Fired for slapping a singer

The following is something I witnessed myself:

Once I saw J.E.Gardiner conducting in Rotterdam, NL, while I was living and studying there. That was about 18 years ago.

I was in the audience at the choir side, that is, in the backside of the orchestra, facing the conductor. About 5 seats to my left, close to the middle, was a violin student, very excited to see the great master leading his legendary orchestra.

At one point, this violinist grabbed his camera and took a picture (yes, we used cameras back then to take pictures, not mobiles). Only, he forgot to turn the flash off.

So, as you can imagine, the flash went off directly to the conductor´s face. He was in the middle of the first movement from Brahms´ 1st Symphony. He continued as if nothing had happened.

BUT, when the movement concluded, Gardiner faced the audience behind him and in full voice asked them if they had noticed that someone had taken a picture. The audience nodded in approval.

Gardiner turned around, facing the violinist, and started shouting at him, asking him to leave immediately.

My friend, Ruben, the unfortunate young Spanish violinist, had no choice but to stand up, right in the middle of the seating row where he was, and ask every person to his right (including me) to stand up so he could pass through in one of the worst scenes (if not the worst) of public humiliation I have ever witnessed. The audience clapped in ecstasy while the poor young guy, who only wanted a picture of his idol, walked away red-faced with embarrassment.

Once he had left, Gardiner continued with the second movement, as if nothing had happened.

I felt sick.

On another note, Gardiner has been fired this summer from the orchestra he himself founded about 60 years ago, for slapping a singer in the face.

It seems Gardiner might have some self-control issues…

Don´t be like Gardiner.

And have a nice day.

Claudio.