At the beginning of this week it was announced that the conductor (who was, when he was younger, hailed as a new Herbert von Karajan) was not offered a contract renewal at the orchestra and opera house in Dresden. It turns out that his term as music director at Wagner’s own opera house in Bayreuth expired on Jan. 1, and his name and title have reportedly disappeared from the festival’s website. Bayreuth’s spokesperson says only that Thielemann has a contract as a guest conductor for one opera this summer and beyond that “there is no decision yet.” (in German; for Google Translate version, click here) – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (DPA)
