Comments for Conductorsblog

Comment on Public Images by Christopher Koch

Christopher Koch — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:48:53 +0000

Ha! Actually, this practice isn’t exactly unknown…in Qawali (which certainly qualifies as a form of art music), it is considered a sign of respect and appreciation to bring money to the musicians WHILE they are performing. Here is an example of the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan:

Comment on Public Images by Jacob Harrison

Jacob Harrison — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:47:35 +0000

Christopher,

I think I would be okay with having money thrown at me. . . just sayin’.

Comment on Public Images by Jacob Harrison

Jacob Harrison — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:42:55 +0000

Scott,

Thank you for reading and for your comment! I really appreciate your statement “Real people . . . doing our best to communicate deeply . . . through the glory of music.” This passion is what drives our audiences, conductors, and musicians to be so pushy and difficult about distracting noises. We really love this music, and love the effort the performers are putting into it.

But I think the key is that this is real and live. Notes are missed, the exit door slams, and sometimes the cell phone goes off or the baby cries at the most delicate moment in the concert.

I believe these missed opportunities are what makes it so special when those beautiful, delicate moments happen without any distractions.

Jacob

Comment on Pondering a composer’s place by Christopher Koch

Christopher Koch — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:40:55 +0000

It’s ironic to note that in the days of the masters we now program almost exclusively, most if not all of the average concert program was devoted to music of the time.

Historically, people wanted to hear what was new–and even today, this passion remains as strong as ever in the world of popular music. Why is orchestral music (and really, art music in general) now the exception, and what does this say about the relationship between orchestral music and the culture in which we live?

Comment on Public Images by Christopher Koch

Christopher Koch — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:36:34 +0000

We know that the very 18th and 19th century composers whose works we consider inviolate did not expect their compositions to be performed in the stone-quiet concert hall of today’s expectations. Moreover, much of the solo and chamber repertoire we now revere was often performed as background or salon music. This is not to say that we should open a dance floor at the symphony or invite the audience to throw money at the performers or conductor for particularly well-played passages, but it IS interesting to compare our current expectations with those of the past, and to further compare such expectations with the relative enthusiasm the public has for orchestral music.

Comment on Public Images by Scott Speck

Scott Speck — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:31:31 +0000

Speaking as an orchestra conductor, I understand the annoyance of a listener whose exquisite and transcendent musical experience is interrupted by a cell phone, or a crying baby, or a talking child, or a cough, or a sneeze, or a cellophane wrapper, or a hearing aid, or an elderly gentleman with a walker, or the whisper of a neighbor, or a musician’s missed note, or the hum of the ventilation system, or the hum of the lights, or the closing of a door at the back of the hall.

HOWEVER:

We are real people, in the real world, doing our best to communicate deeply with our fellow human beings through the glory of music. Sometimes there are distractions in the real world. They are almost always unintentional, and nobody should be ejected from a concert hall for an honest mistake. I agree with Jacob’s point. This music is for everyone, and the last thing we should ever do is turn off a classical music lover. Bravo on this post!

Comment on Pondering a composer’s place by Jon Silpayamanant

Jon Silpayamanant — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:20:01 +0000

I’ve been listening to a number of composers that don’t often get performances in the West from former satellite Soviet countries (particular in Central Asia). Usually names we never get to hear, but are standard fare or considered national treasures in their respective countries.

One of the biggest difficulties is the idiosyncratic nature of style and instrumentation of these composers works–how many Opera companies are prepared to hire prepared to hire Mugam vocalists, Tar and kamanche virtuosi, and ethnic percussionists to supplement typical Western orchestration to perform the Azeri Mugam Operas of Fikret Amirov or Uzeyir Hajibeyov? Or how many ballet companies (those that still use live musicians) have a duduk section and the specialist choreographers necessary to put on productions that are standard fare in the Georgian National Ballet?

In some ways, I think it’s sad that more American Orchestras aren’t in the business of supporting and developing a uniquely American symphonic sound, or just generally supporting contemporary American composers in lieu of favoring the European (and some Soviet) masters.

Comment on Pondering a composer’s place by brianstjohn

brianstjohn — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:28:05 +0000

Hello PKW,

I (Brian St. John) actually wrote that post, and in addition to initially forgetting to name myself, I did, indeed, forget that the Bruch is in d minor, not major. Thanks for catching that!

A RaffFest sounds like a great alternative to a MahlerFest. Any “word” that can use the letter F three times in a row is a good word, if you ask me.

While I like Copland, I have met many musicians who don’t feel the same. I think Saint Saens is one of those composers you can make a joke like this about:

Q. How many symphonies did Saint-Saens write?
A. One. The Third.

(Groan)

Thanks for reading! ~ Brian St. John

Comment on Pondering a composer’s place by P.Kellach Waddle

P.Kellach Waddle — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:41:57 +0000

What a phenomenal essay Mr. Jacob— and so many good thoughts ( I often went down this essay saying.. I wonder if he will mention blah blah.. and you always did !! hehe ) — one minor nitpick.. Bruch VC 2 is actually in D MINOR. — And it’s a wonderful piece that I actually have conducted twice !! Bruch also wrote a huge amount of big choral church pieces that are NEVER done–and poor Bizet I think wrote at least 5 ( completed????) other operas and none of them seem to EVER be done except The Pearl Fishers here and there. Something that ALWAYS sticks out on this subject of people superfamous for their time and now dorkazoids who love this stuff like me are the only people who know their names– Did you know that Mahler lost a competition or two to RAFF? RAFF!!! Boy Howdy, we just have a rash of Raff performances and festivals these days, do we not? ( Also I am dying to know — you can fbook me.. who your well known but irritating composer was on X recital– we all have these standard people that we in our own opinions for whatever reason loathe— I happen to be a huge Saint Saens ( save for a few things ) and Copland ( save for a few mostly unknown things– I know heresy for an American living composer ) despiser, to coin a word, myself. — PKW

Comment on Got Any Spare Change? by Got Any Spare Change? « Conductorsblog

Got Any Spare Change? « Conductorsblog — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:53:09 +0000

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