Through These Ears

Behind The Scenes With Andreas Scholl

Countertenor superstar Andreas Scholl has produced a very nice short film of interviews and rehearsal voyeurism.  Scholl hosts a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals for Handel's Partenope at the Danish Royal Theater.  Even though they're brief, he gets some good insights into the work from both Music Director Lars Ulrik Mortensen and scenic designer Lous Désiré.

I suppose Scholl wanted to reach as wide an audience as possible with this, so everyone speaks English.  Although you may have to turn the volume up a bit to hear all the rehearsal chatter.

(From il giornale della musica)

Scholl makes an interesting point about Handel possibly adapting to the new (for his day) style simply to satisfy the public.  He ran his own company in London, and had to constantly struggle to turn a profit.  Handel's fortunes went through many boom and bust cycles, and it was a tough scene.  Sometimes the fad was for oratorios, sometimes for opera in the Italian style, sometimes it was something else entirely. Partenope was premiered at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, London, in 1730. 

This was just a couple of years after Handel had to shut down the company he ran for about ten years, the Royal Academy of Music (no relation to today's RAM).  He dissolved his company because everyone in London wanted to see John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, and similar works.  So his response was to start a new Academy, and Partenope came along soon after.  Small wonder he was trying to strike a new pose with the music.

So London has been a tough scene for almost 300 years.  No wonder Daniele Gatti was looking for a break.

The short film is well worth watching.  The short-haired brunette is Tuve Semmingsen and the blonde singer we see briefly is the Partenope, Ingrid Dam-Jensen.  Also, it turns out that Scholl's doing three of these behind-the-scenes films, and he has a link to the first two on his own website. And is it just me, or does Scholl's speaking voice sound like a cross between Placido Domingo and Mandy Patinkin?

Danish radio station DR P2 will be broadcasting the performance live on October 11.

Increasing Diversity Among Classical Musicians: Get 'Em While They're Young, And Then Support Them

Sphinx looks to change makeup of U.S. orchestras

Gifted young black and Latino musicians are identified through a national instrumental competition that doles out more than $100,000 in prizes and scholarships annually to music schools and opportunities to perform with top American orchestras. The Detroit-based national advocacy group, founded in 1996, also oversees an expanding range of education programs, re-introducing classical music to school curricula in New York, Miami, Atlanta and other cities.

The organization's touring ensemble, the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, will make its Chicago debut Saturday night at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, in collaboration with the theater and the Chicago Sinfonietta, another orchestra long dedicated to diversity. The 25-member chamber orchestra is made up of past winners of the national Sphinx Competition for emerging African-American and Latino musicians.

Good.  Start them at it while they're young, then support them on the way up.  Does it ever work any other way?  Hopefully this will break down cultural barriers going both ways.

A Little More About Daniele Gatti

Further to my post below about Gatti's debut concert as Musical Director of the Orchestre national de France:  I just picked up the September issue of Le Monde de la musique.  This is the first time I've seen this magazine.  I'm quite impressed by it so far, and I'm not even half way through.

There's a brief interview with Daniele Gatti, where he talks a bit about how his learning to love music through his parents, and how he chose to become a conductor.  Apparently he likes to build model ships as well.  He's got a five-year deal with the ONF, and has an interesting programming idea.  Gatti would like to do a Beethoven cycle over five concerts, but with a brand new work, commissioned by the orchestra, sandwiched in between two symphonies on each program.  Sounds pretty cool to me, although I'd hate to be the composer surrounded by all that Beethoven.  Gatti also complements his predecessor, Kurt Masur, for helping to restore the orchestra's luster.  Sounds a little like what they said about Masur's contribution in New York.

In any case, he also made an interesting comment about why he sought the new gig. Gatti has been the principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London since 1996, and has been doing the lion's share of conducting for at least the last six years.  According to the interview, taking the job with the ONF was not a difficult choice:

"After thirteen years in London, I felt the need to work with an orchestra where the musicians aren't constantly changing, to build a season over the long term, to think about thematic programs.  In London, this isn't possible:  one had to sell each program and the competitions with the other groups is tough."

