Somewhat unexpected, but exciting publicity moments for me and The Phoenix Symphony
Music Director Michael Christie
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
Last Friday evening I received a call from the folks at the Brooklyn Philharmonic, where I also conduct, advising me of an opportunity for a group of strings and percussion from the orchestra to appear Monday on the Late Show with David Letterman. The weekend was spent sorting out flights, hotels and the musical arrangement we would perform with Nellie McKay, an artist with whom the BP will perform with next week in our new BP Presents series.
What an exciting opportunity! I arrived at the Ed Sullivan theater and was given a dressing room next to Nellie and Alicia Keys, the singer and actress who was on before us. She’s won 9 Grammys. Very cool!
Kevin Spacey was on the show as well but, he kept a very low profile and I didn’t get the chance to meet him.
The rehearsal with the Late Show orchestra was very interesting. Paul Shaffer’s direction was quick and nimble. Clearly they put the music together on the day, and the pressure was certainly on the members to nail it when it counted. He would sing a riff for a member to play and they would reproduce it immediately. The other interesting aspect was the temperature of the theater. They keep it just below 55F in advance of the massive amount of heat from the show lights. We were very cold during the rehearsal, but it was very exciting nonetheless. The world is a very small place particularly when you are in New York City. I was thrilled to meet Barbara Gaines, Executive Producer of Letterman and the sister of Ira and Cheryl Gaines, generous friends of the Phoenix Symphony.
The Brooklyn Philharmonic will perform twice next week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. We will welcome William Barton to the BAM Mainstage. Some of you will remember William’s didjeridoo during my “audition” concerts. We will also be presenting world premiere choreography of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Next Thursday BP Presents kicks off with “Four Scored." Nellie McKay, Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, and Joan Osborne join the orchestra in a spectacular synthesis of acoustic and electronic, old standards and new sounds.
TALK OF THE NATION
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to call in during today’s discussion of the “Demise of Classical Music." Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, and American composer John Corigliano spoke about whether classical music is in crisis. I pointed out that orchestras are working hard to be relevant to their particular communities, that we are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate and that the government has largely left music education to be absorbed by the general budget of the orchestras. Both guests had interesting insights on my facets of the discussion and it was clear to me that there doesn’t seem to be a crisis at all, rather a need for orchestras to remain diligent and creative. They spoke at length about the need for radio broadcasts. I am proud to live in a community that supports the broadcast of “classical music” for the good of the greater community.
Preparing to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman:
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
Last Friday evening I received a call from the folks at the Brooklyn Philharmonic, where I also conduct, advising me of an opportunity for a group of strings and percussion from the orchestra to appear Monday on the Late Show with David Letterman. The weekend was spent sorting out flights, hotels and the musical arrangement we would perform with Nellie McKay, an artist with whom the BP will perform with next week in our new BP Presents series.
What an exciting opportunity! I arrived at the Ed Sullivan theater and was given a dressing room next to Nellie and Alicia Keys, the singer and actress who was on before us. She’s won 9 Grammys. Very cool!Kevin Spacey was on the show as well but, he kept a very low profile and I didn’t get the chance to meet him.
The rehearsal with the Late Show orchestra was very interesting. Paul Shaffer’s direction was quick and nimble. Clearly they put the music together on the day, and the pressure was certainly on the members to nail it when it counted. He would sing a riff for a member to play and they would reproduce it immediately. The other interesting aspect was the temperature of the theater. They keep it just below 55F in advance of the massive amount of heat from the show lights. We were very cold during the rehearsal, but it was very exciting nonetheless. The world is a very small place particularly when you are in New York City. I was thrilled to meet Barbara Gaines, Executive Producer of Letterman and the sister of Ira and Cheryl Gaines, generous friends of the Phoenix Symphony.
The Brooklyn Philharmonic will perform twice next week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. We will welcome William Barton to the BAM Mainstage. Some of you will remember William’s didjeridoo during my “audition” concerts. We will also be presenting world premiere choreography of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Next Thursday BP Presents kicks off with “Four Scored." Nellie McKay, Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, and Joan Osborne join the orchestra in a spectacular synthesis of acoustic and electronic, old standards and new sounds.
TALK OF THE NATION
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to call in during today’s discussion of the “Demise of Classical Music." Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, and American composer John Corigliano spoke about whether classical music is in crisis. I pointed out that orchestras are working hard to be relevant to their particular communities, that we are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate and that the government has largely left music education to be absorbed by the general budget of the orchestras. Both guests had interesting insights on my facets of the discussion and it was clear to me that there doesn’t seem to be a crisis at all, rather a need for orchestras to remain diligent and creative. They spoke at length about the need for radio broadcasts. I am proud to live in a community that supports the broadcast of “classical music” for the good of the greater community.
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Preparing to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman:
16 Comments:
Against the Grain here:
Congrats on your appearance on Letterman. I'm kicking myself, because I caught part of that episode: the interview with Spacey. But when they went to commercial I turned off the tv and went to sleep.
I have to, unfortunately, disagree with you on the crises in classical music. I think that there is one, and that it is a severe one.
I am the only subscriber of my generation that I know. When my husband and I go to concerts, we are often the youngest people we can see, by a few decades!
I sometimes encourage our friends to attend with us, especially if it is a program that I think will appeal to them. Almost always they are bored, don't understand, and end up saying "It's just not my thing."
