guest conductors, you need a manager who is able to act.

Of course, the Staatskapelle Berlin in particular – which owes a lot to Barenboim artistically and, thanks to his cultural and political commitment, also financially – is infinitely saddened by his decision.

Barenboim's departure will set the cultural-political tectonics of Berlin, perhaps even the entire German opera landscape, in motion.

Berlin's Senator for Culture, Klaus Lederer,

It's no secret that the Staatskapelle wants Christian Thielemann as their successor, who represented Barenboim on Wagner's "Ring" and on the Asian tour in the autumn.

From a purely musical point of view, they get along very well, but Thielemann has acquired a long biographical leaflet with problematic side effects in human leadership, which does not seem to make a firm bond with the house in a managerial position advisable.

As an artist and politician, Barenboim has a weight that is not easy to replace.

Antonio Pappano, Franz Welser-Möst and Simon Rattle are among the few active conductors of standing who have demonstrated artistic excellence and institutional leadership at a similar level.

Barenboim himself, however, admirably maintained his sovereignty with what was a painful step for him in the end.