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On the BSO and Music Directors
Jul. 19th, 2005 09:28 amThis whole business with the Baltimore Symphony's "search" for a music director to replace the retiring Yuri Temirkanov is particularly interesting. Typically, a search for a conductor of a major orchestra takes one to two years; after only seven months, it's all but a sure thing that the orchestra's management will name Marin Alsop as the BSO's 12th music director.
Alsop had previously directed the Colorado Symphony and is now the conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony in England. To me, this raises the question of what precisely qualifies as a "major orchestra" in the music world. All the articles written say that if this appoinment in Baltimore goes through, Alsop would be the first female music director of a major orchestra. So I guess I'm not seeing why Bournemouth doesn't qualify as "major".
The major impediment in the deal is the musicians: They believe their views haven't been adequately considered and that the search is little more than a formality. The various articles say that 90% of the musicians want the search to continue and to include other previous guest conductors. It's pretty obvious to me that this appointment will happen regardless of the musician's opinion. Alsop is a popular conductor, although her interpretations of the classics have been less than stellar, and the orchestra has a $10-12 million deficit. The Board of Directors wants Alsop to "rescue" the orchestra, and a move like this would be a major publicity stunt, essentially. That they will have to do so at the expense of the musicians' respect and the orchestra's artistic worth seems to be of little concern. Looks like we'll find out in a matter of hours what the board's decision is.
Alsop had previously directed the Colorado Symphony and is now the conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony in England. To me, this raises the question of what precisely qualifies as a "major orchestra" in the music world. All the articles written say that if this appoinment in Baltimore goes through, Alsop would be the first female music director of a major orchestra. So I guess I'm not seeing why Bournemouth doesn't qualify as "major".
The major impediment in the deal is the musicians: They believe their views haven't been adequately considered and that the search is little more than a formality. The various articles say that 90% of the musicians want the search to continue and to include other previous guest conductors. It's pretty obvious to me that this appointment will happen regardless of the musician's opinion. Alsop is a popular conductor, although her interpretations of the classics have been less than stellar, and the orchestra has a $10-12 million deficit. The Board of Directors wants Alsop to "rescue" the orchestra, and a move like this would be a major publicity stunt, essentially. That they will have to do so at the expense of the musicians' respect and the orchestra's artistic worth seems to be of little concern. Looks like we'll find out in a matter of hours what the board's decision is.
