Are you Keeping Score?
By Matthew Heil
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
As we prepare for A Night in Vienna this weekend, the marketing department is getting together many items for patrons you might not realize we have our hands in: preparing all the inserts included in programs, setting up marketing materials at Symphony Hall, and lining up last minute press opportunities.
One of the other items we also prepare is Keeping Score, Michael Christie's real-time concert annotations. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Keeping Score is a series of insights into compositions and composers provided as an insert in the program. Interested patrons can "keep score" with the pieces, following along with numbers projected on screens alongside the orchestra.
We're curious to know what you think about this program, and any thoughts you have for improvements or changes! Keep an eye out for annotations of Schubert's works in this weekend's concerts, and others later in the season!
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
As we prepare for A Night in Vienna this weekend, the marketing department is getting together many items for patrons you might not realize we have our hands in: preparing all the inserts included in programs, setting up marketing materials at Symphony Hall, and lining up last minute press opportunities.
One of the other items we also prepare is Keeping Score, Michael Christie's real-time concert annotations. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Keeping Score is a series of insights into compositions and composers provided as an insert in the program. Interested patrons can "keep score" with the pieces, following along with numbers projected on screens alongside the orchestra.
We're curious to know what you think about this program, and any thoughts you have for improvements or changes! Keep an eye out for annotations of Schubert's works in this weekend's concerts, and others later in the season!
12 Comments:
I heard of this great new resource called "Keeping Score" during one of the first concerts I attended in the fall. Mostly, I kept being confused as to what it was given that I'd overheard talk of screens, but I never saw them. When I discovered this board and read back through the entries, I read about the various concert formats, and I got it! You were probably force feeding the information to me for months, of course; I'm surfeit with sensation because everything is new.
I do not know what nights I will normally attend in future, but I did attend Midori's Saturday performance when the PSO also performed the Adams piece. The Adams piece is the only time I have used Keeping Score.
No doubt, Keeping Score enhanced my experience. Let's face it: it's a long, extremely complex work without the normal musical signals. My primary experience with truly contemporary music is the 10-15 minute introductory piece. That does not prepare even a good listener for Adams. Hanging on to a sense of musical geography, doable even if all you do is go through the motions with Keeping Score, was critical. I followed the Keeping Score handout pretty carefully from beginning to end. I was glad I did. The work is not quite accessible to me without a musical boost.
I have two thoughts from that experience. I offer the first in the spirit of ideas for a "next steps in product development": the Adams materials were pretty advanced. As background, I played the violin in amateur and semipro orchestras and chamber groups through and after college, but I wasn't a music major, so my theoretical foundation is weak. The materials assume more than a beginner's knowledge. Maybe that's the right audience, but if they had been much more advanced, Keeping Score would have stopped being fun for me. I wonder if everyone could keep up. If the work is challenging, the Keeping Score materials will be, too.
One way to make the materials more universal could be to provide theoretical content but to emphasize the programmatic content in some cases. Obviously, the appropriateness of that would differ from work to work. I also understand that the notion that music has programmatic content is itself controversial. The Adams do notes discuss his meaning, however, and having those moments where Adams communicates intense despair, etc., pointed out with pretty apparent accuracy in Keeping Score made a difference that would work even better in pieces from other eras. Imagine subjecting the great Romantic era composers to this treatment!
My second thought dovetails back to the mild early music controversy. I've played Renaissance music in an orchestra (not period instruments and no brass), and my collection of Tallis Scholars, etc. keeps me listening, anyway. That there is something wrong in theory with an early music initiative strikes me as cracked.
Where the commenter had a point, however, is that it is possible to do too much. Programming variety, especially where it is low cost and may tap new audiences, has to be deemed a good thing. Having so many options that additional innovation approaches the point of zero or even negative marginal returns (where additional innovation actually decreases the options available because people cannot comprehend them) is counterproductive. I notice this when I try and fail to remember that on Thursdays it's no talk; Friday is lunch; Saturday is Keeping Score; Sunday is the best set of lectures; sometimes there are chamber music performances at various places around town; and when do lectures occur; and sometimes the symphony plays in other towns; and this and that and . . . .
I think variety and volume are best, especially in such a large city where tastes will vary, but partly because of my meta-level struggles with too many options for culture in the city, I see the too-many-options problem potentially hitting people in the face like a 2x4 at the symphony. I was disappointed the other day, because I realized I could have met Stephen Hough during the Friday lunch when he was here, but I did not even know the symphony offered the opportunity. Eventually I will know all the different symphony programs and how to take advantage of them. I can see being disappointed about missing something, however, and responding by reflexively criticizing the institution for "doing too much" that the option became obsured or becoming too active for any single person to keep straight. It's almost a defense mechanism to say, "I'm going to ignore your efforts to enhance my experience, because I can't keep up with you, and I will attend on the days best for me and partake of what I become aware of in the moment." It's not my plan, but in a weird way, it could be rational.
if you are tallying votes; I vote 'no'.
I find the projected numbers and insert more distracting than enlightening.
