The 10/9/2013 Los Angeles Times published a fascinating article by music critic Mark Swed juxtaposes the recent round of bad news against what he describes as a thriving Los Angeles classical music scene. The article isn’t some LA centric puff piece; instead, it asks tough questions about sustainability and whether LA is just a bubble waiting to burst to a chorus of “we told you so” naysayers amidst Chicken Little pundits.
On that point, it has been fascinating to witness some of the behind the scenes chatter going on about Swed’s piece, which falls into one of two basic perspectives: Pollyanna principle or sour grapes.
The latter group tends to look for reasons that define why success is an exception and more a stroke of luck that can’t possibly continue rather than the result of cultivation and leadership. The former group goes to the other extreme by using the success as rationale for assuming the results should be easy to universally replicate.
Where Swed’s article excels is focusing on the impact of not only solid long term planning but how a metropolitan area’s overall cultural environment contributes as much toward individual institutional success as any inter-organizational variables.
Related Posts
-
Not unlike many across the country, I became absorbed with current events yesterday so today's original topic will have to wait. It's been an…
-
Whether you're home all day enjoying the holiday with family and friends or your orchestra is putting on a performance today, try to take…
-
Whether you're home all day enjoying the holiday with family and friends or your orchestra is putting on a performance today, try to take…
Swed, despite a gratuitous criticism of Osmo Vanska, makes the useful point that the L.A. Phil has had the benefit of having Deborah Borda running the organization. Taking a wild guess, I am pretty sure that she is not taking any positive lessons from the MN Orchestra management. Swed also notes that there are emerging problems in L.A.–reduced sales and very high ticket prices–that will have to be addressed. There was clearly potential to be developed in L.A. when Borda arrived, but it took leadership, skill and and artistic vision. This is not a permanent victory, though–it never is.