The above is my translation from the original.  In that last line about competition, Gatti says he had to compete with the other "formations", and uses the French word "rude" to describe it.  I chose to translate it here as "tough", but it can also mean "harsh" in this context.  Interesting, indeed.

In an interview in The Guardian a few years ago, Bernard Haitink had this to say about the London scene:

"That's really a difficult situation," he reflects, "because London has a pool of musicians that is unique. Boulez says you can do what you want in London, because for every piece there are always musicians who can play it. The tragedy is the way orchestras have to operate. Concert life just survives by the skin of its teeth. The whole life in London, I don't have to tell you, is so difficult. Nearly inhuman. Not much pay. Terrible pressure. Managers of orchestras need all the time to raise the money and can't concentrate on musical standards. The players are incredible. It's the survival of the fittest.

"It is tragic that London doesn't have a really good hall, and that it doesn't just have two well-established orchestras that don't have to fight for their lives. But I think it will never change, that's the sad thing. The political agenda is not interested. Nevertheless one can do extraordinary things."

That probably sums it up pretty well.  There are five big orchestras in London, and massive amounts of other ensembles.  Many of them share players from a larger pool of freelancers.  Something like 44% of all musicians' union members in the UK work in the London area.  The RPO has fixed membership, on paper anyway.  But there's always change going on under the surface.   And it's not just in London, either:  all of Britain runs that way.  For those not familiar with this kind of scenario, this "About Orchestras" page from the Association of British Orchestras website will be a bit of an eye opener.

Daniele Gatti is probably happy to leave all that.  Best of luck to him at the ONF.

Daniele Gatti, Stravinsky, and Medici.TV

I just saw this terrific video of Daniele Gatti's debut concert as the new Musical Director for the Orchestre National de France on Medic.tv (always linked on the left).  I've mostly enjoyed Gatti's work, and I remember when he was starting to make a name for himself.  He used to be in the conversation whenever major US orchestras were looking for their next MD, but I don't know if that's been the case lately.  Maybe it's because he's in that limbo area between young hotshot and accomplished elder statesman.  I certainly enjoyed the broadcast of his Parsifal at Bayreuth this summer, even if the brass and a few audience members didn't.  In any case, he was in fine form here, as was the orchestra.

The program was mostly French, and I think all Paris premiers:  Debussy, more Debussy, Messiaen, and, probably the most famous premier of them all, Le Sacre du Printemps.  The full program is available through the menu here. Everything was quite good.  Personally, I would skip the Messiaen because the flute seemed to be too loud against the strings, and was ahead in too many changes. In fact, I'm really interested only in talking about the Stravinksy.

This is one of the best-directed concert videos I think I've ever seen.  Obviously this particular piece has a visual element - all that rhythmic scrubbing and thrashing - that most other works just don't have, so it's going to be more exciting to watch no matter what.  I've been in and seen a number of performances of this work, and there's always plenty of action no matter who's involved, but it's the video direction that makes this work.

There are, of course, the usual stationary shots, and we get a handful of the same angles over and over again.  For practical reason, that's how these things go, and handled well it's not a drawback.  Here, the choice of shots and edits were simply brilliant.  Judiciously timed, with an eye for that extra detail which really emphasizes the sound being made, the direction really made this performance memorable.

In addition to the usual section shots and soloist close-ups, we got to see some extra expressions and movements that I don't think the audience normally gets to see.  Now, the Stravinsky is one of those pieces that looks rough on paper the first time, but is really quite doable, especially with modern players who grew up with it.  Even with the tricky rhythms, many conductors will say that anyone can do this so long as they can keep a beat.  As for players, it gets to the point where there's really no need to constantly count - it's a groove.  And I must say, it was quite refreshing to see some good, honest grooving from a professional orchestra.

There are flashes of captivating personal moments, and sometimes the best moments are when the musicians aren't playing.  After playing his riff, we see a trumpet player still wagging his head, mouth half open, totally focused yet still free.  There's also the moment where the shot switches to the classic "behind the timpani" angle.  The timpanist isn't playing just that second:  he's dancing on his stool.

