By a not-so-odd coincidence (it is December, after all) some of the autograph of Messiah is now available online. Check out the end of the Hallelujah chorus and notice the absence of any tempo change in the last two bars. This is very sad. And why would Costa Rica own instruments in the first place[…]
Read MoreHandel’s Messiah is one of the monuments of Western culture. So why is virtually every performance done by American orchestras so mediocre? Our industry talks a wonderful line about “world-class” and “excellence.” (No doubt some orchestra mission statements throw in praise of applehood and Mother pie as well). But when it comes to Messiah, the[…]
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What is the first thing you think of when the company Coca-Cola is mentioned—how about Apple or Mercedes? These are all strong brands that have distinct images associated with them. As a musician you also have a brand. You, Inc. means something to those who want to hire you. Let’s think about that in business[…]
Read MoreI linked yesterday to a Huffington Post article by Michael Kaiser which was both interesting and frustrating: …money concerns truly have begun to overwhelm artistic decisions in too many arts organizations. The fear that the organization will not survive has driven many arts organizations to produce safer, more accessible, and, unfortunately, more boring art, especially[…]
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New Hampshire Music Festival musicians have filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against management with the National Labor Relations Board. The Cleveland posts A Deficit. Nobody thinks there was a magic ingredient in Strads anymore; nonetheless, people still insist on debunking the idea. ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridges talks about stuff with Polyphonic senior editor Ann[…]
Read MoreAll musicians don’t have to be performers. Though they may start by singing or playing an instrument, some musicians transition to composing or studying music history or theory. An amateur does this for recreation and fun. A professional may do that too, but the difference is this: professionals are paid for what they do (and[…]
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It’s a beer bottle orchestra, and it’s not a bad idea on lots of levels: It humanizes the orchestra, makes the players seem “normal,” gives the orchestra some media exposure and hopefully brings in some money to the coffers. Doesn’t about every mid-size city and larger have a favorite local beer? Note to orchestra marketing[…]
Read MoreAbout a week ago, my BBB Charles Noble linked to a post by former Seattle Symphony concertmaster Ilkka Talvi on what’s wrong with our business. According to Talvi, the answer is “quite a bit”: Shrink the size of an orchestra to about 60, large enough to play the classics we love, and hire extras when[…]
Read MoreI suppose that most of the readers of the Polyphonic blog are aware that Leonard Slatkin suffered a heart attack 5 or 6 weeks ago. I don’t usually pay much attention to reports like that, but since I’m just about the same age as Slatkin, I read his account of the incident with great interest. […]
Read MoreOne of the unintended side-effects of helping to negotiate a new contract for one’s orchestra is the history that one learns along the way. This makes sense if one thinks about it; negotiations (especially regarding non-economic items) are often attempts by one or the other side to remedy problems that were often unforeseen when the[…]
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The Costa Rica instrument incident is a bit complex. The Orquesta Filarmónica is a private/for profit institution; it has several…