Yannick Nézet-Séguin, musical director of the Metropolitan Opera, will not conduct, as planned, a revival of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” in January, the company announced Monday evening.
Nézet-Séguin “will take a brief sabbatical of almost four weeks from all of his managerial duties beginning Dec. 19,” the Met said, and quoted him as adding: “This short break will allow me to regain my strength. as we come back in the New Year with more inspiring art.
The Philadelphia Orchestra, of which Nézet-Séguin is also musical director, announced that Xian Zhang would resume his concerts scheduled for December 31 and January 2, but said his time off would not affect his presence with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall. . January 11, nor the next two weeks of subscription concerts in Philadelphia in January.
Nézet-Séguin – who earlier in his career was known for keeping a particularly busy schedule, and sometimes for canceling – is currently directing Matthew Aucoin’s Met series and Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice”. This is the second company premiere he is leading this fall, having opened the season with “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons.
He has also led the Met forces in outdoor performances of Mahler’s Second Symphony and a nationally televised version of Verdi’s Requiem for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as well as concerts in Philadelphia, Carnegie and in Montreal, where he is the music director of the Orchester Métropolitain.
He will conduct Puccini’s “Tosca” at the Met from Thursday to December 18th, as well as a new production of Verdi’s “Don Carlos” which will begin on February 28th.
For the “Figaro”, which opens on January 8, Nézet-Séguin will be replaced by Daniele Rustioni – who is at the Met to direct a new production of “Rigoletto” from New Year’s Eve – and (for the final performance, the January 28) Gareth Morrell. Five other “Figaro” performances scheduled for April will be directed by James Gaffigan.