I found the whole thing exhilirating and fun.  Good playing everywhere, Gatti in complete control, also enjoying himself (which helps).   He also knew when to luxuriate in the orchestral colors when the time was right.  I know those spots are usually obvious to everyone - any time it gets slow, really.  But too many conductors make things sound too much the same as the rest of it, only slower.  In my mind, that misses the point of those sections.

There's also an interview with Gatti, and lots of other stuff on Medici.tv.  The video starts as soon as you click through to the site.

Cleveland Music Critic Donald Rosenberg Speaks Out

Donald Rosenberg, the recently shafted reassigned music critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, has spoken publicly about his situation to the New York Times.  Of course, Rosenberg is not happy about the whole thing, and says that his career has been taken away from him.  Well, what else is he going to say?

I find it really, really, ironic that Times writer Daniel Wakin provides a laundry list of Rosenberg's criticisms of Welser-Möst, presenting it as if these seemed unduly harsh when contrasted by his "much kinder treatment" of Christoph von Dohnanyi, the previous music director in Cleveland.  First of all, why is it odd for a critic to write approvingly of an artist whom he thinks does well, but then is critical of someone he doesn't?  Hello, since when does The Times think that's out of line?  Whether or not one liked his handling of the details of certain scores, Dohnanyi brought a gravitas that the younger man just doesn't have, and his work with Cleveland got better and better as time went on. Secondly - and here's why I added that second "really" - how many times have New York Times reviewers busted on Loren Maazel, especially since it's almost always the same criticism?  Wakin conveniently leaves that out.  Pointing out that Solti supposedly waited until a critic he didn't like was gone before taking over Chicago is irrelevant.

Also, I noticed that the one quote Wakin provides as support for European approval of the conductor is a critique mentioning how well the orchestra played.  Of course they're going to play their best on a big European stage.  Where are the encomiums about the conductor's interpretation?

I do have to say it's funny that Times critic Anthony Tommasini apparently found several of Welser-Möst's Mozart performances to be ineffective, since that's about the only music I've heard him do right by my ears.  He'll probably do just fine in Vienna anyway, since that repertoire will suit him well.

I've already said why I think this was just a bad deal all around.  I doubt we're going to learn any more about what really went down, but I hope Rosenberg finds a new outlet for his voice, and no other orchestra boards get any silly ideas.  Again, I want to say that the Cleveland Orchestra is first rate, and the musicians don't deserve to have their reputations messed up by this.

And now, the future of music criticism in Cleveland:  a lovely apologia by Rosenberg's replacement.  Did they have to be so obvious about it?  I would have thought this situation called for a little restraint.

Internet Radio Royalty Payments Not Settled Yet - Contrary To Reports

Today's news that the RIAA, DiMA, and the National Music Publishers Association (and other publishing groups) seem to have reached some sort of agreement on music over the internet is apparently not all it's cracked up to be.  Some good will come out of this, should the Copyright Royalties Board (CRB) approve the settlement these groups submitted to them, but, contrary to how this is being portrayed in some circles, it doesn't fix the problem with internet radio.

Here's a good explanation at the Broadcast Law Blog of what's really going on.

This agreement deals with limited-time downloads and interactive streaming.  The latter is becoming increasingly common, so it's good to get that out of the way finally, although since that's mostly about "on-demand" streaming, it doesn't cover anything else.  But how many people really do limited-time downloads?  I wonder if this move is intended to push that to the forefront a little more?  It's certainly a good marketing ploy if they can swing a useful price differential.

One thing this agreement does do, though, is allow people like me to record a stream without being chased down for royalties by the RIAA as if I were an illegal file-sharing college student.  I don't make copies of anything I record off the internet, I don't post it on the torrents, and I don't do anything else except listen to it again once in a while.  So I'm certainly happy about that.

Still, this does not deal with everyday internet radio, which is the real problem.  Live365 and Rhapsody are still in limbo, and this is the biggest obstacle right now for those who want to start new internet radio stations.  I suspect the CRB will want to get the biggest bang for the buck, and stick with the SoundExchange (an unincorporated division of the RIAA, naturally, and a near monopoly) deal they struck last year.  While this year's figure - $.0018 to stream one "performance" to one listener - doesn't look like much, this adds up in a hurry with lots of listeners, tuning in 24/7.  Unless we're talking about an internet radio station that operates for one hour a day, and they only tell their friends about it.

