Cell phones have become such a nuisance at stage shows that they’ve spawned their own mini-art form – the pre-curtain anti-cell phone announcement… They’re often as amusing as the shopw itself.
Tag: 04.24.05
La Scala’s New Artistic Director
La Scala has chosen a new artistic director. “Frenchman Stephane Lissner, of Paris’s Theatre de la Madeleine, has been given a four-and-a-half year contract. Musical director Riccardo Muti quit on April 2, citing the “hostility” of fellow employees after a series of rows. His post has yet to be filled. The president of the orchestra quit last week, giving no explanation. Mr Lissner’s appointment was welcomed both by the musical establishment and unions representing the opera’s 800-strong workforce.”
Music Director Vs. Flutist
Flutist Dawn Weiss has played flute for 25 years in the Oregon Symphony. But new music director Carlos Kalmer sent her a letter last fall complaining of her “technical errors, poor pitch control, lack of leadership, choppy phrasing, failure to connect rehearsal corrections to performances, and an ‘airy and unpleasant’ sound quality.” Weiss worked on the issues, but Kalmer wasn’t satisfied. “And so a tense drama began, pitting a prominent musician in the orchestra against her conductor. After receiving the letter, Weiss pressed ahead with an improvement program. And when her efforts failed, she decided to break with symphony protocol and brought the warning letter she received and her story to The Oregonian last week.”