Classical Musings - All Comments

re: Jason Yoder at the White House

mxradio331 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:21:31 GMT

I'd have to agree with Jason's point. Classical music isn't exactly very popular among today's generation because people have a certain biased viewpoint about it.

Quite possibly, it seems like the only value people see in classical music is the fact that it can make your kid smarter. That isn't a bad thing because it helps sell records and make money. But once their kid reaches a certain age, they feel that playing the music is no longer necessary and they no longer have to endure long, slow, boring classical music for the sake of their child's well-being. They stop listening to it ,when really they should keep listening, attending concerts, making music at home, etc. because it does hold so much value, no matter what life stage you're at.

Now there are many other examples of what I've just described, but that was the first one that came to mind.

re: Lisa Pegher in Lousiana

mxradio331 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:49:13 GMT

It's great to hear the Lisa Pegher is doing very well with her career. The fact that she's a solo percussionist who seeks out new opportunities really makes her stand out.

re: Pittsburgh Symphony reviews arrive from Europe

Andrew Druckenbrod — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:55:00 GMT

The reason is two fold, at least.

One, Europeans in the classical music scene don't consider America to be all that significant (or don't want to). They simply don't think much about us except when our orchestras intrude. They listen and follow their own contemporary composers (not to mention the past greats) and they have their own star soloists. If anything are interested in looking to Asia or S. America.

Of course I am exaggerating, but I think this is at the basis of it. It certainly is the case for the European critics. I know a lot of them and they are very Euro-centric focused. The cynic would say this is a nifty way to retain their prominence on the classical music mountain, but it might be better attributed to people writing about what is around them. But don't discount that, frankly, classical music is their music -- it was born there and flourished there over centuries and we are still outsiders.

Which brings me to the second point -- that since European critics don't pay all that much attention to America, they just repeat concepts like the Big Five out of habit's sake or to use it as a foil to talk about another group. It's a bit lazy. All of this burns me up -- yes, the PSO is probably a better band than some of the Big Five, and maybe LA is too. But it is not all their fault. Until American orchestras look more to their own composers and less to Europe's, the dynamic isn't going to change.

re: Pittsburgh Symphony reviews arrive from Europe

Hassenpfeffer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:20 GMT

Ha! Let's see Rendell choke on his morning coffee upon learning that Pittsburgh is the state capital! (If that were the case, wouldn't we have much better roads?)

Andrew, any idea why the Europeans are so fixated on the "Big Five" American orchestras? That's a very 1960s notion to me. At the moment I'd say the PSO has a better conductor than the Cleveland or NYPhil, and I don't think the Philly has had much of an impact in a decade or more. It seems to me that the "Big Five" are riding on past glories, just as Pittsburgh continues to get slapped with the "Steel City" label.

re: Should the economic crisis alter grant giving?

mxradio331 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:01:52 GMT

"..digitizing the likes of concert programs seems like lighting a cigar with burned money"

I'd have to agree and I like the choice of words in describing the situation.

Our society has become more about "consuming" music and digitizing archives is a surefire way to decrease concert attendance because people can simply access an old NYPhil performance for free and listen to it in the comfort of their home. That's just the thing too: its "free" and that's what makes it so appealing. Even though an old performance recording doesn't quite compare to an actual live performance in many aspects, people will still go for the free recording because they save money by not having to buy a ticket to a concert.

I hope down the road they'll see what a big mistake it was to make such material more accessible to the public.

re: New York Philharmonic: the monied orchesetra

Andrew Druckenbrod — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:45:31 GMT

First of all, I want to thank you for a polite and intelligent response. And a thoughtful one that has a lot of merit. Also, I will say explicitly since I didn't before that it is wonderful when anyone or any foundation gives hard earned $ to the arts and classical music. But I will stick to my guns here.

I criticize this use of funding because I am looking at the larger picture. Of course the Leon Levy Foundation is following its own rules, it is bound by those, but that doesn't make it the best choice. It would be one thing if we were talking about money to save these archives from ruin, but this is just to digitize them! It's like dusting and buffing one wing of a mansion while the other is on fire. I am not talking about the NY Phil here, but the whole orchestra industry.