BTW - the Vienna concert was marvelous; the ASO does a fine job and you looked like you were having a blast.
The critic's reviews remind me of a conductor who has already decided what is wrong with the orchestra before they have played a note.
In reference to Sonny The Cat's last post, I can only say this: For the love of gawd, please, Michael, do not even think about punishing us with this Rouse piece. Many of us have suffered enough with this particular composer this season. Ditto for the Adams pieces. Knowledge of these particular composers on a given program now result in my wife informing me that she would rather stay home than accompany me to a symphony concert -- not the response that I'm looking for. Percussive angst has worn out its welcome for both of us. Sonny, glad you enjoyed. But for us, this is as enjoyable as white noise.
Mark Swed is the critic for the LA times and he is world class. However the article he wrote about the Phildadelphia Orchestra players a few months ago was reprehensible.
This weekend's concert with P. Zuckerman will be perhaps the best concert of the season. Some of the pieces could be stronger, but the Mozart violin concerto and Beethoven Symphony will be the best things Phoenix audiences will have heard in a few years. I know the argument that players can't always know how their performances come across. Often critcs say just the opposite of what we feel took place. based on 3 of 4 rehearsals I don't think it is up for debate. This is real music making and I have not seen the the orchestra this happy in a while.
Keeping Score is an excellent resource. At best it is the key to helping new audience members understand and enjoy what they are hearing. At worst it is a necessary evil that holds the attention of those who would otherwise find it difficult to maintain interest in pieces that are many times longer than today's pop music hits.
Please continue to place new music on the programs. For every audience member who suffers through the Adams to get to the Albinoni, there is another who suffers through the Strauss to get to the Rouse.
Dear Sonny, In response to your recent post regarding the opinion of Anonymous, I would suggest that our musicians are not likely "ashamed" to converse with our bloggers. While "Anonymous" expressed only his/her opinion regarding this week's rehearsal/concert experience in the most positive light, there is still a worry on the part of many musicians that their comments may be misconstrued by other members of our organization.I am sure that "Anonymous" has no concerns about remaining anonymous to you or the other bloggers.
Trouble in paradise? No comment.
As for the comment made regarding the meaningful experience we musicians have enjoyed this week, I do not think it is necessary to compare Mr. Zuckerman's abilities conducting from the violin with Mr. Mealey's or anyone else's. It is enough to say that Mr. Zuckerman's musicianship is incomparable. He is one of the greastest artists of all time. His ability to inspire those of us who seek his musical guidance is really quite remarkable. Whether he is conducting from the violin or the podium, or giving verbal direction in a rehearsal, the level of his artistry is genuine and engenders tremendous respect from those of us who are anxious to learn from him. The subtleties of nuance and the expressive beauty of his playing served to excite even the most jaded among us. His musical concepts and artistic direction provide both interest and gratification for those of us who have been fortunate enough to work with him this week. Maestro Zuckerman is a true master and a musical genius.
That being said, I do not mean to imply that Mr. Mealy is not also a delight to work with. Although I did not play the most recent set of concerts he conducted, I had a wonderful experience working with him last December. I think we all found it a very positive experience.
And yet, it would not surprise me at all if Mr. Mealy himself would express the same kind of regard for Maestro Zuckerman's talent and abilities. In fact, every violinist I have ever known has been completely blown away with this Maestro's stellar performance as a violin soloist. He was very generous with us in both rehearsal and performance. And when one is in the presence of greatness,one knows it. I hope you will enjoy the concert as much as we enjoyed playing it. Sincerely, Marian Buswell, Principal oboe
David's comments were quite good. However, I would like to add that nobody is concentrating fully from beginning to end on any piece. The idea that pop music has eroded our collective attention spans is not why classical music is having trouble selling tickets. I don't believe that people that are interested in buying tickets need to be told how to enjoy this music. personally I think that is how we got into this mess to begin with. I find that when people see a good show they know it. They may not be able to articulate why as clearly as a seasoned concert goer, but they know. I read somewhere that long time subscribers to a tier 1 orchestra could not indentify what instrument was playing, never mind identify sonata form. Nobody would doubt they love the music.
Hello Sonny,
I would love to play the Corigliano Concerto if I were asked. It is a wonderful work. Another favorite of mine that I played some years ago with the Phoenix Symphony is the George Rochberg Concerto. I love that work, and if you aren't familiar with it, there is a wonderful recording featuring one of my great teachers, Joseph Robinson, playing with the New York Phil. Another modern piece I would like very much to perform is the Zwillich Concerto, which my teacher and mentor John Mack recorded. I am glad you did indeed enjoy the concert last weekend. Thank you for your support and interest in our orchestra. What is your instrument, if I may ask?
Dear Sonny, I do not mean to imply that I am more inspired by guest conductors. I am inspired by greatness.
Very interesting, Sonny. My dad was a pretty darn good tuba player. He gave the first solo tuba recital on record at the University of Michigan as a master's student after the end of WW11. How nice for us that you spend so much time at Symphony Hall! Thank you for attending so many concerts.
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