Bernard Chasan:

>Support for Janos' point of view comes from the conductor, Marek Janowski.
>In an interview with Richard Dyer in the Boston Globe, he declares that
>he will no longer conduct opera in opera houses because he no longer
>wishes to deal with crazy directors who  know nothing about music. He
>will conduct operas in concert.

To which one could add Bryn Terfel who on the BBC DVD of Verdi's Falstaff
utters the wish to perform it only once in the setting Verdi asked for,
rather than some house turned upside-down.

There is no doubt that music directors are working hard and that their
intentions are good. However, I wonder whether it wouldn't be more
efficient to have an apprentice simply do what is in the score. It'd
save the house houses a lot of money (and cost a few jobs, granted)
and probably make the audience happier. At least I would be happier.

Furthermore I find it curious that in the days of "period performance
practice" the clearly written will of the composer as to staging matters
less than ever. This is nothing but an observation and no offense implied.

Jan