Orpheum Theatre Featured on Arizona Highways
Arizona Highways, a program featuring the best of Arizona arts, culture and outdoors, is airing a feature on the historic Orpheum Theatre this Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 12 (NBC affiliate). The segment will feature some of the musicians from The Phoenix Symphony as it looks at the features and story of this historical landmark of downtown Phoenix. If you missed it, check out the Symphony's segment in the video below:
7 Comments:
The Seattle Symphony just did a tour of So Cal. Would it be beneficial for our orchestra to do something similar?
Who's going to pay for a tour?
Seattle and Schwartz must be promoting their latest line of CDs. Without an expected financial return, it would just be an ego trip.
Happily, Maestro Christie and the Phoenix Symphony CHORUS will be performing the Navajo Oratorio in Colorado this summer. This would get the piece more exposure and hopefully lead to CD sales when it is eventually released.
Perhaps the Maestro will program the Oratorio in Brooklyn as well. However, I'm afraid the New York critics will tear the piece apart on its merit.
Why is it that almost every time there is a PR moment on TV, The Phoenix SYMPHONY sends a string quartet to play? I've seen other orchestras do the same.
Is this the image of a SYMPHONY orchestra that we want to project to the unknowing public? Next time, please consider dispatching a brass quintet to make a bold statement. Maybe dispatch a few extra brass and percussion and blow them away with Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, which everybody will recognize.
Is there a donor or sponsor willing to cover the costs of such a tour? They ain't cheap. Perhaps it would be better to do a tour of smaller communities in the southwest if you are going to spend the money and fuel for sending an orchestra, staff and instruments on a field trip.
I'm not sure how other orchestra's do it, but in my orchestra when we want to send out a group into the community the organization has to pay for it over and above what the salary is unless we schedule it at least 4 weeks (28 days in advance) in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement and as long as we don't exceed weekly service counts amongst other considerations negotiated and agreed upon between the organization and the players. It isn't as easy as just sending some players out to play. Plus there is rehearsal time. If it is less than 4 weeks, the player has a right to say no. Also, one has to take into consideration what one plays on the air. There are copyright restrictions on certain pieces and to play on the air may cost further fees so the composer and/or arranger gets their fair compensation.
The last concert I attended at the Orpheum Theatre with the Phoenix Symphony was one of the Baroque Orchestra programs. The program itself was very good and the acoustics seem best suited to that kind of repertoire. The Theatre is also a visual treat.
But the whole evening was nearly ruined by management's decision to totally turn off the audience lighting during the performance. This was repertoire that is relatively unfamiliar and each suite had a different number of movements. It was impossible to tell when the end of the piece had arrived. Consequently the applause was rather tentative. I felt sorry for the conductor and performers.
This is, unfortunately, becoming a real pet peeve of mine now at Symphony Hall as well. In the last couple of concerts I attended that had "Keeping Score" handouts, the audience lights were so dim (at least in the balcony) that it was impossible to read the notes. Why bother? Also, at least two thirds of the time in the balcony we already have to go on a scavenger hunt to even get "Keeping Score".
I love the educational ideas, I just hope that the execution can be carried out better. Maestro Christie, keep up the great work.
Tours are almost never meant to make money but to publicize (b)x,y(/b) or (b)z (/b)orchestra.
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