Marketing in Music

Marketing is often misunderstood as being merely advertising a product, such that it will sell. This is just a small part of the marketing activity. But marketing has also to do with conceptualising your product, such that it will meet the demands of your clients. And it is especially these clients, which are essential. Effective marketing thus is not only an 'after-production phase', but should be an integral part of the whole process - starting at the planning-stage.

Music - especially its performance - and marketing, are two fields, which people often consider not going together. Going to concerts is not considered a tangible service, as you would expect from visit at your doctor's or financial advisor. And consequently, many musicians miss some thorough understanding of marketing themselves. Many (not all) are focussing throughout their entire studies on practicing etudes and prepare for a mandatory solo-concert every semester, happy if they get a gig in an orchestra or ensemble once in a while to earn some extra pocket-money, but after they leave school, this state of mind hardly changes. I witness many who rely on the fact that a suitable vacancy will open sometime, send in their resume and prepare for the auditions - and since they are not the only one, the chance of getting the job is quite small. Then they passively wait for the next vacancy to pop up (of course, there are exceptions), perhaps slowly resulting in a pattern of long-term unemployment.

Marketing includes also, making yourself visible. Nowadays, through the help of internet, making yourself visible is not a big issue any longer (up to the point, that there's perhaps too much of it going on). Last week, as I was in Vienna, a young Korean piano student constructed a trolley, such that she could safely transport her piano through the streets, situated it near the Stephans-Dom in the centre, where thousands of tourists pass by, played Chopin and Liszt, while posters of her personal website were attached to her piano. Even though the weather was spring-like, to sit there and play would still be a schivering experience, but the young lady addressed the crowds directly, convincing them of her playing abilities. It reminded me almost of the scene in Oliver Twist, where the young orphan dared to address the orphanage staff to ask for more porridge. But she appealed to the crowds, people with shopping bags - obviously came first to do some shopping and not listening to a concert -, sat down on the benches and pavement and were visibly impressed. And therefore making time for her. It's like the concept of a super-market; once the customer takes a product which lies within his reach in his hands, he tends to buy it much easier, rather than if it were only a distant offer from a brochure or 2-dimension internet-page.

Marketing music needs indeed a bit more than showing your picture on the internet, or list your repertoire; you must truly convince your (future) audience, that your product (music) is definitely worth listening to - maybe even (audibly) different from other offers. I am not much in favour of popularising music - classical music - for the sake of making it palatable to the masses, by flashing disco-lights when playing Rossini or flickering video effects along with a Tchaikovsky, no huge speaker installations. Nothing of that, but that's only my own subjective view. It's the personal interaction with your customers that makes the difference.

Musicians should be made aware that their product must be well conceptualised - have a maturity and well-thought genuine interpretation; not another mere rendition of Kreisler or Paganini. The quality comes first (in this, it is the responsibility of music institutions too, to offer high-quality and strategic methodologies).

Then the audience (the client) needs to be convinced; impossible? Try asking someone, who (e.g.) listened his entire life only to hard-rock and for the first time attended a live-concert - they are usually smitten with awe, never expecting such an experience coming from a live classical concert (at least listening to a CD never made them convinced). So when new audiences are so impressed, why don't we address them more effectively?

Make them show, that even for the general manager of a big multinational, who deals every day with strategic business issues like sales, yield, profit margins, or investment it is also sexy to go to a live concert, and where music for him does not mean just showing off his top design hi-fi 3D all-surround system. The real sound experience comes from the concert halls. And he regularly can meet perhaps a colleague or a friend-couple, keeping his social and business contacts also alive instead of only e-mailing or phoning.

Classical music is (still) hip enough, so show it to the world! The bottom line is educating your audience by offering them convincing quality.

regards
MS

Musica Aeterna Bratislava: from domestic concerts to high quality baroque-music professionals

When you think of ancient music in Slovakia, the first and foremost ensemble you would come across is Musica Aeterna. And with Musica Aeterna comes the name of the eminent Ján Albrecht (1919-1996). A musician, musicologist, pedagogue, essayist and translator. It is a story truly worth telling.

Ján Albrecht was born right after the new state of Czechoslovakia came into existense. A period, which was probably filled with new élan and hunger for knowlegde, going forward, building a new state! In this environment Ján Albrecht grew up and for sure was true to the spirit of free learning and philosophy. At his house, regularly a group of people met, to make music together, to discuss, read poetry or prose, even lectures on mathematics or physics, or taste good wines. His doors were always open to anyone.

