For the last several years, conductor Andrew Litton has been under heavy fire from critics, especially those in Texas, where Litton has led the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for more than a decade. His detractors claim that his interpretations are sometimes shallow and heavy-handed, and suggest that he lacks the technical skills necessary to draw the best from the DSO’s musicians. Like most conductors, Litton claims not to pay close attention to reviews, but he does acknowledge that the constant barrage of criticism from the press played a role in his decision to step down from the Dallas podium in 2006.
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Philly To Sign With Finnish Label
The Philadelphia Orchestra is in talks with the small Finnish record label Ondine to distribute a series of CDs which would be produced live by the orchestra and distributed internationally by the label. Philadelphia has been without a recording deal since 1996, when it was dropped by EMI, although the orchestra has released a few albums on its own in recent years. The recent labor agreement between the orchestra and its musicians reportedly allows for lower pay rates for recording than those imposed on orchestras nationwide by the musicians’ union, a change which paved the way for the new deal with Ondine.
Damn The Applause, Full Speed Ahead!
It’s not unusual for audiences at orchestral concerts to accidentally disrupt the performance with a burst of applause, thinking that a piece has ended before it actually has. But last week, outgoing Detroit Symphony music director Neeme Jarvi created his own disruption, to the astonishment of many in attendance. Following the breathless conclusion of Carl Nielson’s powerful Fifth Symphony, “with his back still to the house, [Jarvi] raised his baton once more, called over his shoulder ‘Encore!’ and proceeded straight into a rather banal waltz by Shostakovich… Jarvi loves to do encores. But this was nuts.” The incident left Lawrence Johnson wondering if Jarvi’s fragile health has begun to affect his judgment.
Art & Terror
“An exhibition inspired by the radical leftist Red Army Faction, loathed by many for its violent attacks in the 1970’s and 80’s yet lionized by some, opens Saturday amid angry debate over the romanticization of terrorism. Critics accuse the organizers of glorifying the guerrilla group’s campaign of bomb attacks, kidnappings and assassinations, which left more than 30 people dead. Curators and artists, however, defend the show as a subtle exploration of the ways images can traumatize a society.”
Aiming For A More Transparent SPAC
As a new management team begins to rebuild the mess left behind by the previous administration at upstate New York’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center, details are emerging that paint a bleak picture of SPAC’s previous management practices. Still, the center’s new treasurer is already hard at work sketching a new path for SPAC’s fundraising apparatus and fiscal management, and like the rest of the new leadership team, he talks a great deal about bringing a new “transparency” to the organization.
Living Here In Allentown, Tearing All The Sculptures Down
“More than 23 years ago, an artist with a growing international reputation for public art made a brief stop in Allentown, [Pennsylvania] to grace the west wall of a popular downtown gathering place with a light sculpture. With much fanfare he strung together 35 galvanized steel bars, etched to catch the rays of the sun and reflect them in an ever-changing prism. Over time, the downtown struggled and the restaurant closed [and] officials made plans to tear down the former Good Spirit eatery and replace it with shiny new offices.” Dale Eldred’s sculpture very nearly went down with the building, but now, thanks to the tireless efforts of a city official, the work has been preserved, and will be moved to a prominent position on Allentown’s new Arts Walk.
Saraste To Take The Reins In Oslo
Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste has been tapped to succeed Andre Previn as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic. The ensemble has frequently been regarded as being among the finest in Europe, and Saraste’s task will be to raise it to the heights it enjoyed under the 20-year directorship of Mariss Jansons. Saraste’s contract calls for him to spend 10 weeks each year in Oslo conducting concerts, plus additional weeks spent touring and recording with the orchestra.
Why Is The Book Business So Badly Run?
“There are some really smart people in the book business, which is why it’s such a mystery that so little is known about the basics, such as why anybody buys a book. Wal-Mart can predict with great specificity that hurricanes in Florida will mean increased demand for batteries and flashlights, but also, based on past correlations, beer and pop-tarts. (Beer, understood, but pop-tarts? Don’t they need toasters for that? Wouldn’t the electricity be out?) The book business has nowhere near this forecasting expertise.”
SF Ballet Opens On A High (Praise, That Is)
Is San Francisco Ballet the “best company in North America?” That’s what Mark Morris told the crowd assembled for the opening of the company’s 72nd season.
Long-Lost Beethoven Work Gets Hearing
A long-lost Adagio written by Beethoven is getting a performance. “Beethoven likely wrote the draft in Vienna in the 1790s, when he was in his 20s. It was found among bundles of his sketches and drafts in the British Library and published in 1970. Beethoven titled his draft “Concerto in A for Piano,” with brief indications for other instruments.”