Levine Becomes Emeritus At The Met
I would have thought the Queen would have abdicated sooner than James Levine would have stepped down as artistic head of the Met Opera. But it has happened: the man known to some longtime opera obsessives as “Nurse” is becoming music director emeritus. The announcement about Mr. Levine, 72, capped a difficult year in which he struggled to hold on to his position amid a variety of health problems, including Parkinson’s disease. He will still conduct at the Met next season, health permitting. He turned the Met orchestra into a first-rate ensemble and “nursed” the careers of many gifted musicians. My hat is off to him. [photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera]
