The sick pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim is hoping to return to the music business as quickly as possible. The general music director of the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden is currently concentrating on his health and hopes to be recovered soon enough to be able to carry out his duties again, his management said when asked by the dpa. However, there is no timetable for this yet. The current situation does not allow this.

Barenboim, who turns 80 on November 15, announced his temporary retirement via social media at the beginning of October. "My health has deteriorated over the past few months and I have been diagnosed with a serious neurological condition," he posted. He must now concentrate as much as possible on his physical well-being.

Most recently, the State Opera had to cancel a concert planned for the birthday in the Berlin Philharmonic. Barenboim was to play the piano at the birthday concert with the Staatskapelle Berlin, and 86-year-old Zubin Mehta was to conduct the musical.

Previously, Barenboim had already had to give up conducting the new production of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" at the State Opera, which was realized for his birthday. He was replaced by Christian Thielemann and Thomas Guggeis at the podium.

Recently, Barenboim had failed several times. In February he underwent surgery on his spine.