Israeli Philharmonic members shock Sardinia by baring shirts

ROME, Aug. 17 (JTA) — Members of the Israeli Philharmonic shocked concert-goers in Sardinia when they took off their black tuxedo jackets and performed the second half of their concert in shirtsleeves because of the heat. Italian newspapers quoted Philharmonic director Zubin Mehta as saying he didn’t approve of this weekend’s breach in protocol, but allowed the musicians to do so because of the circumstances. He said the air conditioning onstage did not work correctly. “You can’t die onstage just to look good,” he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper, which showed a picture of Mehta — who did not remove his formal jacket — in front of orchestra members in white shirts and black bow ties. According to Corriere, however, local culture superintendent Mauro Meli was furious. “It was an act of rudeness carried out without the permission of the theater that hosted them,” he said. “Music is made of rituals that should be respected,” adding that while he considers Mehta a great conductor, other conductors would not have permitted the musicians’ actions.