how to kill orchestras

This will be a serious blog today.

Unfortunately, I will not have a chance of going to the Proms this year. I remember one Summer, when I had the chance of hearing Martinu´s Field Mass, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. I had never heard the piece but it made an everlasting impression on me. It seems Martinu dedicated the piece to the Czech army, two months into the War at the time.

It doesn’t really matter which army the piece was originally intended to because at any given time there will be some army fighting some war someplace. According to warchild, “As you read this, over 30 wars and conflicts rage around the world. Some fill our TV screens with appalling images of distress, emphasising war’s brutalising effect on man. Many of these wars go unreported, often due to political expediency or lack of interest.” I wanted to check this and ended up counting 32 “current conflicts” from the global security.org website.

I recently had the chance of reading an article in the New York Times by Bernard Holland called “How to kill Orchestras”. The article cannot be accessed through the NYTimes website anymore but you can still read it elsewhere.

It has generated some controversy for several reasons. One of them is related to this statement:

“As for disappearing audiences, no amount of managing will solve that one. Classical music has only itself to blame. It has indulged the creation of a narcissistic avant-garde speaking in languages that repel the average committed listener in even our most sophisticated American cities.”

Apparently, according to Mr. Holland, lack of funding is due to the growing abyss between symphonies and their listeners. Some people do not share the same view. I know I don’t.

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit