http://www.nobleviola.com/2007/12/15/damning-article-on-seattle-symphony/ Life on the working end of the viola. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.nobleviola.com/2007/12/15/damning-article-on-seattle-symphony/comment-page-1/#comment-7820 Charles Noble Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:15:25 +0000 http://www.nobleviola.com/wordpress/2007/12/15/damning-article-on-seattle-symphony/#comment-7820 I have a lot of friends in Seattle, and I've heard a lot of stories, and I thought the article presented everything pretty much as I'd heard it (also with the exception of the omission of the findings regarding the "terrorism" incidents). I have a lot of friends in Seattle, and I’ve heard a lot of stories, and I thought the article presented everything pretty much as I’d heard it (also with the exception of the omission of the findings regarding the “terrorism” incidents).

]]> http://www.nobleviola.com/2007/12/15/damning-article-on-seattle-symphony/comment-page-1/#comment-7819 reedroom Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:06:40 +0000 http://www.nobleviola.com/wordpress/2007/12/15/damning-article-on-seattle-symphony/#comment-7819 As a long time member of the Seattle symphony, I have to assert that the NY Times article accurately reflects the morale of the orchestra and the musicians’ frustration with the SSO board. That said, what the article omitted was that the allegations of “orchestral terrorism” were investigated by a 3rd party, hired by management and union, and turned up no conclusive evidence. This was never reported in the local press. But the article is not about Mr. Cerminaro; that is just a symptom of the greater problem of what can happen when a music director stays too long. Any intelligent person can see from the current atmosphere that the relationship between Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony is no longer working. Under the current music director, the Seattle Symphony has had many triumphs, but few of them have had anything to do with music; the fact is, in the last decade the symphony has stagnated under this music director because there’s NO “THERE” THERE. Hearing the orchestra under a guest conductor is enough to prove that with fresh, inspired leadership, the Seattle Symphony could be great indeed. With a survey stating 61-8 that new leadership is needed, one can no longer say that it’s just a few disgruntled musicians! Too bad it has come to this. As a long time member of the Seattle symphony, I have to assert that the NY Times article accurately reflects the morale of the orchestra and the musicians’ frustration with the SSO board. That said, what the article omitted was that the allegations of “orchestral terrorism” were investigated by a 3rd party, hired by management and union, and turned up no conclusive evidence. This was never reported in the local press.
But the article is not about Mr. Cerminaro; that is just a symptom of the greater problem of what can happen when a music director stays too long. Any intelligent person can see from the current atmosphere that the relationship between Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony is no longer working. Under the current music director, the Seattle Symphony has had many triumphs, but few of them have had anything to do with music; the fact is, in the last decade the symphony has stagnated under this music director because there’s NO “THERE” THERE. Hearing the orchestra under a guest conductor is enough to prove that with fresh, inspired leadership, the Seattle Symphony could be great indeed. With a survey stating 61-8 that new leadership is needed, one can no longer say that it’s just a few disgruntled musicians! Too bad it has come to this.

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