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There is an interesting angle on orchestra contract disputes at the top level. Currently there is one raging in San Francisco where the players insist that they be compensated as well as their peers in Los Angeles. Here it is: it is important when putting forth a goal to be accomplished that you keep your attention directed on the exterior environment. All goals have opponents and they should be selected from outside your own organization. The SF players want to compete (play a game against) the L..A. Phil. As long as they are permitted to play that game they will be relatively content with their home circumstances and conditions. But the minute they are not permitted to compete with the outside world in their own estimation, they will start to select targets/opponents/enemies from within their own ranks–managers, Board members, Music Director, even fellow musicians. It is true that there are differences in cost of living, demographics and philanthropic traditions from city to city and these have to be factored in but the desire to be competitive is a healthy thing and whatever is done to harmonize all this must include an understanding of this dynamic: YOU MUST KEEP YOUR ATTENTION AS AN ORGANIZATION DIRECTED OUTWARD, NOT INWARD. YOUR OPPONENTS MUST NOT BE SELECTED FROM WITHIN YOUR OWN RANKS.

I just got back from conducting a wonderful orchestra and chorus in Seattle called Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers. It's unique in that the organization runs both an orchestra and a chorus so there is a choral component on every program they do.

My concert began with J.S. Bach's 3rd orchestra suite, followed by John Adams's "The Chairman Dances." After intermission was Mozart's great Mass in C minor.

 

I remember playing my 1st professional engagement as the 3rd D-trumpet in Bach's Christmas Oratorio. I was all of 14 years old. It was thrilling to be able to play loud and blow my notes over the whole orchestra!. The Bach Suite on this program has three D-trumpets and they were marvelous. Janet Young played all the high stuff brilliantly. The concertmaster, Fritz Klein played lovely ornamentation in the "Air" movement.

When I was 15, I played violin in a performance of the Mozart Mass. I will never forget the magical mood that instantly reaches out as the opening Kyrie sings its somber yet deeply moving music. I still get chills whenever I hear it and the chorus in Seattle captured that magic beautifully.

I stayed with my old friends, Ron and Roxanna Patterson. They have a home on a serenely wild lake with geese, ducks, herons and even bald eagles! I met Ron in 1961 when we were both teenage violin students at the Aspen Music Festival. Our paths separated for decades until we were united again at the New Hampshire Music Festival. Ron had just resigned from his post as concertmaster of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic and I was looking for someone new so it was a perfect alignment of circumstances. Roxanna became my Principal Viola and the three of us were a dynamite trio for 10 summer seasons.

So it was really great to be able to live with them and deepen our friendship.

Ron teaches violin at the University of Washington School of Music, has a full roster of students at home,and  plays chamber music concerts and solo engagements. Roxanna has numerous viola students, coaches the Seattle Youth Symphony, and also plays chamber music and solos. They are the best!

Seattle is a dramatic city, with its mountains, lakes, ocean, 1000s of Asian restaurants, vibrant downtown and Mount Rainier rising majestically to the south.  It is rather overcast and drizzly but the sun would poke its head out occasionally for a few hours!

Fun!!

maestro p

In 2000 I guest conducted the China National Symphony in Beijing. The 1st trumpeter, Dai Zhonghui had studied at USC and consequently spoke English. So we got to talking and began a friendship which has continued since through the magic of email! He now also conducts and was recently named the "permanent conductor" of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Shenzhen is a city of a mere 14 million just across the bay from Hong Kong on mainland China.

Zhonghui invited myself and the talented composers, Jim Stephenson from Chicago and Joel Hoffman from the Cincinnati Conservatory to come to Shenzhen last week to witness and comment upon the premier of a new work for chorus, children's chorus and orchestra commissioned by the local government and composed by Wang Ning, a highly respected composer in Beijing. There was a symposium following the performance where noted chinese musicians (along with us Americans) gave their opinions about the work. Personally, I enjoyed the music very much. I expressed my appreciation for the magnitude of governmental support lavished upon the orchestra but warned them of the possible danger of becoming lax on audience development. The large hall was only half full. Since the orchestra doesn't desperately need ticket income like we do in the States, there is this danger of not working on filling the house with sufficient energy. Government support or no, our purpose is to play FOR PEOPLE!

We were treated royally. The Director of the Orchestra personally drove Jim and me to get a Chinese massage after a round of sightseeing. The food (of which there was always too much) was delicious, although occasionally there'd be a dish that was a "yuck!" like marinated lamb's head…….

Shenzhen was the 1st region in China to allow capitalism in. The result is astonishing–skyscrapers, Gucci, Prada, luxury hotels and so on. They seem to like to trumpet their wealth. America better lookout!!!!