The Philadelphia Orchestra was in town Sunday--the first time in 18 years. Only two works were on the concert--the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat and Symphonie Fantastique. Some very polished playing was to be heard by the people who attended.
That's not exactly what this post is about. I'll let the local fishwrapper's arts reviewer say it:
If there was one thing to be disappointed about Sunday, it was this: About one-third of the seats were empty in Silva Concert Hall. But for those 1,623 listeners who were in attendance, it was an evening of glorious music-making.
Yeah, that's right--Philly's in town and even though tickets have been on sale for over a month, they couldn't fill a relatively small hall.
Chuck(G) wrote:
Yeah, that's right--Philly's in town and even though tickets have been on sale for over a month, they couldn't fill a relatively small hall.
Sad, isn't it?
A pro piano player I met at an orchestra gig in December said that Eugene was the the town most devoted to the "fine arts" she had ever been to.
djwesp wrote:A pro piano player I met at an orchestra gig in December said that Eugene was the the town most devoted to the "fine arts" she had ever been to.
Was this just way off base?
Maybe a bit. I don't think Eugene is any different from most other university towns. We do have a lot of stuff going on, but the interest in classical music has been waning in recent years as the white-haired folks keep dying off.
Isn't it amazing, how Europe has twice as many orchestras as we do, yet you never hear about them going under, or not selling enough tickets? Amazing how other cultures respect and revere art, and this country, for lack of a better word **** all over it. Its sad. This is precisely the reason I want to get into orchestra management. Orchestras are dying, but they are also committing suicide.
"Art should never try to make itself popular. The people should make themselves more artistic."
-Oscar Wilde
ZNC Dandy wrote:Isn't it amazing, how Europe has twice as many orchestras as we do, yet you never hear about them going under, or not selling enough tickets?
In Eurpoe, the people are forced to support their orchestras through outrageous tax rates.
The six orchestras here in Vietnam are supported in the same way, although the taxes aren't as high as they are in Western Europe.
For what it's worth, the two main orchestras in Vietnam are the Vietnam National Symphony in Hanoi and the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra here in Saigon. Members of the Ballet Orchestra do most of the recording for the locally produced high brow television commercials. Their main public performances are two concerts held at 8:15 pm at the Saigon Opera House on the 9th and the 19th of every month, except for the month with Tet in it--no, it isn't a ballet, or an opera for that matter. Tickets are fairly reasonably priced, even for the locals.
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You only have one chance to make a first impression. Don't blow it.
ZNC Dandy wrote:Isn't it amazing, how Europe has twice as many orchestras as we do, yet you never hear about them going under, or not selling enough tickets?
In Eurpoe, the people are forced to support their orchestras through outrageous tax rates.
They also sell a TON of tickets. They pay high taxes true, but look at what they get for it. Good roads, reliable and clean mass transit. A college education that you don't have to go into hock for. As far as sticking to the topic, the best orchestras in the world. If my tax dollars went to things like this. I would complain alot less about paying them.
Check to see how the majority of people in Europe feel about that. I won't say because I don't know. And I lived in Germany (1979-82) as a soldier-tubist in the U.S. Army band in Berlin. I had many German friends, most of whom had never seen the Berlin Philharmonic. (And I dated the Principal Viola's daughter!)
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You only have one chance to make a first impression. Don't blow it.
ZNC Dandy wrote:...the best orchestras in the world. If my tax dollars went to things like this. I would complain alot less about paying them.
In the U.S. you can always make a charitable contribution to the orchestra of your choice. In Europe, even if you don't like classical music, you have no choice.
ZNC Dandy wrote:They also sell a TON of tickets. They pay high taxes true, but look at what they get for it. Good roads, reliable and clean mass transit. A college education that you don't have to go into hock for. As far as sticking to the topic, the best orchestras in the world. If my tax dollars went to things like this. I would complain alot less about paying them.
I haven't noticed that all this devotion to culture has resulted in wide outbreaks of happiness, though. I think Europeans are, as whole, far more cynical even than Americans. In fact, they think of us as foolishly idealistic, based on what I read. Their standard of living is better in some ways, but not nearly as good in others.
Rick "there is satisfaction in work, and reaping the benefits of one's own labors" Denney
Ok, I get it. I just don't understand whats wrong with funding orchestras with tax money? We fund a bunch of ludicrous **** with it now anyway. Why not put that money to good use. We sure aren't now.
ZNC Dandy wrote:Ok, I get it. I just don't understand whats wrong with funding orchestras with tax money? We fund a bunch of ludicrous **** with it now anyway. Why not put that money to good use. We sure aren't now.
Instead of funding orchestras with tax money how about we quit funding all that other ludicous **** as well?
I think the trend is now firmly established and no change in funding is going to make much of a ripple. Heck, I know of a few new band directors who don't have the slightest desire to attend orchestra concerts--even if you gave them the tickets.
I'll posit that in today's world, orchestra has largely lost its relevance in the music scene.
Chuck(G) wrote:I think the trend is now firmly established and no change in funding is going to make much of a ripple. Heck, I know of a few new band directors who don't have the slightest desire to attend orchestra concerts--even if you gave them the tickets.
I'll posit that in today's world, orchestra has largely lost its relevance in the music scene.
How do people get out of school that way? Seriously?
Its really sick isn't it. I would agree with bloke, it has very little to do with music. My girlfriend has just finished her student teaching, and will be graduating with a Music Education degree. She says the same thing. They aren't required to listen, or attend concerts outside of the department. Which is absolutely ludicrous. They have so many education courses crammed down their throats that its pretty much impossible to get done in 4 years, or even to spend time focusing on your core subject. We are in Ohio, and its apparently one of the worst states for this. The schools teach to the damn PRAXIS test that they have to pass to get their certification. Once they get a teaching job, their classes are taken away constantly because music "isn't important". This is a big reason why the educational system is going downhill at a lightning pace. Its amazing how much right brained critical thinking is ignored, and even perhaps supressed in this society. Sorry for the rant. Just really impassioned about this.
