Turnage’s Festen opened at Royal Opera House last week. Much enthusiasm was expressed on social media. Alongside it a darker subplot: the ongoing story about conductor Edward Gardner and Teatro San Carlo in Naples. In an interview previewing Festen with The Times (in January 2025) Gardner comments on not using the chorus at his recent debut in Naples. The seemingly off-the-cuff comments—for some, offhand—suggested a connection between the chorus and the mafia. Hardly surprising this didn’t land well. Hardly surprising Teatro San Carlo issues a blistering statement defending the reputation of the opera house. All right and proper that Gardner responds with a heartfelt apology. Without doubt an unavoidable moment of misjudgment. The comment also reflects the trust and regard Gardner assumed for his interviewer at The Times in the moment, even if he’d momentarily forgotten that unless otherwise stated, everything is on the record. Be it absent-minded or deliberate choice the unhelpful comment adds little to the rest of the article. Either way it gives the story a longer tail and considerably more website traffic. The result? Artists will need to be more on their guard—assuming they’ll be inclined to say yes to an interview at all.
Opinion – Edward Gardner, Trust and Rules of Engagement
