A false note of size came to disturb the Berlioz Festival. Tuesday evening, while on the stage side, the first part of Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz ended under a round of applause, on the backstage side, the atmosphere was quite different. Famed bandleader Sir John Eliot Gardiner allegedly slapped and punched bass William Thomas, 29, blaming him for leaving the stage on the wrong side, the website Slipped Disc reports.
An anonymous witness to the scene told The New York Times that ‘no particular organization had been put in place for entry and exit’, adding that Sir Gardiner ‘frustrated with Thomas’ exit’ allegedly approached him , half a pint of beer in hand and would have announced his desire to “spill it over his head”. The singer, after advising his superior to make such a gesture, would have been hit.
“The spectators saw nothing, says Claude, present at the concert. On Wednesday, during the day, we learned by an SMS that the chef had been replaced and left for health reasons in England. We were surprised! Then the news of the attack circulated and was made official. “Sir Gardiner looked a little feverish at the time of the salute… but that’s not necessarily a clue,” he observes.
Wednesday morning, the day after this altercation, the maestro immediately left for London to consult his doctor. He was replaced at short notice by his assistant, Dinis Sousa. According to Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s agent, the 80-year-old conductor would have suffered the previous night from the heat wave which is raging in the region. Strong heat coupled with a recent change of medication for heart problems, would have led to this outburst that the maestro says today he regrets.
The La Côte Saint-André festival (Isère) hosted the two-part performance of the opera this week, which was the most anticipated event of this 2023 edition. The incident, which occurred in the courtyard of the Château Louis XI, will have finally eclipsed the performance of the prestigious distribution of the festival, composed in particular of Michael Spyres, Alice Coote, Adèle Charvet and Lionel Lhote.
Singer William Thomas, who reprized his role on Wednesday evening for the second part of the opera, also spoke through the voice of his agent. “Every musician must be able to practice their art in an environment free from abuse or physical violence,” he said.
New performances of Berlioz’s major work are scheduled in Salzburg next Saturday, at the Château de Versailles on 29 August and above all at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 3 September as part of the Proms. According to The Telegraph, the BBC, organizer of the music event, is concerned about the situation and is investigating “allegations of inappropriate behavior”. For now, no one knows if Sir Gardiner will return to conduct these concerts.
