James Levine, who was Music Director of New York’s Metropolitan Opera for four decades, has died at the age of 77 (the news has only just emerged, eight days after his death). Generally considered one of the USA’s finest native-born musicians, Levine’s career ended in ignominy following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, allegations he denied.

As well as his post at The Met, Levine held positions at the Ravinia Festival, the Munich Philharmonic (Music Director, 1999-2004) and Boston Symphony Orchestra (Music Director, 2004-11, where he was also Music Director of the Tanglewood Music Center).

Born in Cincinnati, Levine learned the piano at an early age, making his debut aged 10 in the Mendelssohn Second Piano Concerto with the Cincinnati SO. He studied with the violinist Walter Levin of the LaSalle Quartet, with the pianist Rudolf Serkin at the Malboro Music School and with Rosina Lhévinne at the Aspen Music School. He was a student at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1964.

After graduating, Levine worked as George Szell’s Assistant in Cleveland and made his first appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Welsh National Opera and San Francisco Opera. One of his big breaks came when he stood in for István Kertesz with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra at Ravinia in Mahler’s Second Symphony. At this period he recorded extensively for RCA.

Levine conducted at The Met for the first time in 1971 – Puccini’s Tosca. The following year he was named Principal Conductor and in 1975 became the company’s Music Director. During the following 40 years he conducted more than 2500 performances embracing a vast repertoire (sometimes conducting two operas on the same day). He was hugely admired by singers and his sympathy for the vocal art and his qualities as an accompanist were rightly celebrated – he often played the piano in concert and on record for Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig and Kathleen Battle. As well as expanding The Met’s activities to play orchestral repertoire and to record extensively, Levine also introduced many new works to the stage including John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby (to mark his 25^th anniversary with The Met) and John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (1991). A much-admired Verdi and Wagner conductor, Levine also excelled in Mozart and Puccini.

Early in his career he recorded a huge number of operas (often in London) for RCA, CBS and EMI, before moving to DG where he often recorded with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras (including a Mozart  symphony cycle with the latter).

His period at the helm of the Boston Symphony Orchestra was notable for re-energising an often lacklustre ensemble and introducing a new and often challenging repertoire including works by Elliott Carter, Charles Wuorinen and John Harbison.

Despite a two-year hiatus from The Met due to ill health he returned in 2013 and conducted a critical acclaimed production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Following accusations of sexual impropriety and abuse, The Met fired Levine in March 2018. A lengthy legal battle ensued, ending with the conductor settling out of court for a reported $3.5 million.

Undoubtedly a great musician, Levine’s was a career that ended with the musical world turning its back on him, shunning a figure who had contributed so much and yet whose abusive behaviour towards other human beings would destroy a reputation which he would never regain.