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In Reply to: RE: Concert I attended on Friday (follow-up from Scott's post below) posted by Chris from Lafayette on January 19, 2015 at 20:47:04
Everything you've described is really funny. But, in the next moment, it's really sad, beginning with that ridiculous name they've chosen for the orchestra.
In the end, there's no excuse for any of the blunders. Why? Allow me to contrast. Here in Chicago, which, as the heart of the midwest is generally considered to be, well, everything that's implied by the phrase "fly-over country" there are numerous orchestas. The student orchestras - meaning, unpaid, not-professional - play with the utmost dedication and a fair amount of precision.
No BS absurd swaying "body English"; no horsing around at all. The best of them, the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, under the disciplined direction and baton of Victor Yampolski, give performances that are so good, that you just sit there in the audience with utter amazment. And, the kids really put every ounce of their selves into it.
So, I'm just saddened to hear that a professional ensemble takes such little pride or interest in what they do. I surely hope it's not a harbinger of more to come. Thinking about it, in this time of economic upheaval world wide, and shrinking audiences, it's irony that the big orchestras play better than ever in history. But, who's there to appreciate it?
Follow Ups:
He said that, as I suspected, the Friday concert was itself kind of like a rehearsal and that the orchestra played 100% better on the subsequent days/nights.
BTW, he also said that he spent last night sleeping on the floor of JFK Airport! Ah - The glamorous life of a traveling classical soloist! He also said that it wasn't too bad - LOL!
As I mentioned, there are probably mitigating circumstances for the SSV - chief among them the lack of sufficient rehearsal time.
BTW, congratulations on the Northwestern University SO: I had one (piano) student who went to Northwestern many years ago (and wrote me back about the great work ethic and high expectations there!), and I accompanied another kid (violinist) who entered the freshman class last year. One of the teachers in Berkeley I play for is VERY upbeat about Northwestern. (She's from the Chicago area too, and can't say enough good things about the teaching and program at Northwestern.)
Of the non-professional orchestras in the SF Bay Area, I really can't say anything about the Stanford and UC Berkeley orchestras at this time - I just haven't heard them in the last couple of decades. (The Stanford Orchestra used to be awful, at least while I was there in the 70's - I suspect they've improved quite a bit in the intervening years.) The best youth orchestra here is the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra - but again, being unpaid, they get (or undergo - LOL!) tons of rehearsal time, so their concerts tend to be VERY disciplined and finished.
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