Take another foundation for contrast. The Adams Foundation is located in one city but distributes its funds across the country to help communities create piano recital series in almost seed fashion. Here is a foundation also committed to preservation, but of living art, which I will always prize over future historian’s needs. Likewise, the Levy Foundation could be serving a greater mission of supporting the art form if it feels it has enough extra money for a project such as digitizing materials. Here’s a flow chart for you: The Foundation gives to the annual fund? Great. Why not give $2.4 million more? I am sure the Phil could use it. Feel the NY Phil has enough in its annual fund? Then there's the endowment. Feel that is in good shape? Give to another orchestra! The bylaws don’t allow that and you can’t alter, then go to the beginning of the chart. But there can never be enough insurance, even in rich NY, that an orchestra has enough $ to run it and let me tell you no one even at that orchestra is paid enough for what they do and how talented they are.

Maybe I am just chaffed here because there are so many gaping wounds out there -- so many orchestras trying so hard and ending up so close to making it work, that even $2.4 million could make a big, no all the difference somewhere. So digitizing the likes of concert programs seems like lighting a cigar with burned money. I know it could be useful, but it is a luxury the orchestra world can't afford now. Again, if these materials were decrepit and would be lost if not for digitizing, then I might agree with it. But nothing excites me about a project benefiting the future when the present is in such dire straits.

Lastly, if some scholar needs to see Bernstein's marked scores he or she can do that the old fashion way: travel. For now, anyway. But until the living art form is on better footing (I am not saying it will ever be perfect, but better than it has been in the last 10 years) it is misguided to fund this project. I would much rather have people today listening to symphonic music in some city, benefiting from help, or have the NYPhil on that much better endowment funding or that much better pay to its staffers and musicians than do something that assures that scholars down the road will have instant access to old NY Phil business records.

re: New York Philharmonic: the monied orchesetra

Yvonne — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:07:29 GMT

How exactly can you criticise the Leon Levy Foundation for directing its funds in ways that are absolutely in keeping with its mission, philosophy and priorities? Those don't change, regardless of what crises may be occurring in individual fields.

From their website:

"The Foundation provides basic, unrestricted support to important cultural institutions in New York City. The Foundation also provides programmatic support to institutions in the visual, performing and literary arts and humanities, with an emphasis on innovative programs that relate to other Foundation priorities. Examples of these grants include:

"The Leon Levy Foundation Archives and Catalogues Program

"The Foundation’s archives and catalogues program helps arts and humanities institutions care for and use the important contents of their archives and store rooms, with the ultimate goal of making them more available to historians, writers, film-makers, and other scholars."

In any case, a quick look at the past couple of Annual Reports for the NYPhil suggests that this foundation has in fact also been supporting the orchestra through its Annual Fund, i.e. supporting the orchestra's current activities.

Personally, I think it's exciting that a foundation would have the vision to support an orchestra in carrying out a project of this importance and long-term value, not just to the orchestra and its city but to the community of musicians and scholars worldwide.

re: PSO Mahler stands up on disc

mxradio331 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:44:16 GMT

I haven't heard the recording yet, but would love to purchase it sometime soon. I think the fact too that its an SACD will really does justice to Honeck's interpretation.

And yes, the album artwork is rather strange. My first impression: "It's nice, but how does it relate to Mahler?"

re: Alec Baldwin: classical devotee

mxradio331 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:33:29 GMT

I think it's great that there's a famed Hollywood actor who loves classical music. His enthusiasm for the genre will definitely inspire his fans, as well as in millions of people. And since America seems to love following the trends of Hollywood, if more celebrities follow his lead, take an interest, and start attending classical music concerts, Baldwin's work will have truly been beneficial for the future of classical music.

re: PSO Mahler stands up on disc

Andrew Druckenbrod — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:56:45 GMT

Well, it does kinda say heterogeneous, but it certainly doesn't say Mahler, or Mahler in his time, so I agree with you. The cover is goofy. But if that is the only thing to complain about with a disc, then you got yourself a winner...