WP,pg1: Musicians Balk at Choice Of (female) Baltimore Conductor

[DeepModem Mom]

Musicians Balk at Choice Of Baltimore Conductor
Woman Would Be First to Lead Major Orchestra

By Tim Page
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 18, 2005; Page A01


The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is on the verge of naming the first woman in history to run a major orchestra, but a group of its musicians objected yesterday, saying the search process was not yet complete.

After the orchestra's seven-month search, Marin Alsop, music director of the Bournemouth Symphony in England and perhaps the best-known female conductor in the world, is poised to become the BSO's 12th music director, replacing Yuri Temirkanov, who has announced that he will step down at the end of the 2005-2006 season.

But in an all-but-unprecedented move, the seven members of the orchestra who served on the 21-member search committee have unanimously asked the BSO's board to continue the search.

The board is due to meet tomorrow morning. It had been expected to certify Alsop's appointment -- orchestra search committee recommendations are usually followed -- but opposition among the musicians to naming Alsop at this time is unusually strong.

"The musicians of the Baltimore Symphony are asking Philip English, chairman of the Board of Directors, to postpone any vote on the appointment of a new Music Director," the orchestra's Players Committee, an elected group in charge of contractual matters and negotiations between musicians and management, said in a statement released yesterday...."The Artistic Advisory Committee, seven musicians who represent the whole orchestra, has carefully surveyed the entire active membership," the statement continued. "Approximately ninety percent of the orchestra musicians believe that ending the search process now, before we are sure the best candidate has been found, would be a disservice to the patrons of the BSO and all music lovers in Maryland....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR2005071701267.html

[Demit]

1. The story doesn't say anything about what the objections might be,

beyond it being unnecessary to make a decision now, that the search committee could wait till Thanksgiving. I wish the writer had thought to ask the players outright, instead of implying they are balking because the candidate is female. There's more to this story.

[mcscajun]

2. Looks more like a case of management riding roughshod over musicians

than misogyny by musicians.

"The Artistic Advisory Committee, seven musicians who represent the whole orchestra, has carefully surveyed the entire active membership," the statement continued. "Approximately ninety percent of the orchestra musicians believe that ending the search process now, before we are sure the best candidate has been found, would be a disservice to the patrons of the BSO and all music lovers in Maryland."

"The Artistic Advisory Committee was promised an opportunity to speak with the Board of Directors before a decision regarding the appointment of a new Music Director is made. Given recent disclosures to the press it is clear that contract negotiations are underway with a candidate. This reinforces our view that a decision has been made without the full participation and agreement of the BSO musicians. If the Board of Directors makes a decision opposed by the vast majority of the orchestra, all confidence in the current leadership of the orchestra would be lost."

[johnfunk]

5. Misogyny? Not necessarily in this case.

Alsop's a real talent, but her rehearsal and interpretive style may not actually be an ideal match for Baltimore. Also, the Classical music biz can get as down-and-dirty and convoluted as pop -- it would not surprise me if the management for another candidate is applying pressure or trying to sway board members and even players.

Another factor may be the surprising rise of a young Brit who came to the attention of US orchestras just this year, Jonathan Nott. He's rebuilt Germany's Bamberg Symphony into one of Europe's finest and did a sensational but very short tour with the orchestra a couple months ago. I was at the NYC concert and saw a number of scouts tied to music management firms and US orchestras. He's sure to be courted -- and more than a few people are hoping he ends up replacing the retiring Danny Barenboim with the Chicago Symphony, this country's most exciting orchestra and one of the planet's best. But I think he'd make a great fit in Baltimore; his wide-ranging repertiore and way with newer music would work well there.

[mcscajun]

6. That was my point ... that this wasn't about misogyny.

:)

[Karenina]

7. Looks that way to me, too.

She is SUPERB, however running roughshod over players is NOT a good way to manage. They can get VERY t-e-c-h-y... This is likely more about disenfranchisement than gender.

[Bridget Burke]

3. Her gender was not mentioned as a reason for objections.

(And I read the whole thing.)

[Boomer]

4. She's too good for them

Her reputation as a conductor is outstanding. And it will be their loss, not hers, if she is not offered the position.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. More on the specific complaints of the musicians

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/18/AR2005071801496.html

From the article in Tuesday's WP:

The BSO musicians' request that the search for a conductor continue did not mention Alsop's name, nor did it raise specific concerns about her qualifications for the job. But a letter dated April 21 from Anthony S. Brandon, a board member who has been outspoken in his opposition to Alsop's appointment, to Philip English, the chairman of the BSO board, is specific. It was drafted with the help of other board members, with input from a number of musicians, and copies have circulated freely in circles close to the BSO. English has previously refused to comment on the appointment and he did not return calls yesterday afternoon.

"The overriding justification for eliminating Alsop is that 90 percent of the BSO musicians oppose her appointment," the letter states. "In her appearances with the orchestra, the players say, Alsop has not produced inspired and nuanced performances of standard classical repertory. They cite 'dull,' even 'substandard,' performances of Brahms's Symphony No. 3, Mendelssohn's music for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2.

"They say that she either does not hear problems or -- because her technical limitations prevent her from fixing them -- that she ignores them. Her musical sense is inhibited by her own lack of depth as a musician and she becomes frustrated when what she hears in her head does not come out from the players. Upon finding something wanting in rehearsal, she responds with vagaries such as 'I'm not feeling it' (Mendelssohn's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream') or exhorts them with abstractions such as 'make magic' (Brahms's Symphony No. 3).

"When an orchestra believes it is being pushed by unmusical ideas, tempos and phrasing and being told that the orchestra itself lacks imagination, musicians feel they are dealing with a conductor who lacks ideas, conviction and technical skill."


It sounds to me like the musicians have legitimate concerns about this. However, working under a guest conductor is entirely different from working under the baton of the music director. I would not be surprised if the majority BSO find themselves feeling quite differently towards Alsop once she begins to work with them on a regular basis.

[VegasWolf]

9. Under Iraq's proposed new Constitution this type of issue will never

be a problem. No women anywhere, anytime, except in the home.