March 2008
Model MD
In 2000 I participated in the inaugural National Conducting Institute, a groundbreaking conductor development program created by Leonard Slatkin. Over subsequent seasons I covered a number of concerts for Leonard at the National Symphony Orchestra.
Learning under his direction and observing him in Washington taught me a tremendous amount about the ways a music director can foster engagement both within an orchestra and between it and its community.
Now Detroit and its superb symphony are fortunate that he's at it again.
Answers
Back to Justin Davidson of New York and occasionally The Rest Is Noise. Here is his recession and the arts quiz. Here are my answers:
1] C
2] Probably C, hopefully D, but every day I dream of A.
3] A and B seem irrelevant, so I'll go with C.
4] B, maybe. Imagine what a nice world it would be out there for all us artists if the answer were C.
5] The hard question. B and C involve too many variables. As for A, my guess is that we are in far too much financial trouble as a nation for a president from any party to do much with NEA and national arts funding in the near future.
My conclusion – any orchestra or arts organization that has succeeded in making itself truly essential to its community may not suffer as much in the months and years of financial instability to come.
Listen up!
I've added a new widget at the left – check out some of the music currently coming through my Grados.
Caught in the classical web
Recent murmurings from classical music practitioners and/or observers online:
A brief but perceptive take on recent 'findings' in the symphony orchestra biz by Justin Davidson [coming off the bench for The Rest Is Noise].
Props to eighth blackbird for this playful overture.
Engaged as I am in shaping an orchestra's mission through artistic planning, it's fascinating, elucidating and, let's be honest, thoroughly amusing to glimpse a discussion like this.
While in the Bay Area for that programming conversation, I came across this older – but very fresh to me – piece on Mozart by Joshua Kosman for the SF Chronicle.
Seeing Mozart
Two 18th-century images have recently been confirmed as portraits of Mozart. The identification by Cliff Eisen is a major breakthrough in Mozart studies, particularly as there are few reliable likenesses of the composer from his years in Vienna.
This portrait by Joseph Hickel [1736-1807] was most likely painted in 1783. In a letter cited by Eisen in his research on this topic Mozart writes to his patron Martha Elisabeth von Waldstätten:
'As for the beautiful red coat, which attracts me enormously... I must have a coat like that, for it is one that will really do justice to certain buttons which I have long been hankering after. They are mother-of-pearl with a few white stones around the edge and a fine yellow stone in the center. I should like all my things to be of good quality, genuine and beautiful.' Vienna, September 28, 1782
What Yo-Yo believes
A quintessentially elegant and powerful statement of belief from Yo-Yo Ma. I had the opportunity to work with Yo-Yo and to observe firsthand his matchless ability to cross barriers and connect – this 500-word essay reveals the source of that impulse in his work and life.
Shadow of Schumann
Sparse posting of late – last week I did my first performance of Brahms' German Requiem, on a program with the extremely challenging Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss. Great effort from all involved [the Met Chorale and Wartburg College Choir along with the WCFSO] especially after 20% of our rehearsal time was ceded to another burst of rough Iowa winter weather.
A dramatic moment from Saturday night – the shadow of Schumann hovers over a young Brahms.
Johannes Brahms – Ein deutches Requiem, Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, March 1, 2008
Pictures for March
Links to some great photo sites I've been looking at recently.
A Photo A Day The title says it
The Ones We Love A conceptual photo project
David Albers Stunning journalistic images
Shorpy Everyday images from the past 100 years
Unphotographable No photographs, just snapshots in words
I have recently begun collaborating with a talented young photographer in Iowa named Noah Henscheid [the image above is one of his unique views of the WCFSO]. See more of Noah's work in the photos area of this site, or visit Noah at The Foto Stem.