Thanks to his wide network contacts abroad, he received numerous articles, books, music as well as recordings, which were not freely available in the then communist Czechoslovakia (albeit not for political reason, only simply it was a foreign trend). As being a viola professor at the Bratislava Music Academy, the news spread quickly around through the circle of students - even outside the Music Academy. Albrecht's home soon was inofficially labelled as being the "University at Kapitulská Street". His creed was, that not specialising into a narrow tunnel you better functioning in your 'job', but rather having a broad knowlegde as possible; having a broad overview.

It was here, where for the first time, people were listening and marvelling at ancient music recordings on authentic instruments, wich was a not accessible to the proletariat society. This marvel resulted that the visiting young music students like Peter Zajíček and others started to form an ensemble, exploring the practise of ancient music performances. The successes were widely recognised, such that from 1986 this ensemble became a part of the Slovak Philharmonic. Since 1989 it started to use instruments from the 17th or 18th centrury, respectively replicas. Since 2005 Musica Aeterna became an independent body, losing it's Philharmonic umbrella, but a separation, which resulted in a more prosperous quality growth.

The ensemble organises numerous concerts, in Slovakia as well as abroad, where they score great successes. The style of playing is superb, highly professional, even preferring them sometimes over the more settled ensembles from the "West".

As I met Peter Zajíček again at a concert last night, and were discussing a few things with him, I am always deeply impressed and touched by his never-ending drive and energy, his fascination for music. His energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Fully in the spirit of Ján Albrecht. May his memory be ever blessed.

MS

Why being a consultant in cultural affairs

Culture is often considered a luxury; hearing music seems not to fill your stomach, watching a painting will not keep you imune to the latest flu virus and seeing a drama will not solve your housing problem. It appears to be something, that only those, who have the luxury, can afford going to concerts, plays and museums. Anyhow, to them worthly matters seem distant, and they can indulge in idle culture activities. Yet this is an inverted logic.

Culture, in fact, is the very core of your personal identity; If asked what you are, you will usually state a national identity; psychologically speaking, you associate it with a travel document, which you are holding, but the little booklet is only ... a booklet - with or without fancy holograms, nowadays eventually with so-called biometrics, the national coat of arms on the front, the official name of the state, with a cover in perhaps red, blue or green. But this is not quite, what defines your identity:

You speak a language on a daily basis - hopefully your own mother-tongue, sometimes due to all sorts of circumstances perhaps another (second) one. And it is this language, which makes you belong to a group or society and, unlike the travel document, this is what determines your identity. And language is part of culture; not just a subject learned at school - where you had to learn reading and writing it, then master all the grammar around it. It's neither a mere tool to communicate in the street. But this language is also used to write poetry, literature, drama, songs. This group of people, sharing the same language, has usually also a common musical heritage, which you more or less share as well - all determined by the regional variety. Perhaps, not always very prominent in your up-bringing, but starting with a think of the lullaby sung to you (passed on through generations) when you were small, up to a number of songs throughout childhood and adolescense, songs at weddings, songs that go with holidays, even funerals. And you could go on like that. Culture is therefore not just a luxury, it is an integral part of your daily life, even though you hardly realise it.

It is therefore very tragic, that nowadays people have forgotten how to value culture - how to value themselves. Daily we meet people who contribute to culture's decline, mainly because they are overly pessimistic or incapable to be inventive of new methods to revive it. We can perhaps blame them, for stepping in an obvious trap, but let's also be fair; we became consultants because we noticed the deficiencies and wanted to help out. In other words: if all people would be healthy, there would be no need for a doctor (and all doctors would be unemployed). We are - so to speak - the doctors, dedicated to cure the sick.

Let's be glad we can contribute to try to restore values - cultural values, ethics. Even the most tiny little bit is worth fighting for. It sounds indeed a bit idealistic, but culture makes us 'tick' - more than most want to admit. Therefore, we need to try changing the culture of management in order to enable a proper management of culture...

best regards
MS

Basics in Management - A Case Study (Slovak Style)

A couple months ago, I was called to assist in a case, in which a privately run school faced serious financial challenges: There were no more funds, due to a drastic subsidy cut (minus 30%), and thus no money in the bankaccount to pay for the salaries of the teaching staff. As it was quite a tragic situation, and having a soft spot for culture, I agreed to help out.