I blame the state of music education in this country. Classical music is hard to grasp. I'm still working on it, it's a lifetime process. If kids don't learn to start appreciating it early on, it is my belief that they never will.
No one listens to it in the home anymore. So that leaves the schools. Well, music and art programs are always the first to be axed when there is a budget crunch - which is constant. I honestly do not think that the nation's symphony orchestras have the budget to do the intense education that is required.
When I reach the age of what is the age of the average symphony goer now, I wonder who will be sitting with me. Judging by today's audiences, I'll be alone.
ATG
I too worry about 'the demise'. I am 44 but where I sit on Thursdays, I am the youngster. There are no young people going to concerts (at least not thursday night).
However, I remember hearing about the 'demise' of classical music back in the 70s and it hasn't died yet. So I hold on to hope.
I think it is nice you have some publicity for yourself and the Phoenix Symphony. But I believe the orchestra pictured with you on the Letterman show was not the Phoenix Symphony but the Brooklyn Phil. So it appears just you got the publicity.
MJB
Congrats Maestro! As a member of TPSC it thrilled me to see "our own" conductor on my big screen. You looked very happy to be there! Way to go!
Or maybe the orchestra was "Distracted". Next time, perhaps a "Miracle" will happen and we will have a pleasant "Surprise"-the orchestra will be on "Fire" and play with "Passion", and there will be no reason for us audience to "Lament" not being able to see "The Bear".
How about having a photo and a biography of an orchestra member on Soundpost every week? We'd like to get to know these hard-working people better. We think knowing the musicians would create an extended family of classical music lovers. You could even have two biographies and photos a week. Also, we hope someone is working on funding for the on-stage camera and big screen so we could see photos of the musicians and conductor as they perform. Attendance would increase if customers felt a kinship to the musical family at the Phoenix Symphony.
Pouncing on sonny the cat's suggestion to blog-at-will, I am happy to share a few thoughts --
As a recent transplant from Los Angeles, I am thrilled to find the creative programming, innovative concert formats and outstanding performance of the Phoenix Symphony in the beautiful, refurbished concert hall :-)
We have attended three concerts so far in our series, and are very pleased to find such a splendid symphony experience in our new home city. We especially enjoyed the John Adams' Harmonielehre (disappointed that Midori seemed less than enthusiastic -- maybe because it was her fourth performance in as many days), and Stephen Hough's Rach 1 followed by a romp through the Planets.
"Keeping Score" and the conductor/artist talks are great --a note to the on-stage speakers: please look up at the balcony occasionally -- some of us like to sit there to see all the orchestra members and enjoy the sound rising to upper levels!
We enjoy American composers, and like to see 20th (now 21st) century composers recognized in concerts, difficult as some of them seem at first hearing...
Lastly, thanks to the Phoenix Symphony for such an ambitious performance schedule, in so many valley venues. Glad we are not in crisis, and the music education in schools' program is a great way to encourage future audiences!
The Brooklyn Philharmonic performance review in the New York Times was fantastic -- although we did miss seeing you on the Letterman spot. Wish we could get some publicity in the AZ Republic. Whats the problem there? Do we know?
Is it worth having a discussion on this blog about the lack of tickets being sold? I know that the people who visit this blog are either people who make their living in music or make music a part of their every day lives. However I would love to see some discussion of why this community of people thinks live classical music is failing in this city and elsewhere. Why are there pockets of success? Why are classical music sales growing online for recordings, but we can't seem to sell a ticket? Do we feel that marketing is just poor or is it something much more serious?
Do we think there is a way to benefit from the most recent entries to the blog from our Music Director. Are these things helpful in a meaningful way? Or are they simply a flash in the pan?
I recently came across this blog. It is an intelligent look at the musical culture (artistic/ business) of Tucson and its symphony. To my knowledge we have nothing close in our city. Certainly reporting like this is not done in our local papers.
http://www.kuatfm.org/jreel/index.cfm
Here is a link to the "Talk of the Nation" broadcast that Mr. Christie mentioned.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6959713
The NPR program is worth a listen. In addition to the call from the Maestro the 1st call is also from Phoenix. One of the guests is the composer John Corigliano, who came to Phoenix last year to a performance of one of his works by the orchestra.
Most of the content gets at the surface of the problem.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6959713
Will there be anything written about the concert coming at the end of February? I know a great deal about violin soloists and I have never heard of this young lady. It seems to me that this blog would be a great place to put up profiles of the guests before the concert. I am sure they are interesting people. Also that might give a chance for orchestra members to post some of their thoughts or stories about the music and guests for that program.
The LA Philharmonic has made an incredible new recording of "The Rite of Spring."
www.amazon.com/Sacre-Printemps-Hybrid-SACD/dp/B000F39M9W
It is also available on itunes. If anyone has heard it I would love to know your thoughts.
An Orchestra Member
Sonny,
I wish I could of heard those LA concerts. The recording is amazing. Might I recommend that you get the recording of the Shostakovitch violin concerto with Leila Josefocwiz as soloist.
Before today's concert (Sunday) I was leaving tickets at will call for some friends. I met a man buying a ticket who had flown in from California to hear the concert. He had come to hear this concerto with this soloist.
I thought that was pretty cool.
Rob Simonds
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