Category: music

When David Patrick Stearns first heard Jacqueline du Pre’s 1970 recording of the Dvořák Cello Concerto, he thought she “sounded like a freedom fighter.” Turns out he was right: she had played the work in a protest concert shortly after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Stearns looks at other examples, from Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting Tchaikovsky just after Kristallnacht to Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra playing Shostakovich in the Soviet Union to Bernstein performing Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony after JFK’s assassination to, perhaps, James Levine leading Verdi’s Requiem last week.

“New regulations on the international movement of rosewood have hit hard in parts of the music industry, which has long relied on rosewood as a ‘tonewood’ used in many kinds of instruments, including guitars, cellos and clarinets. The reason for the [customs] crackdown, and for Katz’s anxiety? China. Specifically, Chinese consumers’ growing demand for rosewood or ‘hongmu’ furniture.”

Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston: “For example, no private meetings or rehearsals where a maestro is alone with a musician should be permitted; performance notes and discussions can and should always be given quietly in front of others. If it is suspected that a maestro has designs on an individual beyond the purely professional, a chaperone should be insisted on, especially during festivals and on tours.”

“Revenue from ticket sales was down, while production costs continued to rise. Subscription and tickets were down slightly by 1.6% from $8.6M in 2016 to 8.5M in 2017. Production costs increased by 6.4 % from $18.3 M to $19.6 M. The steep cost of touring to Israel set the TSO back over $1.9 M this year, which we can only speculate must have been a point of contention in the board, which last year saw half of its members abruptly resign.”

The Fundação Osesp, the organization that operates the orchestra, has announced that Alsop will become Honorary Conductor as of 2020 and that a fellowship for young conductors will be established in her honor. While the announcement was full of praise for Alsop’s achievements with the orchestra (notably a much higher international profile), the assumption seems to be that her contract was not renewed. (in Portuguese; for Google Translate version, click here.)

Executive director Andre Gremillet said three factors contributed to the shortfall: a decline of $383,000 in Annual Fund giving, a drop of $551,000 in “special” fundraising and, most significantly, a loss of major gifts in support of the orchestra’s Miami residency. Earlier this year, the orchestra reduced its presence in South Florida from four weekends to two.

“I feel heartache for the men, who say they were taken advantage of by someone they looked up to, someone in a position of intimidating authority. But how do Mr. Levine’s countless fans, and I as a critic, reconcile his legacy with what he’s been accused of? Is his work tainted beyond our ability to appreciate the artistry involved?” (The answer: not entirely.)