Anne-Sophie Mutter - The fiddler who should be banned

[Pierre.Suave]

http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/051005-NL-mutter.html

Only one classical musician has been banned from London in my time. There have been music directors who threatened to leave town forever unless they got a pay rise - a transparent ruse to secure increased orchestral subsidy from the Arts Council- and one celebrated conductor stayed away for years after a well-whispered brush with the constabulary in a popular West End cottage.

But only one artist was ever sent packing. The cause was cash and I regret to report that the soloist in question is up to her old tricks again.

Twelve years ago, four London orchestras set aside their rivalries and agreed to inform Anne-Sophie Mutter, the German violinist, that they were not going to book her again until she dropped her £10,000 fee. Mutter's office replied by fax that this was her standard rate. Not in this town it isn't, said the bands, and for two seasons London got along fine without the sight and sound of the bare-shouldered beauty. There was no dip in audiences and other soloists flourished until, fearing for her sales in the world's fourth largest record market, Mutter cut her London rate by twenty percent and returned to circulation, mostly with the London Symphony Orchestra.

What does the Lounge think?

Personally, I think she is a tremendous talent, I am watching her play right now on my TV. Is this basic economics, or bad behavior on her part?

[TZ]

1. She's obviously been taking Diva lessons

Rock Star mentality...Not as common among classical artists but its there.

[Pierre.Suave]

2. Honestly

I think both parties are right here. She can ask for as much as she wants, and the symphonies are welcome to offer what they want, and when they come to an agreement, she performs. I do find it slightly humorous though that 4 of them got together to monopolize the rate they were willing to pay.

[TZ]

3. Pretty much.

But if I could choose which to patronize, I'd take the symphonies over the DIVA any day.

[Pierre.Suave]

4. It is hard to see one

without the other.

[HopeHoops]

5. If she can't play "Freebird" on the fiddle, fuck her. Let her be banned.

:hide:

[Pierre.Suave]

6. I would pay crazy ridiculous sums of money

to witness you, in a crowded concert hall, stand up and loudly request Freebird...

:rofl:

[HopeHoops]

7. Oh, you don't know HOW many times I've done that at concerts!

And, after at least 30 years of doing it, I've only had one performer actually PLAY it!!!

I usually get a good laugh out of it.

Now, in a related and even funnier context, one that requires at least some knowledge of early Genesis songs, I saw Musical Box recreate the entire tour from "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (1974). They even had the original three-screen B&W rear-projection slide show, and all of the costumes of course. When they came back for the encore, the "Peter Gabriel" guy asked what they should play and someone yelled "SUPPER'S READY!". In that crowd, it was FAR funnier than yelling "Freebird!". They did "The Musical Box" and "Watcher of the Skies" instead.

I saw them two years later on the "Selling England" tour and they actually DID "Supper's Ready"!!! Man was that intense!

[Pierre.Suave]

8. no no no

not at a rock concert, at a symphony performance...

[no name no slogan]

9. I had a buddy do that at a Suzanne Vega show in the early 90s

It was at a medium-sized club (First Avenue in Mpls, if you know it-- it was in the film "Purple Rain"), and he waited for a quiet bit in between songs and yelled out "Freebird". Suzanne heard it, and gave him a really funny, knowing kind of smirk/smile. She didn't play it though.

My own three-piece band actually learned "Freebird" (not our usual style of music) just so we could play it for hecklers. We've done it once, and it was hilarious.

[Pierre.Suave]

10. you should purposely do a terrible performance of it

so word gets out, and no one asks anymore...

[mnhtnbb]

11. I saw Anne-Sophie Mutter perform with the Camerata Salzburg in Chapel Hill

last October--from the third row Orchestra--and didn't have to go to London or New York!

She had a very young soloist with her, Vilde Frang, who performed Bach's Concerto for 2 violins
in D Minor. Wow. Just Wow.

Artists can set their fees at whatever rates they wish; if bookings are down, they may decide to lower their fees. Why the fuss?

:shrug:

[skygazer]

12. I think "banned" is a poor way of phrasing it

She wasn't banned - the orchestras were simply not willing to pay her requested fee. As for the ethics of it all, I see no real issue. It's not bad behavior to set a fee, nor is it to refuse to meet it.

[kentauros]

13. I know just the orchestra for her:

The Portsmouth Sinfonia - World's Worst Orchestra!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQMBsomNLVw

[Zomby Woof]

14. England has horrible regulations regarding musicians

Frank Zappa regretted ever working with the LSO because of their absurd regulations regarding rehearsals and so forth. I don't blame her for charging a fee - you'd have to pay me extra to work there too. I can tell by the self-important pomposity of the author that he or she is a suck-up for the music establishment there.

Mutter is a tremendous talent though. She actually brought fresh life to the otherwise stale and overdone "The Four Seasons" - it was the first time I had enjoyed that in 30 years. There are few violinists who ever tackled Beethoven's Violin Concerto with that much aplomb. So to answer your question, it is economics *and* security for her mental health for having to put up with pompous twits like the author of that hit piece. More power to her.