The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: Should Yannick Nézet-Séguin be the Metropolitan Opera’s next music director? Here are the pros and cons

By Jacob Stockinger

As you may have already heard, the legendary James Levine just retired as the music director of the famed Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

So now the question becomes: Who should succeed Levine?

Several names stand out.

But the smartest money seems to be on the relatively young conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (below). The French-Canadian and openly gay conductor now leads the Philadelphia Orchestra and is closely attached to the Rotterdam Philharmonic in the Netherlands.

A comprehensive profile of the charismatic and energetic conductor – who is known for his unique, subtle and powerful interpretations – with the pros and cons of an appointment to The Met was recently written by New York Times music critic Zachary Woolfe.

Woolfe raves about his conducting but then goes on to raise several important points about the difference between being a conductor and a music director. (You can hear a lot of recorded performances of his conducting on YouTube. At bottom is the beginning of an insightful two-part interview with Nézet-Séguin.)

The Ear found the criticism relevant, if a little lopsided, and was impressed overall with the story.

So read it for yourself and decide:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/arts/music/for-yannick-nezet-seguin-questions-of-vision.html?_r=0

Then leave word in the COMMENTS section and let The Ear and his readers know whether you think Nézet-Séguin should be the next music director of The Met?

Or would you suggest another name?