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In Reply to: Esa-Pekka Salonon out at the L.A. Phils, to be relieved by... posted by clarkjohnsen on April 9, 2007 at 11:34:35:
and their hiring decision is probably not sitting well with the universe of youngish conductors out there. A 26 year old is the best they could find...for Los Angeles no less?Here's a quote:
"Dudamel had never stood before a professional orchestra before taking part in a conducting competition sponsored by the Bamberg Symphony in Germany three years ago."
Good to give the kid an opportunity. I'm positive he's a better conductor than most just to have been considered. Still...it's an odd decision (IMO), based on inexperience alone. Even if his artistic and interpretive capabilities are very strong (they can't possibly be called great...he's got no track record), there's the fundraising and administration and public relations, along with the acceptance of the orchestra members themselves. So, it's an odd decision, but brave in an offbeat way.
Follow Ups:
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Don't piss on my shoe and tell me it's raining.
- http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-phil9apr09,0,2922939.story (Open in New Window)
SOMETHING must have contributed to this relatively radical decision. Surely, the new guy will make a LOT less $$$ than Salonen, and I didn't see any mention of the contract length. Honestly, I could never see such an appointment taking in place in NY, Chicago or Philly (for whatever that's worth). Salonen himself was quite young when he began. All in all, a daring and exciting decision. Still, the rainbow of conductors out there between the ages of 30 and 50 must be shaking their heads, wondering why they even bothered. 26 means NO TRACK RECORD, no matter how much we rationalize things. It also means "narrow range of repertoire under one's belt", again...necessarily.
It'll be interesting. One thing the L.A. Phil is known for is having a pretty wide repertoire and as you say the young guy just can't, yet. Salonen's staying in L.A. and will still conduct. I wonder if he'll have any influence.
the audience at most LA Phil concerts is a step away from the grave and maybe he will attract a younger audience or the orchestra won't have jobs at all. Just one perspective
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I don't want ESP to leave his postion or once he's done so to be the MD somewhere else (just so he's free to conduct here a bunch) but, in my limited view, it seems that a band (and city) that could REALLY use him is the NYP
And you're right about NY -- but does EPS need the grief?
and under Maazel, they've tight-as-can-be. Perhaps their leadership has lacked a little -- but just a little -- programming imagination. You've actually heard a lot of performances of the recent NYP you haven't like?
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but my father's been going regularly for 50 years and the feedback I get from him is that there's a lack of spark... that they could use the vitality and (to steal your word) imagination of a Salonen.It was only a few months ago that the NY Times wrote a piece about how the balance of power had shifted and the L.A. Phil had overtaken the NY Phil in many important parameters so I was going by that as well (they declared the L.A Phil the best in the country but that's too much of a subjective thing to declare IMO). Plus attendance is down in NY and way up in L.A.... of course WDCH is a factor there.
I wouldn't want to draw a straightline conclusion between orchestra/conductor quality and audience attendence. Baltimore is struggling also, and their leadership and execution (and programming) is very strong (at least through Temirkanov last year). LA has enormous population density to assist it -- don't laugh, it matters. I guess my point about NY is this: Get the hottest young conductor you can find...I'm not sure it will matter. The subscribers want their warhorses, and the young new audiences don't know what they want (or even if they want it). It may not matter who the chef is. LA is different: folks like young and new in LA (or so it seems). So, if the point is "they need radical change in NY just BECAUSE they need radical change" I agree. Spark notwithstanding, Maazel can be AWFULLY impressive on any given night with the NYP.
All good points. I wasn't trying to knock Maazel just saying (without really saying) they could use an infusion of vitality - or as you said a radical change - as an organization and that someone like Salonen could be just what the doctor ordered... of course it would have to be a Salonen who had the desire and energy to do it.
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