Simon Rattle’s Rough Year

“Life isn’t getting easier for Simon Rattle. The golden boy of classical music who seemed incapable of wrong moves has become the single most visible conductor in the world – while having a contentious split from his second wife, losing sleep thanks to Jonah, his 11-month-old son with his new partner, Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená, and, as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, receiving unnervingly polarized reactions from critics and audiences… He also faces chronic funding uncertainty with his home orchestra, whose city of residence is virtually bankrupt. Even a sunny, seemingly unflappable personality like Rattle’s can’t whitewash these circumstances. Can the collective wear and tear be worth it?”