entropy May 19, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : fundraising, labor issues, the orchestra world, add a commentEntropy is the Second Law of Thermodynamics (also known as the entropy law). Here’s the jargon:
A measure of the amount of energy in a physical system not available to do work. As a physical system becomes more disordered, and its energy becomes more evenly distributed, that energy becomes less able to do work.
Source: entropy. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved May 18, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entropy
Entropy is in particular characteristic of a closed system. Orchestras are, arguably, a closed system. They use unique funding mechanisms, have unique ways of hiring and terminating employees, have a language that is “spoken” fluently only after years of high level training (though easily understood with little or no training), and other than concerts have little or no interaction as an ensemble with the outside world. (more…)
conductors, redux May 7, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : conducting, music, the orchestra world, 2commentsTowards the end of any orchestra’s season, you tend to hear a lot (make that a LOT) of armchair quarterbacking by the rank and file about the leadership of any conductor within rock throwing range. Some even make the entire organization’s woes solely the responsibility of the stick waver. I’m sure that’s gratifying to the most egotistical of conductors (most of whom range pretty high on the ego scale anyway, otherwise they wouldn’t have taken up conducting), but for those who are music directors and are busting their butts doing all manner of fundraising, it would be something that they’d take offense to. (more…)
U.S. orchestras begin recording again March 30, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, recordings, the orchestra world, add a commentCaught this article on Yahoo about the recent (and very small) expansion in the recording activities of some US orchestras.
Here’s the first couple paragraphs:
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Not long ago, American orchestras considered the notion of creating new recordings an almost impossible dream.
Among the hurdles: longstanding union regulations that made the process untenably expensive in the United States, a market flooded with mid-priced catalog reissues and budget recordings that made new full-priced titles less appealing to consumers, changed financial expectations at major labels (demanding that classical recordings earn their keep rather than be prestige money-losing projects) and the sales woes of the broader recording industry.
But several world-renowned American orchestras have figured out how to start recording again — many adopting a do-it-yourself mind-set that centers on digital retail. Already familiar to indie rock acts, the approach was entirely new terrain to orchestras that in decades past had enjoyed lavish contracts.
classical conflict March 28, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : News, appreciation/criticism, music, soloists & recitals, the orchestra world, add a commentI just perused a recent article about the Florida Orchestra and some highly-publicized comments from subscribers about the contemporary programming that is being done by music director Stefan Sanderling.
I understand that some patrons don’t care for hearing anything written after 1870 or so. Fine. But why do they complain so about hearing something new and/or dissonant?
There are plenty of concertgoers who love more modern music, and they (for the most part) put up with the Brahms symphonies without writing angry letters to the orchestra’s management or the local music critic.
So, what makes the conservative patron more important than she who likes more progressive fare? (more…)
communities, boards, and orchestras March 20, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : labor issues, music, the orchestra world, add a commentAs I write this, there are two orchestras in the U.S. which are currently facing an existential crisis. The Columbus Symphony and the Shreveport Symphony are both facing cuts which will forever alter how they function, sound, raise money, and basically exist.
Over the past week, two fellow violists/bloggers have written posts about the situation, both about these two orchestras and a new study which suggests that US orchestras are based upon an untenable model. (more…)
when interests collide February 18, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : labor issues, the orchestra world, 2commentsI think that it’s fair to say that there are, in the orchestra world, a number of competing interests amongst the musicians. In an ideal world, we’d play pieces that were enjoyable to every one of us, not too terribly difficult to play while being challenging enough to be interesting, for a six-figure salary, and with a schedule that helped to prevent overuse injuries and fatigue. (more…)
