tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post4003811272274430079..comments2023-05-27T07:47:26.610-05:00Comments on Bass Blog: A Random PostMichael Hovnanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822257921093170726noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-14471496626599802392010-06-08T16:40:28.886-05:002010-06-08T16:40:28.886-05:00Hi! Linked to your blog through conductorsblog. ...Hi! Linked to your blog through conductorsblog. If you've only experienced centralized authoritarianism or chaotic anarchy, then I can't say much for the people you play with. I'm a choral musician, so I'm not an orchestra insider, but the good conductors I've worked with don't impose their will on musicians, they trust and encourage the performers to play with thoughtfulness and specificity.<br /><br />http://amelianp.blogspot.com/2010/05/maestro-bernstein.html<br /><br />http://amelianp.blogspot.com/2010/05/its-no-secret.html<br /><br />No?Amelia NPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14660179068154082190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-21252333439868012992010-04-27T09:15:37.382-05:002010-04-27T09:15:37.382-05:00Many thanks for your comments. I'm glad you t...Many thanks for your comments. I'm glad you think we rise above all that from time to time. Even so, the role of the authority figure in music is strengthened by antagonism as well adulation - the 'genius' of the system, if you will.Michael Hovnanianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822257921093170726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-17681126546359482962010-04-27T08:30:45.983-05:002010-04-27T08:30:45.983-05:00Careers of the elite music directors have a distin...Careers of the elite music directors have a distinctly contemporary ring. These talented, enterprising conductors have carved out their niche in the global economy. With two or more appointments plus guest engagements, they can earn 30 or 40 times as much as musicians in their orchestras. Ironically, by enlarging their market share they can shrink their repertory. Nearly all of them repeat works as they move from orchestra to orchestra. A smaller repertory is especially helpful when so much time is consumed travelling. Often they measure success in financial terms. They quickly point to increases in subscriptions, donor support and attendance as measures of their effectiveness. Yet they typically have only fleeting contact with the communities they serve when off the podium, and have been known to resent even modest requests to merely mingle with those who support them. Mostly gone is the era when they knew the names of the musicians' children and took friendly interest in their lives. Well, you get the picture. The values, the efficiency, the loyalty, the fiscal mentality of the multi-national CEO. The Icon of Our Time. Unfortunately, music, as well as musicians and music lovers, are not commodities. I am amazed and thankful that you and your colleagues are still able to rise above all this on so many memorable weekends. Stan Collinssjidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08808392811620961090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-45643163580260342372010-04-25T09:46:16.213-05:002010-04-25T09:46:16.213-05:00I thought she was, too. She sometimes gets knocked...I thought she was, too. She sometimes gets knocked by the local reviewer for "choreographic" conducting, but hey her back is to the audience, so she clearly isn't showing off for us. these Mozart concertos were VERY intense performances, and the balance of strings and winds was just about perfect from where I was sitting. It was recorded for CD (unfortunately not with the Divertimento, which was excellent, too), and I'm lining up to buy it now!perdidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04446431111407761886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-57092691576932878432010-04-25T09:41:47.333-05:002010-04-25T09:41:47.333-05:00Uchida is great IMHO.Uchida is great IMHO.Michael Hovnanianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822257921093170726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-38451476661205898052010-04-24T17:06:17.296-05:002010-04-24T17:06:17.296-05:00How did you like working with Uchida? I'm in C...How did you like working with Uchida? I'm in Cleveland, where she played.conducted Mozart 20 and 27, and the orchestra also played that divertimento sans conductor (although Mr. Preucil was pretty busy).perdidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04446431111407761886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-25289148701893229212010-04-23T19:31:56.332-05:002010-04-23T19:31:56.332-05:00Thanks. I'll check it out. The $5can go to c...Thanks. I'll check it out. The $5can go to charity.Michael Hovnanianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822257921093170726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388014615339890178.post-21067271800002699392010-04-23T12:04:07.776-05:002010-04-23T12:04:07.776-05:00While it may not be exactly the thing you're l...While it may not be exactly the thing you're looking for, The Orchestra: A Collection of 23 Essays on Its Origins and Transformations may answer some of your historical questions. And, oh hey, it's free as a book in Google Books. Go here: http://bit.ly/bNKbcMUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367901003659994894noreply@blogger.com