Opera world 'dismayed'

The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden

The opera world has reacted with general dismay at the decision to appoint the BBC's head of news Tony Hall as the new executive director of the Royal Opera House.

Mr Hall will take over at the troubled opera house, which has been stung with political and press criticism for years, in April.

He will not be stopping there long enough to draw his pension

Norman Lebrecht

Many music critics attacked the decision to appoint a new executive director who is seen to have little or no experience with opera or theatre management.

Broadcaster and music critic Michael White told BBC News Online: "The whole opera world will be asking who is Tony Hall?

"As far as I know Tony Hall is not immersed in opera. He is just a news manager with an amateur interest in opera.

"It remains to be seen if he has the credibility for the job."

Michael Kennedy, chief music critic of the Sunday Telegraph, echoed the views .

'Alarming'

He said: "I am a bit dismayed. He has not got any experience in the theatre at all.

"He is bound to have some kind of input into the artistic side. It is rather alarming that they have appointed him."

There are two-bit opera companies in Germany that have more funding than the Royal Opera house

Michael White

Norman Lebrecht, music columnist with the Daily Telegraph, said the appointment was an act of desperation by Covent Garden chiefs.

"Everyone qualified for the job pulled out of the race. His is a stop-gap appointment and he will not be stopping there long enough to draw his pension."

But John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine, struck a more positive note by saying he greeted the appointment with "cautious optimism".

He said: "He is not one of the usual suspects and that is good. Covent Garden needs a fresh approach and proven leadership."

All the critics agreed that the job had become a "poisoned chalice".

'Unworkable'

The structure of the Royal Opera House and the government's attitude to the institution were blamed for making it one of the most difficult to run in the arts world.

Mr Lebrecht, who detailed the opera house's problems in his book Covent Garden - The Untold Story, added: "The Royal Opera House has become publicly unaccountable.

"When the state puts in a third of the money but demands to call the shots it is unworkable.

"We need to decide whether the Royal Opera should be a private organisation or run out of the Department of Culture Media and Sport."

Mr White added: "The government does not take it seriously enough; there are two-bit opera companies in Germany that have more funding than the Royal Opera house."