Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
If you’re the type of person who forms an opinion about an article by reading the headline, you may be disappointed with today’s post. This isn’t going to be a lengthy commentary on how the field is overbuilt, classical music is dying, and the only way to save the future is via wholesale slashing of budgets. Instead, this is a post about the unique period of transition out of a time …
On June 20, 2014, Michele Bachmann declared that John Adams’ opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, is “a sympathetic portrayal of terrorism against the Jewish people” (h/t @SoundNotion). Bachmann attempts to portray the Met, and by extension all arts and culture organizations in America, as a champion of anti-Semitism but it is clear that she’s doing nothing more than hijacking this topic as fodder for her lowest common denominator realpolitik gibberish. In …
On 5/20/2014, Opera America (OA) published a statement about the San Diego Opera and related issues as they apply to the opera field. The statement acknowledges the difficulties opera organizations have been experiencing since the economic downturn but unlike similar efforts (remember Red Alert?) it conveys a meaningful upbeat message that doesn’t fall prey to self-deceiving, Pollyannaish nonsense. For instance, OA doesn’t mince words when it comes to difficulties: But instead …
In the post economic downturn environment, it is all too easy to become the victim of detrimental group-think; musicians are overpaid, board members don’t donate enough, managers should work harder etc. Even though most of us who make a living in the arts know better, it is good to see traditional media sources picking up on the dangers associated with letting this sort of detrimental thinking go unchecked. Case in point, …
The 4/15/2014 edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune published an article by Pam Kragen that examines recent developments at the San Diego Opera (SDO). Of particular interest is news of a new voice in the discussion that may be just what the situation needs to embrace a new plan capable of keeping the company going. Worth noting is the introduction of Opera America (OA), the national service organization for opera, into …