The New York Times reports that the New York Philharmonic has decided to add the position of Principal Conductor to its roster. Most likely this is an attempt to get a place-holder figure on the podium on a regular basis while they continue their search for a successor to music director Lorin Maazel. You can smell the desperation on the part of these Big Five ensembles as they look for the magic bullet to solve all of their constituencies’ needs and wants.