In short, when first collecting the financial data, I was getting slightly uneasy about the fact, that the financial controller was obviously not in control at all; all data came were estimates, some of it was redundant, and it took him way too long to deliver. In order to tackle the emergency situation, I disregarded this for now - I would address the issue later. After a couple of days of calculating, trying out varous models, a solution was formulated in order to save the school for closing its doors forever. Surviving was the keyword. We were aware of the fact, that increase of school fees would make parents have their offspring leave school (which would be a financial drain at this stage), and thus the concept would not touch that aspect. The model provided even opportunities to expand the school programmes, generating bigger revenues, which would make the organisation viable, despite the meagre state-funding. We agreed to a quick session with the rest of the staff to inform them of the upcoming strategy, then a few days later, the parents would be informed by a presentation-session. In addition, the subsidy-cut was obviously known beforehand - why only acting on it so late?.

The director of the school, abviously not completely aware of his function (i.e. managing), invited - without informing me - 2 other speakers, and it turned out that the 2 prominent guests were moving the whole discussion into the wrong direction - almost leaving my powerpoint presentation useless. Concluding the discussion evening, the director decided for some measures which were not in line with the agreed solutions, even altering a couple of schoolfee-issues.

The result was, that the survival strategy was completely distorted, causing indeed pupils to leave school, and individually adjust the schoolfees for every parent, who came to the director's office to complain (as there would be some, I expected so)

I have urgently pressed the director for a session of a serious re-evaluation of the measures, in order to remain on top of the situation, pointing out the weak spots in his organisation, which needed immediately to be addressed, else the precarious situation would only dramatically worsen, offering assistance at even a symbolic fee (as their finances were in such an embarrassing state) which was followed by.... a long and deep silence. Trying once more to bring him back to reality, he was completely surprised; even not being aware that he was supposed to respond to my previous offer. Here, I gave up! I have experienced many different occasions, which made me frown a bit; this, however, beat all of it.

What went wrong:

• management did not anticipate to changes (legislation takes usually several months before effective, so it should not have been a surprise at all)
  
• financial reporting, as the most important and a basic managment-tool, was merely non-existent (controller could not produce any actual data)
  
• management was not in command during decision making (influenced too much by irrelevant outside noise)
  
• implementation of solution was not according to agreed strategies (...)
  

Here we have a clear example, that although this director is perhaps a kind hearted person, has not the faintest clue what it is to be a manager. Never mind, not everyone is a Bill Gates or a Henry Ford, creating a gold-mine from his organisation, but even when offered a willing hand, not even then, do they have the ability to realise what to do. The visible result is, that teaching staff doesn't get their salaries paid on time. It borders at having the school ruined - almost on purpose. It is a very tragic case, but - although having seen here a few very capable and resourceful directors as well, who deserve credit - it is, however, not an isolated case; generally speaking, it is rather symptomatic. These are clearly the persevering old structures, old thinking (not used to market oriented approaches) that persist in the people's passive attitude. This needless passivity, which is exactly destroying potential in culture, or at least causing serious damage. Never mind the fee, which I will lose, I care more for saving the school than my invoice. But personally, for the sake of the young pupils, who are on the threshold, their first little steps of becoming a musician, this director deserves a serious old-style ear-bashing!

best regards
MS

Orchestra discipline - all flavours are there!

Working with an orchestra is in general a very exciting job. Like every company or office, also orchestra's have their own identity and peculiarities. The biggest difference with an office is, that unlike a manager - who never deals with all the staff simultanously - a conductor faces (plusminus) 70 different individuals, from the first violin principal up to the traingle player in the back of the orchestra, simultaneously: in real time. Each and every movement and reaction of every player is under scrutiny of the eyes and ears of the maestro. Every change, even how minute though, is not dealt with through week-long e-mail correspondances, but immediately! For sure, every CEO from a huge multinational would be green with envy, to hear that such an effective communication in an organisation does exist.

Furthermore, the musicians are not just a selected few skilled section managers, with unskilled auxiliary blue-collar workers under them - the whole lot is educated, experienced, sometimes having more experience than you have, and most of all, by nature, very stubborn or else they would have hardly ended up in this profession.

