Aged 79, the historic musical director of the Milan hall should not reappear at the desk before June.
Second wave of concert cancellations in less than six months. Legendary pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, 79, has canceled all his engagements for the next few weeks due to upcoming surgery, La Scala in Milan announced on Sunday. “Mr Barenboim is forced to suspend his activity for the next few weeks in order to undergo surgery“, said in a press release the legendary Italian opera house, of which he was the musical director from 2005 to 2014.
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Daniel Barenboim was to perform Beethoven sonatas on February 8 as part of a series of concerts devoted to great pianists, date postponed to June 13. He was also scheduled to perform on February 12 with the Philharmonie de la Scala under the direction of Zubin Mehta. No new date has yet been announced. “La Scala wishes Maestro Barenboim a speedy recovery”added the Milanese opera in its press release.
Afflicted with recurring health problems, including at least one back problem, Daniel Barenboim had already had to cancel several dates last fall. In particular, he failed on November 18 to the public waiting for him at the Rykestrasse synagogue in Berlin. The Israeli-Argentine maestro has been the musical director of the Berlin State Opera and its orchestra, the Staatskapelle, for three decades and under contract until 2027.“I will stay until I have the strength. Otherwise I will leave; I don’t want to remain as a relic of the past”he confided last year to AFP.