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portland monthly on carlos kalmar

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This month’s issue of Portland Monthly has a major feature article on OSO music director Carlos Kalmar.  I have some pretty strong feelings on this article, but first, I’d love for you all to read it and give me your feedback.

Here’s the setup to the article:

Who was this Kalmar fellow, I wondered? Who was this crazy-haired podium dancer who brought his act right up to the edge of mayhem and then managed, always, to reel himself back into a state of serene and genteel poise? He read the musical score sitting on a black stand before him, he made his fingers quiver just so, and then the musicians—complicated people in their own right, with their own opinions and their own fierce agendas—obeyed, creating intricate music. How did he make this alchemy happen?

Here’s the link to the article.

4 replies on “portland monthly on carlos kalmar”

Bah! I’m glad the whole article ended up positive, but geez, Ken Shirk is doing us a disservice by being so nasty. Also, the writer’s lack of knowledge of the dismissal process and what happens during negotiations (of course the conductor wasn’t there!) casts an unnecessary pallor. Also, that $10,000 per musician thing was another writer’s estimate of what might happen, not a published result of any actual negotiations. Stories, all twisted up… I feel like if the writer had talked to more musicians he would have gotten an overwhelmingly positive response. In any case, no matter what, all of us in the Local and in the orchestra should be on high alert to always speak positively for the good of the institution, whether we like the conductor or not.

Yikes… so much of both articles is really snarky and snide….but I regret to say that Mr Kalmar seems to bring some of it on himself if the quotes are accurate.

Someone needs to educate these writers about the difference between rehearsals and performances…. the comments about the trumpet player not paying “enough” attention in the performance neglects to note that most of the conductor’s work is in the prep.
(Think I’ll stop here!)

Bill

There’s so much to clear up (or refute) in this article, but to spare going into every last point and detail I would just ask the question: if you’re going to write an extensive feature on something, what should be your level of experience with the subject matter? There are basic elements of the conductor-musician relationship misunderstood in this article that a community band/orchestra musician would have been more than clear on prior to even beginning to address the subject.

Let me supply the lament of the source quoted in a misleading way. (A classic, I know.) My comment was made in response to being pressed to compare Jimmy and Carlos, and was part of a long conversational exploration into how conductors can create different musical results, but as placed in the article seems to imply a criticism of Carlos’ way of working. For the record, I feel that details (Carlos-style) plus tired brain after rehearsal equals exhilarating music making!

I did enjoy the writer’s description of his first concert experience. I expect this article will pique the interest of many people looking for new cultural experiences and interested in what’s going on in our community.

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