Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly dropped Friday one of his two contracts in the German city of Leipzig, giving up his baton at the city's opera orchestra, according to dpa. Chailly had been appointed director-general of music at the Leipzig Opera three years ago, but said Friday he had had "a lot of problems of an organizational nature" there. He is to remain in Leipzig as conductor of the internationally famed Gewandhaus Orchestra. Burkhard Jung, mayor of Leipzig, said the city would seek a new opera conductor without haste. Chailly, who previously conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, had been attracted to Leipzig by the unique double role, which he took over in September 2005. But the opera house has been rent by quarrels. A year ago, Chailly was at odds with its French artistic director, Henri Maier, who left. Chailly was again infuriated when Peter Konwitschny was made senior stage director and Alexander von Maravic became new artistic director at the opera. At the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Chailly has been judged a success with many recordings and tours of Europe and North America. According to Chailly, he has also received job offers from Covent Garden in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and La Scala in Milan.