And let's not forget that this configuration is based on the pop music format, i.e. one "performance" = one song. Classical Music gets screwed in places like iTunes, because a four movement symphony counts as four different tracks.  Internet radio has the same problem.  In one sense, this is okay, because Classical works are generally longer than rock tunes, and should cost more.  That's fair enough for direct sales of a recording.  But radio stations can get killed if they handle it this way.

What will happen is just what this commenter on the Broadcast Law Blog said after last year's punt by the CRB:

Strategically, we'll withstand the increase by doubling the minimum length of each selection we play, creating less numbers of "performances", as well as aggressively seeking out marketing deals with labels housed outside the U.S. that are willing to provide airable product and waive U.S. performance rights fees on behalf of their orchestras in exchange for preferred treatment on our station and website.

Guess what this means?  Fewer US records being played, and fewer listeners for US labels, which usually means US artists and composers get shaft as well. And nobody should even bother making a recording of, say, Chopin Waltzes or Preludes, because nobody will play it if they have to pay a royalty for every single short work.

Here's the official press release, if it helps.  I believe the CRB has until Oct. 2 to make a ruling.  Let's hope cooler heads prevail.

Early Music Festival Broadcasts On Concertzender

Tomorrow, Dutch public broadcaster Concertzender will be featuring lots of Early Music concerts.  Earlier in the day, they'll play a recording of excerpts from two interesting concerts from a couple of years ago and earlier this year featuring Spanish music of the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Thursday morning (8:00AM EST) will be music from a concert recorded in April of this year called "Preludium tot het Slaapkamertje".  The complete program isn't listed, but it seems to be cantatas with the theme of mourning.  Slaapkamertje means bedroom or sleeping chamber, and in this case it means the eternal sleep of death.  It's the theme of the concert (I can't find a complete list of the extracts), and the composers are all North German: Nicholas Bruhns, Johann Christoph Bach, Dietrich Buxtehüde, and J.S. Bach.  The Bruhns piece is a Madrigal Cantata entitled Hemmt eure Tränenflut (Restrain the Flow of Your Tears).  The performers for this concert are:

Hannah Morrison and Hayat Chaoui, sopranos
Hanna Kopra, mezzo
Immo Schröde, tenor
Michiel Meijer, bass
Collegium AD MOSAM
Huub Ehlen, cond.
(recorded at the North Church in Amsterdam)

The second hour of will feature excerpts from an Early Music Festival from December 2006.  This is a really interesting program because they'll have tonadas by Spanish composers, before the Italian style had too much influence in Spain, and then music from the following century which display a more European Baroque style.

It's interesting to notice the difference between the various regional musical styles then and the way the Classical Music world is now.  Communication, trade, and other forms of cultural exchange were vastly different, and influences spread more slowly, although not entirely in different ways.  I find it refreshing to hear the different regional flavors, the more obvious folk influences, and the stamp the various languages left on music of earlier eras.

These days it seems like almost the only time anyone talks about the influence of language on musical style is when discussing Leoš Janáček or Harry Partch.  In the 17th Century, there was a much more obvious connection between the folk music and "serious" music all around Europe.  The regional styles were very distinct.  Of course, there are still regional styles today, but they manifest themselves in different ways.

In the case of Spanish music, there was already a long tradition of an Iberian musical character by the time the pieces in tomorrow's concert were written.  From the early Celtic influences in Galatia to the heavy Moorish influence of the Middle Ages, not to mention the unique Basque traditions and whatever indigenous folk tradition was left over from the Visigoths, Spain certainly had its own style.  There's no mistaking a strummed viheula, for instance, and the plaintive Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso el Sabio could not have been created elsewhere.  I can't find a useful overview anywhere online; everything seems to be niche sites on flamenco and things.  For anyone interested in learning more, this book is a good place to start.  There's also some good insight in this interview with Baroque specialist Eduardo Lopez Banzo.

