At the zenith of his career, Levine was a headliner at the Western Hemisphere's most glittering opera house, the Metropolitan Opera in New York. With his tousled, bleached hair and quick movements, he was a figure so recognizable to anyone who watched operatic performances on public television
James Levine, the beloved maestro of the Metropolitan Opera for more than four decades and one of the most influential conductors admired everywhere until allegations of sexual abuse and harassment ended his career, died March 9 at his home in Palm Springs, Califf. He was 77 years old.
His death was confirmed on Wednesday morning by his doctor, Dr. Len Horovitz. He has not spoken about the cause and it is not known why his death was not announced earlier. However, the BBC has confirmed from his doctor that it is a matter of death from natural causes.
After investigations into sexual misconduct with young people, the Met Opera first suspended and then fired him in 2018, a sharp decline at the age of 76.
He was determined to fight it with the law against defamation. But in a statement to the media, the Met paid tribute to his "undeniable artistic achievements" including "making the Met's orchestra and chorus the best in the world", but clarified that his relationship with the company was severed in light of the allegations. and the quarterly investigation that followed them.
Before the scandal hit, Levine was the ubiquitous stage maestro who for decades helped elevate the Metropolitan Opera, the largest performing arts organization in the US, by expanding its repertoire and transforming it into a classy orchestra. world.
Fame on the rise, health on the decline
And his work extended beyond that at the company: for seven years, beginning in 2004, he was music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, earning accolades during his first seasons for revitalizing the ensemble with nam, promoting contemporary music, and commissioning of major works by living composers.
Levine was recognized as America's leading conductor after Leonard Bernstein's death in 1990. Along with the company's rise to success since 1883, his career was plagued by health problems for more than a decade.
Levine also served as music director for the Munich Philharmonic for five consecutive years (1999-2004). He had long-standing ties to the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The last years of the maestro's life were plagued by health crises, including a cancerous growth in his kidney and surgery to repair his shoulder.
Problems like these caused Levine to be absent for weeks, even months, from various performances. In March 2011, facing reality, he resigned from his post in Boston.
"He raised the standards to new heights"
Despite the bitter split with the Met Opera, it is this institution where Levine's musical legacy will be defined. He had a 47-year association with this house and served in various capacities of its artistic leadership.
"No artist in the Met Opera's 137-year history has had as profound an impact as James Levine," said the company's general manager, Peter Gelb. "He raised musical standards to new heights during his tenure that spanned nearly five decades."
Most conductors of Levine's generation pursued international careers, moving from one show to another without sticking to any post for long. Levine's dedication to the Met Opera was reminiscent of his time as conductors like his mentor, George Szell, who was music director of the Cleveland Orchestra for 24 years.
Thousands of performances
From the beginning, his association with the Met seemed like an ideal fit of musician, art form and institution. A few weeks before he turned 29, he made his debut in Puccini's Tosca on June 5, 1971.
Maestro Levine conducted more than 2500 performances of 85 different operas at the Met.
He brought for the first time to the Met performances of Mozart ("Idomeneo and La Clemenza di Tito"), Gershwin ("Porgy and Bess"), Stravinsky ("Oedipus Rex"), Verdi ("I Vespri Siciliani", "I Lombardi ” and “Stiffelio”), Weill (“Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny”), Schoenberg (“Erwartung” and “Moses und Aron”), Berg (“Lulu”), Rossini (“La Cenerentola”) and Berlioz ("Benvenuto Cellini"), as well as the world premieres of John Corigliano ("The Ghosts of Versailles") and John Harbison ("The Great Gatsby").
He also accompanied performers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Cecilia Bartoli and Kiri Te Kanawa; he earned a reputation as one of the most supportive conductors and accompanists in the field.
The inglorious end
But everything would take an unexpected turn when in December 2017 the Metropolitan Opera suspended all ties to Levine, after three men came forward with allegations that he had sexually abused them decades ago, when they were just teenagers.
Allegations of misconduct date back to 1968 and have been the subject of whispers in music circles since the mid-70s.
Over the years, various media outlets have tried to investigate these rumors, but it was not possible to confirm anything. But as a wave of outrage began over how powerful people in many fields — including art, politics and business — had abused young men and women, Levine came under fire.
In a statement at the time, he called the accusations "baseless" and said: "As anyone who knows me will testify, I have not lived my life as an oppressor or an aggressor."
The Met Opera would fire Levine in March 2018 after an internal investigation, saying the company had "discovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine engaged in sexually abusive behavior and harassment against vulnerable performers early in their careers, over whom Levine had authority”.
After that, Levine sued the Met for $5.8 million, while the latter countersued. An agreement was reached last summer where both parties agreed to a confidentiality agreement. In September, the New York Times revealed that Levine had received $3.5 million to withdraw from the lawsuit.
His brother, Tom Levine, also an artist, died in April last year aged 71 from leukemia. Levine is survived by his wife, Suzanne Thomson, whom he married last year, and his sister, Janet Levine.
Taken from: "New York Times", "Washington Post", "Metopera", "Guardian", "BBC". Translated by: Salih Mehmeti