Throughout the decades, societies have changed; from conservative to liberal, from homogenous to multi-ethnical/cultural, from religious to secular. Also in orchestras, changes were never too far off. We remember of course, how Toscanini when not being too content about the players' performance would yell at them and rant for minutes. He was said to rule as a tyrant. Even Otto Klemperer slamming his hand on the score and shouting, while rehearsing Beethoven's Egmont Ouverture, insisting the violins should have been playing a different bowing (in my eyes, even a bowing which doesn't make any sense; but that's subjective).

Nowadays, this shouting, yelling, even spitting at players, is no longer acceptable of having your way as a conductor. In the old days, perhaps raising your voice was perhaps thought to be a sign of authority, nowadays you'll not get away with this - in fact reach the opposite. So while refraining from the old techniques, you still have to direct these 70 hard-headed musicians, in order to have them play it your way. It's a psychological cat-and-mouse game, where the ultimate winner should be you.

To make this game a bit more exciting, as a conductor you will find out, that each orchestra is different in handling, and even some national treats can be found in the ensembles. American orchestras behave differently, like the Dutch, or the German, Japanese or Czech orchestras. While one is militarily disciplined, the other may be very annoyingly recalcitrant, formalistic versus casual, playing as a whole corpus up to divided into sections, which cause you grey hair keeping them together. And what works with one band, doesn't have an effect on another. No dull moment.

Remembering an orchestra recording in Prague (which I witnessed 1982 still as a student) where the players from the Prague Symphony Orchestra seemed coming from a different planet, than from the orchestras I was used to in Holland. A stiff, formal, disciplined group, playing relatively well techniques but somewhat overly inhibited. Not knowing - at that time - wheter it was pure shyness or something else.

This brings me actually to a diary entry of Ján "Janko" Cádra, a Slovak author and translator from Myjava, who became a fanatic follower of Gustav Mahler even knowing him personally. He describes one very interesting passage in his memoirs, as he attended a rehearsal of Mahler's Symphony No.7 in Munich, conducted by the composer himself (October 1908). Mahler - as a conductor - was notorious for his high demands from the players, which resulted sometimes in uncomfortable situations.
What struck me most about this entry was the mention of the Czech Philharmonic. I quote:

"The corrections didn't cease. He [Mahler] constantly tapped his baton against the lectern, and as usual, the orchestra would stop playing. In this, it was a noticeable difference with the Czech Philharmonic, where Mahler, strangely enough, never managed to finish his explaining, which would show its protest by either simply stopping to play of a few instruments or with the chatting of several players. Here, we have a formidable discipline, no squeaking or walking around /.../"

With some amusement I read about the working-discipline of the Czech Phil a hundred years ago. A bit different from a usual Czech orchestra in 1982 (and even 2008).

I have to add though another further passage from his diaries, which this time flatters the Prague musicians:

"The present musicians [in Munich], although obedient, seem to be a less apprehensive than the ones in Prague. “Those from Prague have a better feel for the music, but these here have a better discipline” judged Wilko [William Ritter]"

I would be most glad, if any of the readers of my blog, who have experienced themselves playing in and with different orchestras (espcially in another country than their own), how they experienced the differences (positive and negative). Comments are most welcome.

regards,
MS

PS - a small note to percussionists (especially triangle-players, which i mentioned in the first paragrah): I have no intention to consider a triangle player less important than a concert-master. It was meant in a meatophorical way. ALL orchestra musicians, in my eyes, are of course indisposable.

Source: Janko Cádra's diary was published by Milan Palák in the Periodical "Protimluv", Annual 4nr.1-2 issued on 22 August 2005. Translated by myself.

How to Tune?

Lately, as I was trying to kill time while waiting for someone, I was casually browsing through the classical CD-cases in my local music-store (since the ebbing away of the customer's interest in classical music, this browsing is, unfortunately, not taking very long; as I already have memorised the whole collection). A newly inserted CD caught my attention: "Violin Magic" (Supraphon, released in 2004) where the Czech violinist Gabriela Demeterová plays a selection of violin music repertoire. Usually I shun such collection-CDs (like "The Best of... ", "Candlelight Classics", etc.). It had an odd mix of some rearranged "light repertoire" and lo and behold: Haendel and Bach!

