This past weekend, many of us eagerly listened to the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem only to have our hearts sink within the day. James Levine’s much-heralded return to the podium coincided with breaking news of multiple allegations of sexual abuse by the conductor.
As information continued to emerge, the Met suspended its relationship with Levine, cancelling all future engagements with the conductor, pending an investigation into the allegations.
"While we await the results of the investigation, based on these new news reports, the Met has made the decision to act now," said Met general manager Peter Gelb in a statement. "This is a tragedy for anyone whose life has been affected."