The rhythms of the language are inherent in folk music, and when that gets adapted to the academic tradition of concert music, that character remains for a long time.  More modern composers such as Granados, Albeniz, and Rodrigo drew on this tradition heavily.  In the 17th Century, musicians traveled, as did printed music, but nothing like what goes on today, or even in the last hundred years.  Also, the kind of concert music I'm talking about was, like most places in Europe at the time, largely centered in the courts of the nobility, as well as in the church.  That made for a kind of bottleneck of influences (with two different filters, I suppose), allowing certain ones through and blocking others.  That kind of situation also tended to magnify the effect of some influences.

One of the biggest changes - and this wasn't unique to Spain by any means - is in form.  Gradually, composition grew from the basic strophic-with-refrain format inherent in songs and poetry to a more academically structured work.  The shape of the music adapts to the more complex structure, and more emphasis is placed on the big picture.  Other differences will become apparent as the concert goes on.

Tomorrow's concert will be particularly instructive because the first half will feature music from the 17th Century, much closer to the folk origins, and the second half will be works written in the 18th Century.  The name of the program is "La Rosa que Reyna" (The Rose that Ruled?), after an aria for soprano, two oboes and continuo composed by Juan de Navas at the end of the 17th Century.  That's on the program, of course, as are works by Juan Hidalgo, José Marín, Sebatian Dúron, and Juan García.

(Annoyingly, my record collection seems to have a gap between the composers from the late 16th and very early 17th Century and those working at the beginning of the 18th.  That will have to change.)

The performers are:

Las Esferas
Maria Estefania Perdome Nogales, soprano
Arwen Bouw and Maite Larburu Garmendia, violin
Alfonso José Lopez-Salazar, theorbo & guitar
Jörn Boysen, harpsichord
María Sanchez Ramírez, cello and director

Later in the day, at 2:00PM EST, they're featuring recordings of some of the top Early Music artists working today, to get everyone in the mood for a new Early Music festival which begins on Friday, Oude Musiek Oude Podia (Old Music, Old Stages).  This program is called "De Oude Speeldoos" (The Old Musicbox), and will have music that will be played by these artists live during the Festival itself.  They'll have works by Baroque composers including Rameau and J.S. Bach on recordings by artists including Emma Kirkby, Ton Koopman, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, and Jakob Lindberg. 

The whole program is here.  They'll repeat this program next Thurdsay, Oct. 2, and the actual Festival starts on Friday, Sept. 26.  Concertzender will be recording parts of it for future broadcast.

What To Do About Music Directors?

I recently had a post about this fascinating interview with Anthony Woodcock, in which he discusses - among many other things - the relationship between an orchestra an its music director.  That only touched the surface of the topic, and this article in the Washington Post has made me think further along those lines.  I'm probably also thinking about these things since so many groups and companies are starting their new seasons around now, some with new music directors, and some without.

The article talks about some of the things a music director does, including programming and hiring.  This does remind me of a few things we all tend to forget since the music director discussion so often tends to focus on big names and money.  For example, the National Symphony Orchestra isn't going to fill their eight vacancies for possibly another two years, until they hire a new music director.  This isn't really a big deal, as it's not like the seats are empty for concerts.  But it does hinder the orchestra's stability, and may hamper growth somewhat.

Many orchestras have artistic directors who do the bulk of the programming, but that's not the same influence a music director/conductor has.  The artistic director behind the scenes will mostly make the decisions about which soloists to bring in, negotiate repertoire with guest conductors, come up with theme concerts, things like that.  The music director as chief conductor generally has influence over the programs they themselves lead in performance.  Although I'm oversimplifying things a bit, there is something more personal when it comes to the music director's own concerts.

But there's so much more to it than just programming.  In the US, music directors are often expected to make fundraising appearances and press the flesh.  In some places that can almost become a job unto itself.  Often, he or she will be, for better or worse, the "face" of the orchestra.  That comes with the territory, especially if they're expected to stay around for a while.  Opera companies put their star singers on the posters instead, although in many places the core audience will have just as strong feelings about their music directors as do their concert orchestra counterparts.