Baroque music is a flavor, which I have to taste immediately when offered. Leafing through the booklet, it told me that Ms. Demeterová has (and I quote) "for many years intensively concentrating on ancient music even using the original tuning of 415Hz"(!!!) It was in fact the style of this sentence, which made me feel a bit like being an ignoramus, who was being patronised by the label Supraphon from Prague, instead of being the critical customer, looking for a quality recording. But Haendel's "Lascia ch'io pianga" was a tempting litmus testing, so I requested the lady at the counter to hear it.

Playing an aria as a violin solo piece is not exactly very favourable genre in my eyes, but I was interested in how this dedication to baroque music would show in this recording. Naturally, the CD is meant for a broad public, not connaisseurs. And perhaps, I could have expected romantic honey-vibrato and tone. But what surprised me most, was that Gabriela Demeterová clearly misunderstood some phrase-lines, which I would have considered as a blasphemic mistake, especially for an alleged baroque music specialist. Further, I gave Bach's Air from the 3rd Suite for Orchestra, a try as well and .... Ouch! ... impatiently pressed the "stop" button.

So, dear Supraphon textwriter: Tuning your fiddle down to 415Hz is definitively not a quality seal for being a good baroque music performer. Baroque music is not about tuning half a note down! There's much more to it to learn how to play properly ancient music. Perhaps I am so unfortunate, not having heard the right recording of Ms. Demeterová's baroque playing - maybe someone could recommend me one, but I am afraid, that my collection will not have her name among it.

MS

A Musical Island

Back in the 1950s, a young cellist from the Vienna Philharmonic started to research on the practice of how music was played in the baroque era. He put together a couple of fellow-instrumentalists and formed an ensemble called Concentus Musicus Wien. Because of better reviews on his performances than von Karajan was receiving, Karajan kicked him out of the orchestra. The rest is history.

For decades, we have now readjusted our ears and practices on how this so-called ancient music should be played; completely freed - or cleansed - from sticky romantic vibratos, specific tone-shaping as a result of a different bow construction and bowing techniques, materials being used, away with the grotesque symphonic orchestras, etc., etc. Great contributors, besides the aformentioned Nicolaus Harnoncourt, were of course people like Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner, Trevor Pinnock, Sir Roger Norrington, Gustav Leonhardt, Frans Brüggen, Ton Koopman, Anner Bylsma, the Kuijken brothers, Richard Egarr, and so on (in case I forgot someone, I do apologies). Performing ancient music is almost becoming half a century old and fully accepted - even though it has a slight taste of exclusivity:

My first encounters in Slovakia playing pre-romantic music (although not being per se an ancient-music-only fanatic myself at all) were, when conducting Mozart and Corelli. This was an eye-opener to me, which lead me to ponder a bit about the "Sense and Prejudice" (a word-play of the two famous novels by Jane Austen).

Let me commence first with the Prejudice bit; to let loose certain habits is sometimes a very hard way, and people have a natural tendency to be a bit easy-going ("lazy"), and thus rather remain a bit conservative. In Slovakia (and also the Czech Republic, which I would like to include here as well) it was for years the usual Russian school - virtuoso drill, harder, faster, ... where attention to phrasing or a bit of a more modest approach to a composer's piece was overridden by a military-type of battering. Political realities for a long time, limited contacts with Western developments, even though one might ask, can music be politicised, such that new influences were warded off? The answer is, yes. This has been the case. Even that ABBA-records were only sold on the black market or via relatives who lived in the West (could you ever have imagined, that the politburo could consider "Dancing Queen" as being subversive music?)

Since the Eastern bloc countries opened up the iron curtain after 1989, one should expect, that people, eagerly to inhale the freshness of new thoughts and would soon discover the newly (or at that time, already quite matured) acquired knowledge and trends on performing ancient music. Well,... people's conservatism can sometimes be very vehement.

To my greatest dread, while rehearsing a pianoconcerto by Mozart, the orchestra would play fortes as if it would be a Shostakovich-type 3 fff-fortissimo!, and even worse, playing it sometimes at the wrong place. Despite my repeated instructions, old habits lingered. At one rehearsal a violin player (quite a prominent one in fact) burst out at me in rage, calling it "another nonsenical Urtext-fad". The truth was in fact a bit different, since I did not even have an Urtext edition score in front of me, and the dynamics which I insisted upon, were based on pure logic: "How is the phrase developing? Where does the line end?" Calmly explaining to him, that his argument for the old style dynamics was not completely logical in the given passage, he fortunately withdrew (knowing his temper, it could have ended worse, since I tend to be at times a bit uncompromising, even though I am not dogmatic either). This was not the last incident, though.

