PSO musicians helping out in Columbus

I know of at least two PSO musicians -- first violinists Sarah Clendenning and Susanne Park -- who are driving to Ohio this weekend to play in a benefit concert (info here) for the musicians of the ailing Columbus Symphony, which yesterday announced it had canceled the beginning of its fall concert season. Rather than fumble through a description myself and upset both sides, here are the first two paragraphs of yesterday's Columbus Dispatch article detailing it:

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

For the first time in more than a half-century, the Columbus Symphony will fail to open its classical season in the fall.  

With contract talks with musicians going nowhere, Columbus Symphony management said today that the 2008-09 classical concert season won't begin as usual in October, and that at least 10 performances through early December have been canceled.

 

It's an unfortunate situation, to say the least. You can read the musicians' side of the story at the musicians Web site, and both sides in the excellent Dispatch coverage over the last year. 

Of course, I hope there a positive resolution to this turmoil soon, but I also am impressed that, even as the PSO musicians are in a "contract year" themselves, they would help out other orchestra members. Now, don't go reading into this posts any "side-taking" by me concerning PSO contract negotiations -- I am a neutral reporter on this issue. I simply want to make you aware of the strong character that exists in the PSO, something I don't write about in concert reviews and such, but certainly deserves praise. It's really one of this orchestra's greatest attributes (one that PSO management readily will point out), along with its top notch musicianship.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted Jul 24 2008, 09:59 AM by Andrew Druckenbrod
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Comments

Alison Fujito wrote re: PSO musicians helping out in Columbus
on Mon, Jul 28 2008 2:41 PM

PSO first violinists Sarah Clendenning, Susanne Park, and I played in that benefit concert on Saturday, as did trombonist Garnett Livingston (husband of PSO first violinist Ellen Chen-Livingston).

It was a very long day.

I left home at 10:30 am, and drove to Susanne's house, where she and Sarah were already waiting. We hopped in Suzanne's car, and arrived at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Columbus just after 2 pm (we had packed sandwiches, and ate in the car).

The rehearsal was at 3:00, and then concert was at 7:30.

The concert began with Principal Tuba and Orchestra spokesman Jim Akins ntroducing Maestro Alessandro Siciliani and the Columbus Symphony to a standing ovation (even before a note was played).  He also thanked the  members of the Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras who had journeyed to Columbus to take the places of CSO members who were unable to play yesterday, and had us stand--and the audience again rose to their feet to applaud and cheer.

We all  had trouble keeping back tears at this point.  What an incredible audience, to cheer for us like that, when we aren't even members of "their" orchestra!

The concert itself was equally moving.  The first half was devoted to some exciting overtures by Verdi and Rossini,a lovely reading of  the Intermzzo from Mascagni's Cavilleria Rusticana, and a passionate account of "Finlandia" by Sibelius--all favorites of Maestro Siciliani.  Following intermission was Dvorak's 4th Symphony, with wonderfully balanced playing from the  brass section, soaring cello playing (the cellists really should have had a solo section bow), and beautiful solo wind playing, especially from the principal flute.

The lengthy applause, cheers,  and standing ovation prompted a repeat of the last movement of the Dvorak as encore.

We discussed the orchestra's sad plight in the car on the way home (I got home at 2 am).  We agreed that an orchestra this fine, and an audience this enthusiastic surely deserve far better management.