Gearing up for what should be an epic New Year’s Eve (which I’ll – hopefully – post about tomorrow):
In the meantime, a few musings on 2009:
It’s been a tumultuous year, by all accounts, and there have certainly been casualties of these troubled financial times (although one could argue that the Honolulu Symphony was in terminal condition long before the current state of the world).
Tough times force a certain amount of navel-gazing; the danger in this is the possibility of becoming stuck in pensiveness, without the possibility of action. In a year predicated on the overarching notion of Change (yup, with a capital “C”), it’s encouraging to see that some major organizations have taken some actual bold steps, particularly in choosing artistic leaders; Alan Gilbert began his stint at the helm of the New York Philharmonic, weeks before the Los Angeles Philharmonic welcomed Gustavo Dudamel as its new music director.
Gilbert seems both an unusual choice (a young American less-known in his home country) and a natural fit (as the son of NY Phil musicians) – an interesting direction for a conservative organization that nonetheless seems to concede to the need for a larger cultural relevancy (witness the choice of Alec Baldwin as its radio host). On the opposite coast, the Dudamel PR juggernaut is motoring at full throttle, drumming up the kind of buzz of which other orchestras can only dream. “The Dude’s” charisma is unquestionable; whether it will translate into artistic fulfillment or increased ticket sales, only time will tell.
And speaking of new appointments and charisma, that of Yo-Yo Ma as “creative consultant” to the Chicago Symphony is one that has me very interested. It’s the kind of outside-the-box thinking – utilizing talent in an unconventional manner – that signals some of the most exciting development in the orchestral field.
But it wasn’t the year for change – or choice – for everyone; the Philadelphia Orchestra is still rudderless, heightening concerns about one of the most beleaguered of the “Big Five” (which reminds me, how do we rank orchestras these days, anyway?).
On the personal front, change came in the form of two new jobs and moving my household to Minneapolis, all of which has been simultaneously challenging and enormously satisfying.
On the Inside the Classics front, Sam and I are busy preparing for the next set of concerts (La Mer! I’ve been looking forward to this one…) while, thanks to result reports from Wallace Foundation-funded focus group studies, we continue to reevaluate and tinker with format and content for upcoming seasons. As much as I like change – as I’ve frequently said, my favorite quote = “If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less” – there are some constants I’ve come to rely on, like a co-host/co-writer/cohort whose inventiveness and wit and sense of vision are a constant inspiration to me. Thanks for a great 2009, Sam; now if we could only find a time for our “Four Seasons” initial script meeting…
Happy New Year to all!!