What makes you frown a bit because of this situation is, that I do know, that even I was - as a young student - very sceptical, when at the Music Academy for the first time that it was compulsory (in the Netherlands - early 1980s) to attend 2 hours a week of baroque ensemble playing. At first almost adamant, I slowly started to feel the difference as a player and appreciating the different sound (I think, soon afterwards I was convinced, that a baroque sound is justifyable to be applied, instead of continuing in keeping the romantic sound. Despite my initial reservation, I began to enjoy it)

But 1989 is not just 2 or 3 years ago. Simple arithmetic led me to deduce that currently we live almost 19 years further down the timeline (to be exact 18 years and 5 months). Thus, after these 19 years, I am facing, surprisingly enough, prominent, skilled and intelligent musicians, who have still a strong prejudice against ... agains truth.

Now the Sense bit: Especially during baroque music, I have encountered as one of the greatest problems, to make musicians (sometimes senior conservatory students) stop playing heavy vibrato, and learning how to phrase. It's dead simple... First beat is heavy, second light, third a bit heavy and fourth the lightest. I was a like broken record, repeating this to them. The school simply disfigured their flexibility to change their playing or even hearing the nuances.

At a certain point I did indeed ask myself, why not just give up, and have them play it their way. Why bother with all the fuss? But then; being paid for a job as a conductor, it is not only my personal and subjective concept that I have to put into my interpretations, but also my professional duty to perform the music as it was written. When conducting Janáček, everyone would attack me for chosing a wrong tempo, for disobeying certain dynamics. So when playing e.g. Corelli or Vivaldi, why should I suddenly disregard the composers' intention and sound (since playing techniques were different at that time)? So my conclusion was: sorry, you have to learn to adjust. You don't like the bowing? Just get used to it!

Sadly enough, the number of people involved in good quality ancient music here you can count on one hand perhaps. Indeed great tribute should be given to Peter Zajíček's ensemble Musica Aeterna. The Bratislava Academy of Music has no money (read: is not allocating) to have a permanent staff to lecture on this subject as an integral part of its curriculum, only to either completely dispose of them or leaving a minimum as a two-weeks' external programme.

It's like an island. A musical island. And the isolated Robinson Crusoë has to survive on anything that he can find on it. But we are not on an island. Let's just face it: Every music student knows exactly how to download pdf files of music, or mp3 recordings. Why then, are recordings of the Marriners, Harnoncourts and Pinnocks so scarce???
Perhaps time to seriously scrutinise the schools and their teachers a bit closer.

MS

PS - just one last interesting detail: Going back to the first paragraph, where I mentioned Vienna and the later on mentioned Bratislava; From the Bratislava State Opera to the Viennese Staatsoper it's ONLY 67km!

Remembering a Great Maestro???...

Regularly, for the past few months, I keep receiving newsletters from CD-manufacturers, reminding me that this year we are remembering a great Maestro, offering jubileum-recordings, dvd-documentaries, and you name it.
My first reaction on this, however, is a bit of an uncomfortable feeling. It is, on the one hand, understandable, that cd-producers and sellers, use an anniversary for their marketing strategies. I myself have enjoyed e.g. the 1995 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam, or conducted myself a Dvořák’s commemorative concert in 2004 and remember some more occasions. Nothing against that. What gives me an odd feeling, is that I am facing this time ... no-one less than Herbert von Karajan himself.

Anyone within the classical music business, can confirm that Karajan played an important role in the world of music. I do admit, that in earlier years, when all of Europe still had borders between states, when internet (even a PC at home) was non-existent, still science-fiction, great Maestro’s would usually sound from vinyl LP-records. When broadcasted on German tv, even I was impressed by this mystical Karajan as he conducted the whole concerts from heart. Those were the times, and I was still young.

