Simone Young 22 August 1999
It was a privilege to hear Simone Young, Musical Director of Opera
Australia from 2001, who gave some of her rare free time to talk enthusiastically
to the Society on 22nd August. The President welcomed a large audience
among whom were Horst Hoffmann, Adrian Collette and Countess Baudissin.
Ms Young is an acknowledged lover of the music of Richard Wagner
but has an extensive opera repertoire and lists among her favourites:
La Boheme, Ariadne on Naxos, Elektra, Marriage of Figaro, as
well as Tristan & Isolde. She spent four years as assistant
to Daniel Barenboim at Bayreuth and these years were a crucial part
of her development. Simone related incidents where Barenboim treated
his assistants "generously" by putting them onto the podium
at short notice and leaving them to hold the baton. Her technique
for preparing for any opera is to carry the score with her and study
it at every opportunity (in her "free" time).
In her repertoire as a conductor of some 65 operas, Simone Young
numbers all the Wagner operas except Rienzi, Parsifal,
and the complete Götterdämmerung. Parsifal was to have
been included in the pre-Olympics arts festival but was withdrawn
for lack of funds, and Götterdämmerung will be tackled as part
of the complete Ring Cycle which Simone will conduct in Vienna
in October/November 2000. We enjoyed hearing of Wagner performances
past and future. For example, coming up at the Royal Opera House Covent
Garden is Bryn Terfel’s first Dutchman with Simone conducting.
What are Simone Young’s priorities for Opera Australia? As Musical
Director-designate there is no question that her priority is to engage
the best possible singers. Although OA does not have the financial
resources which enable so many major houses to engage top ranking
world singers, we can get very fine singers (witness the cast of the
current Don Carlo). She is well aware that Sydney audiences
would like to hear more Wagner but refuses outright to attempt to
conduct Wagner while the Sydney Opera Theatre’s orchestra pit
is inadequate. Opera managements need to be convinced that the audiences
are here, and if Elektra in January attracts full houses at
the Capitol Theatre that would be a good indication that alternative
venues are worth considering. Now is the time to book our Elektra
tickets to show the flag for Strauss and Wagner and - who knows? -
a renewed commitment to Parsifal.
BARBARA BRADY
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