For health reasons
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Barenboim resigns as General Music Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden
For more than 30 years, Daniel Barenboim has shaped the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden as General Music Director. He is now stepping down for health reasons. As a conductor, he wants to remain in the house for individual performances.
Daniel Barenboim resigns as General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden. As the House announced on Friday, he will resign from office at the end of the month. The 80-year-old justified his resignation with his serious illness.
“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,” he is quoted as saying in the statement. “Therefore, I ask for your understanding that I will give up this activity on January 31, 2023. I ask the Senator for Culture to terminate the contract between us at the specified date.”
Culture Senator Klaus Lederer (left) said in a first statement that he was convinced that Daniel Barenboim had made the right decision. It is reflected and puts the well-being of the State Opera and the Staatskapelle in the foreground. The director of the State Opera, Matthias Schulz, said: “There is great respect that Daniel Barenboim is now taking this step in the interests of the institution and resigning from his duties as general music director at the end of this month.” He can only guess how difficult this step must have been for Barenboim.
Barenboim wants to continue working as a conductor
Barenboim has been General Music Director of the Musikhaus in Berlin-Mitte since 1992. At the turn of the year, the Argentine-Israeli musician still had celebrated his return to the stage with his interpretation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
At the beginning of October, Barenboim made it public on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with a serious neurological disease. As a result, among other things, he had to cancel the concert for his 80th birthday on November 15th.
In his statement on his resignation, however, Barenboim announced that he wanted to continue working as a musician: “Of course – as long as I live – I will remain closely connected to music and I am willing to work as a conductor in the future, also and especially with the Staatskapelle Berlin ‘ said Barenboim.
Intendant Schulz said Barenboim will remain connected to the house forever. “The Staatsoper Unter den Linden owes Daniel Barenboim an infinite debt of gratitude,” says a statement.
“Artist of the century and one of the most remarkable personalities in Berlin”
In addition to his function as general director of the State Opera, Barenboim was also its artistic director until August 2002. In autumn 2000 the Staatskapelle Berlin elected him chief conductor for life. In addition to numerous other musical projects, Barenboim founded the Barenboim Said Academy in Berlin together with the Palestinian literary scholar Edward Said, where young musicians from the Middle East are trained.
“After decades of his work in and for Berlin, I can only say that Daniel Barenboim is an artist of the century and one of the most remarkable personalities working in Berlin,” said Klaus Lederer. Despite the respect for Barenboim’s decision, he also feels regret. The most important asset, however, is health.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, January 6th, 2022, 1 p.m