Here are things that I hope don’t occur or take place or become more prevalent in the coming decade. The naughts have basically sucked for everyone (unless you’re in one of the surviving financial giants, that is), and the teens have got to be better.
- That programming continues to get more and more conservative in orchestras. I am not against doing warhorse pieces – they’re great pieces even if they’re over-programmed – but I hope that orchestras can start doing more innovative programming across the board. It shouldn’t only be a handful of the largest orchestras that are able to afford to think differently.
- That the same four or five mega-performers will be the only guarantee of selling out a single concert or series of concerts. It’s the same as the first item, but with people instead of pieces. I love Perlman, Ma, Lang, Fleming, and Bell, but please – aren’t classical music audiences supposed to be somewhat sophisticated? The fact that our concerts with Yefim Bronfman didn’t sell out is a travesty, truly. There are so many amazing and lesser-known artists out there that deserve to be heard, but orchestras are afraid to stray outside the A-list for fear of losing money on concerts. Luckily, we’re doing a good job of avoiding this pitfall in Oregon.
- That managements and boards of orchestras will continue to look to the payroll as a means of of solving their balance sheet issues. Sure, we musicians are willing to do our share (our last contract concessions being a prime example), but when multiple orchestras are being forced to cut substantial weeks of their seasons (Detroit, Atlanta) and also cut their musicians’ salaries in the double-digit percentages, it does irreparable damage to the artistic integrity of those ensembles. The best players are most likely the most portable, and they will vote with their feet when the big cuts come.
- That classical music pundits will continue to declare the classical recording industry DOA. Maybe the traditional outfits are going toes up, but the self-produced arena is going like gangbusters, and the truly innovative companies are actually thriving (see Naxos and ECM New Line).
- That critics will continue to mention the physical appearance of a female performer before talking about her performance quality in their reviews. It’s the 21st century. Puh-lease!
- That Portland arts philanthropists will continue to hold on to most of their money. A woman in Cincinnati recently gave the CSO $85 million. Surely a few folks in the metro Portland area could each pony up at least 20 percent of that amount – it would mean the difference between survival and flourishing to a group like the Oregon Symphony. I’m tired of hearing how much money there is around here, but not seeing the heavy hitters stepping up to the plate.
That’s about it for me – do you have any anti-wishes for the coming decade? Lay ’em on me!
Happy New Year!
3 replies on “anti-hopes for the coming decade”
Thank you for this very astute post, Charles, and all best wishes for a Happy 2010!
Charles, I like your list. To it, I would add the following that I hope doesn’t occur or become even more prevalent at classical music radio stations across the United States: that stations will continue to avoid the great song cycles, such as those of Shubert, Schumann and Mahler; historic recordings; opera recordings or broadcasts at different times of the week; the playing of lengthy and challenging works during the daytime; and the removal of limitations on what hosts can play. However much I hope that these things don’t become more prevalent, I am certain they will continue to characterize classical music radio in this country during the next decade. Talk about conservative programming in the concert hall. It doesn’t hold a candle to what occurs at many classical stations in this country, especially during the daytime.
i’d like to add my hope that arts philanthropy will broaden from giving primarily to the “the same four or five mega”-organizations.