Mahler, Kaplan, and the Musicians?!
Question: Mahler, Kaplan, and the Musicians!?
Should the musicians keep their thoughts about conductors to themselves!? Any comments about this NYT article
http://www!.nytimes!.com/2008/12/18/arts/m!.!.!.
and the musicians blog post
http://davidfinlayson!.typepad!.com/fin_no!.!.!.
I'm glad the musician spoke out, how do you feel about it!?Www@Enter-QA@Com
http://www!.nytimes!.com/2008/12/18/arts/m!.!.!.
and the musicians blog post
http://davidfinlayson!.typepad!.com/fin_no!.!.!.
I'm glad the musician spoke out, how do you feel about it!?Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
Kaplan is an expert when it comes to the history of the Resurrection Symphony but he is a psuedo conductor and musician!. I enjoy his recordings of the Res but there are far superior recordings!. I must admit he has made other conductors take notice to how they conduct the piece though!. However, I feel the musicians should keep their thoughts to themselves!. I think the only reason they complained about Kaplan is because they knew he would not be around after his guest conducting was over!. I have around fifteen recordings of the Resurrection!. IMHO I believe it was one of the greatest symphonies ever written!. I understand why Kaplan has such a fascination with it!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
It's not Kaplan's fault!. Blame it on the New Yorkers for inviting him -in exchange for some serious moolah, probably!. Plus I'm sure some of his peers also donate money, and some people would pay just to see the circus-like amateur conducting!. All large music centers today prostitute themselves for money to some extent!.
The musician is right!. I'm sure he passed uncountable auditions to be where he is now, and probably was rejected more than once on some flimsy, questionable basis!. To play for a guy who can't keep a steady beat throughout the work must be frustrating!. But other than blogging, there's nothing he can do about it!.
Incidentally, a story about the "proper" way to conduct Mahler: I once heard on NPR a host talking about the perceived excess of Romanticism of some 60s renditions of Mahler works, and how modern orchestras tended to play drier, more restrained versions: but then the guy produced a vintage record of Mahler himself playing the 1st movement of the 4th on the piano!. Besides the poor sound quality, it was a huge surprise: heavy decoration, desperately slow ritardand(i), sounded like Rachmaninoff with two extra spoons of sugar!.
Just to highlight how little value is in "the proper way" to play this or that!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
The musician is right!. I'm sure he passed uncountable auditions to be where he is now, and probably was rejected more than once on some flimsy, questionable basis!. To play for a guy who can't keep a steady beat throughout the work must be frustrating!. But other than blogging, there's nothing he can do about it!.
Incidentally, a story about the "proper" way to conduct Mahler: I once heard on NPR a host talking about the perceived excess of Romanticism of some 60s renditions of Mahler works, and how modern orchestras tended to play drier, more restrained versions: but then the guy produced a vintage record of Mahler himself playing the 1st movement of the 4th on the piano!. Besides the poor sound quality, it was a huge surprise: heavy decoration, desperately slow ritardand(i), sounded like Rachmaninoff with two extra spoons of sugar!.
Just to highlight how little value is in "the proper way" to play this or that!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Knowing orchestral musicians as well as I do (having worked with them for a quarter of a century - yikes!), I think it must have really come to something the the NYPO musicians to revolt in this way!. Musicians will always denegrate bad conductors over tea, in the bar or huddled together in corners; they might even give them a hard time during rehearsals!. However, they will retain the utmost professionalism in public and get on with the job - even if it means pulling-off a good performance in spite of the conductor rather than because of him!. For such a public outcry against Kaplan to have happened, I think things must have been really bad!. Maybe they thought 'enough is enough'!. Kaplan has done more than 50 performances of Mahler 2 over more then 20 years and, if he's still useless after all this time, then it's time for the nonsense to stop!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
When people are bad at their job, word gets around and soon they no longer have it!. While I detest bad-mouthing anyone for any reason, we must still be honest about peoples abilities!. and we can do that in a polite way!. I think that was done in this circumstance and the result appears to be good on all counts!. It has opened up a needed discussion and brought a greater musical awareness to the audience!.
I have been in an orchestra led by a terrible conductor!. I wish I or others in my orchestra had done what the blogger did !. The orchestra overcame the meastro's inability by having the concertmaster conduct with the scroll of his violin!. Unfortunately most of the audience and board of directors were not so musically literate to realize that this was going on and it took 2 seasons to replace this conductor!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
I have been in an orchestra led by a terrible conductor!. I wish I or others in my orchestra had done what the blogger did !. The orchestra overcame the meastro's inability by having the concertmaster conduct with the scroll of his violin!. Unfortunately most of the audience and board of directors were not so musically literate to realize that this was going on and it took 2 seasons to replace this conductor!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
over this side of the pond !.!.!.orchestras will play on auto-pilot in the face of weak-willed conductors!.!.!.the brass section will usually get plastered!.!.plus ca changeWww@Enter-QA@Com