One major effect a music director can have on the orchestra is in the performance standard.  There are plenty of examples of new chief conductors coming in and instilling much-needed discipline (Kurt Masur and New York come to mind), or strenghtening an orchestra and taking it to that next level (like Esa-Pekka Salonen in LA, or Michael Tilson-Thomas in San Francisco).  Conversely, standards may slip when the big boss isn't around enough, or turns out to be really irritating or negative in rehearsal.  There are just as many stories of music directors destroying morale and failing to keep the orchestra in top form.  Rehearsal is a big part of that.  Poor preparation - a killer - and bad manners will eventually defeat talent and star power, no matter how big the name is.  That's something the public generally doesn't get to hear about very often, if ever.  All they may know is that the group seems uninspired lately.  And the tendency is usually to take it out on the musicians.  Often, the audience tends to blame rough spots on the players only, when sometimes it's a bad or missed cue, or sloppiness from the podium.  Music critics often aren't much better at that.  Maybe if some of them went to more rehearsals they'd occasionaly find a new perspective on a given performance.

If the players feel like they're not getting the opportunity to do their best, it's all over.  Even if they're pros who bring it every night, some things just don't happen without the right attitude on the podium.  Not every orchestra can do an LSO and basically tell the conductor, "Okay, we'll start the piece when you do, but that's the last time we're going to pay attention, and it's up to you if you want to stop waving your arms about when we're finished."  Although, some orchestras do that anyway even when they shouldn't....

Aside from having high performance standards and a good working environment, there are other benefits for everyone when the relationship works well.  For instance, I just noticed this post by Kenneth Woods about a bit of programming he's doing for his upcoming season with the Surrey Mozart Players.  He's programming a much neglected piece he has always wanted to hear live, and is well aware of the pitfalls of trying to do such a thing.  This kind of enthusiasm and dedication to the art is great for the orchestra and the audience, as well as being a personal moment of musical satisfaction for the music director.  That kind of thing won't happen very often in other business arrangements.  James Levine gets to do lots of his beloved Elliott Carter and other contemporary music because it's his show.  Similarly, Salonen can keep doing works by his old schoolmate Magnus Lindberg with LA.  The same goes for Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra, or, as the above article metions, the NSO can now add more contemporary works from other countries after Leonard Slatkin's departure. 

In some cases, the job is done by the players themselves.  The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has never had a conductor/music director, and the Britten Sinfonia seems to be doing just fine that way as well.  Different situations call for different measures, and I don't think this arrangement would work for some of the big boys, just because of the way the whole organization is structured.  But that's another argument altogether.

There's just so much more to the music director/chief conductor deal than what we see on posters and in concert programs.  Sometimes I'm amazed that anybody gets anything done well.

Silly Musical Stunt: Road Paved To Play The William Tell Overture

In Lancaster, CA, Honda decided to do a musical marketing stunt.  They had a stretch of road far away from the center of town paved with regulated grooves which would "play" the music from the William Tell Overture when driven over by a car.  Of course, the bit of road isn't very long, and they certainly aren't going to start with the lovely cello opening.  Instead, when a car drives over it at 55mph, the vibrations produce the only part most people recognize:  the bit otherwise known as the Lone Ranger Theme.

This follow-up report even has video clips of the results.  Yes, what you hear really is that music.  Just imagine it played twice as fast, with the pitches adjusted appropriately higher.

I'm glad I don't live near there, as it apparently drives some locals crazy.

Stupidity In Cleveland - Music Critic Reassigned For Being Critical

Via Sounds & Fury, I just learned that the Cleveland Plain Dealer has reassigned Don Rosenberg, the music critic who has covered the Cleveland Orchestra for about thirty years.  It seems that he was too critical, too often, of music director Franz Welser-Mõst, and some people from the orchestra board complained enough that the paper is taking him off the beat.

How completely stupid.  I'll let others do the bit about how it's a critic's job to be critical, and instead say that this is just another sign of the problems going on with the orchestra.  I suppose this is related to the fact that in June, the orchestra extended Welser-Mõst's contract until 2018(!), while they have been having fundraising difficulties almost since he got there.  Rosenberg has been critical of his leadership, although always seemed to give praise when due.

They're having the same troubles other organizations are having holding onto donors, and it seems questionable that in the middle of this situation they would grant such an extension to the music director's contract.  There have been other difficulties at the orchestra in the last year as well, including personnel issues such as the resignation of the associate concert master due to a questionable restructuring of the section.  Things like that don't come from the board, so the true problem may be deeper.

Daniel Lews has been one of the biggest financial supporters of the orchestra.  He has also been involved in some behind-the-scenes machinations.  I don't know if he's involved in this move to protect Welser-Mõst, but it may not be a mere coincidence that he donated $10 million the year they hired their young European rising star (which is what they wanted).  Not only have they extended his contract to an absurd length, but recently eliminated the position of music director of the local Blossom Festival and gave it to the Music Director Nearly For Life.  Curious.  They apparently treat him very well in the office.

Rosenberg is not alone in his lack of total love for Welser-Mõst, or as he is known in some quarters as "Worse Than Most".  But the Vienna Staatsopera has him slated to take over from Ozawa in a couple of years, so he clearly does have quality support.  Of course, his repertoire there will be a little more limited than it is in Cleveland, and one of the main criticisms is that he just doesn't bring it in some works.

The Cleveland Orchestra has a rich history, always in the conversation about top orchestras in the US.  They're still an excellent group, but maybe not as inspired all the time as they might be.  I've certainly never been a big fan of Welser-Mõst, and from what I've read, Rosenberg seems to have his number.  Naturally, the people on the board who just signed him on for what seems like an eternity in music director years will want to hear as little criticism as possible.  This is far from the first time an orchestra has raised a fuss with a local paper about coverage, but in this day and age it's pretty ridiculous for a paper to cave in like this.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of thing that can alienate an orchestra from its community.  It's one thing for a music critic to get downsized, as people will begrudgingly accept that newspapers everywhere are struggling and doing this kind of thing.  It's quite another matter when the writer is merely taken off the beat because the orchestra doesn't like him.  It's important to remember that even if this is the result of noise from just a single faction of the board, it reflects back on the entire orchestra.  This must look awfully petty to orchestra supporters.

Not only that, but this amounts to the Cleveland Plain Dealer turning its back on readers.  In effect, this personnel decision is a statement that readers will no longer get a reliable report about an important cultural institution.

Stupid.

UPDATE:  Sam Bergman, violist and blogger for the Minnesota Orchestra, has made a comment below which (in his signature) links his post about this issue on his and Sarah Hicks's "Inside the Classics" blog, which has a little more information about how this may have happened.  Read his comment, and then go here to see what he's talking about.  A VP of the board is still a "faction", albeit a small one, and this was still handled in a very stupid fashion.  At least we agree that this reflects badly on the orchestra, which is the most important consideration.  I mean, regardless of the political machinations of the board and the paper, this affects the relationship between the community and the musicians as well.

Admittedly, I haven't spent much time thinking about how else this could have been handled.  If Rosenberg is just biased and couldn't be stopped after five or six years, why is he still writing for the paper?  If he was so clearly out of line, would his colleagues have elected him president of the Music Critics' Association of America?  Okay, maybe, but I kind of doubt it.  If the critic is acting unprofessionally, is reassigning him going to cure that?  Was this simply a case of a unique personal prejudice, which would never happen in another situation?  Maybe, but the problem is that Rosenberg is not exactly a lone voice in being underwhelmed by this conductor.  Since this is not the first time the paper heard these complaints, how has this been handled behind the scenes until now?  I guess we'll never know.

My thanks to Sam Bergman for the comment and the update.  I should have done this a while back, but the Inside the Classics blog has now been added to the Orchestra Blogs list on the left.

UPDATE:  Yes, I can spell Welser-Möst's name.  A typo is one thing, but there's no excuse for copying and pasting it to avoid having to do the alt-code for the "ö", and never noticing what I'd done.  My bad, fixed now.