Time has gone by; I grew older and not only in the field of conducting have I gained experience, but obviously also my knowledge of behind-the-scenes politics in the music business has increased ever since. I will not delve on Karajan’s past during the dark years of the Nazi-era. That indeed is a very black episode – despite some apologetics on his role - especially his, even though allegedly passive membership in the NSDAP-party, so let’s leave it to that. What causes my reservations, in fact, is his role and actions after the war (keeping in mind the former given). Put it this way: his rising star was not completely fuelled by his talent for music only, to put it mildly.

As meanwhile we have entered a new age – where now, unlike before, we do have at least one computer in the house (even 2 in my case), full speed internet, dolby surround systems plus a satelite dish on the roof, thanks to which I am able to see non-stop a dozen of tv channels offering classical concerts, opera-performances at any given time of the day. And yes – even the very same performances - which I used to watch perhaps with awe in those days - are sometimes being aired again. What bothers me now about them - trying, as a professional musician, to shut myself off from possible prejudices – is a suffocating personal cult drooling. The camera focussing just a few times on e.g. a battery of violin-rows (the cunning but kitschy camera effect tries to give you an impression that at least 500 players are sitting in a row. As if a whole army), for the rest you see only Karajan, eyes shut, standing literally in the center of the orchestra (not in front) as if being a god in the middle of the universe creating a megalomaniac world, the spectator supposed to be mesmerised by Karajan's greatness. It's almost as if you are watching a Riefenstahl-type of production "Der Triumf des Maestros". But the director was Karajan himself, who meticulously controlled every detail.

Technically and musically speaking, there is lacking any kind of “echtes Musizieren“ (real music playing) or an intellectual conception felt from the music... Whichever performance you take, it’s a mass-production, highly polished and shiny chromium steel, sterile. As if all has been created by a computer sampled mixer. Not to mention poor taste, in playing Bach’s 6th Brandenburg Concerto’s the viola soloparts as tutti. Today, I can but frown as why on earth have we allowed ourselves to idolise this man and putting him on such a high paedestal, paying him such large sums of money? If you would simply wipe out the man’s political background and - purely for the sake of argument - would judge him solely on his musical craftsmanship, in my opinion he would not even stand much a chance. Nevertheless, he managed to re-design the whole conducting-market - maybe even helped distorting it completely, by creating and exploiting the huge myth bubble on conductors, as he was cunning enough to find the right niche in the market, exploiting or the new CD technology, earning millions.

Now, the big labels offer dusted-off recordings in festive jubileum boxes, with or without a ribbon on it. No thank you. In my eyes, Karajan really doesn’t deserve such an honour at all! As a historic figure, without doubt yes. But as Karajan the musician? We should be wiser now. It's simply poor taste, so let's not fall for this marketing farce.

MS

To Orchestra or Not to Orchestra....

Slovakia, a small nation at the very heart of Europe, with a uniquely rich cultural heritance. From such a blessed tradition should normally follow, that it naturally reflects on a rich cultural activity – like on the concert stages. For some time, I am closely following developments of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. In fact it's the oldest professional orchestra in Slovakia (even older than the Slovak Philharmonic) and instead of enthusiastically looking forward to another jubileum, the orchestra is in deep distress, or to put it more precisely: it’s falling apart.

It is not uncommon for orchestras and ensembles to get into a period of turmoil, and in most cases a conductor leaves, a manager resigns and the band will continue to play under a different maestro. Remember for instance, how the supposedly life-long marriage of the Berlin Phil with von Karajan got into trouble and von Karajan left? But this time it looks as if the manager and conductor will remain in the office of the Slovak State Radio,... without an orchestra.

Most disturbing in this case, is the autocratic arrogance of both (too) young conductor and the general director, who, like a couple of elephants in a porcelain cabinet, are behaving as if the era of totalitarian rule has fully returned.

It started, when a couple of years ago some plans arose, in order to improve the orchestra's quality, there would be some changes. To make it more concrete; Because of budgetary constraints trimming the orchestra and have everyone audition and a bonus of cutting the musicians‘ wages. Improving the orchestra's quality is definitively a good idea. Having seen the orchestra at rehearsals and concerts, the specific position of being the (only) band of the broadcasting corporation, definitively deserves a better quality – at least to match a level of other European orchestras (in case you’re not too familiar with European geography – within a few minutes car-drive, you are in Vienna). My judgement on this orchestra would be, that the least prominent provincial orchestra in the Netherlands would still outrank this one, though there is potential. Budgetary constraints can look a serious issue indeed, but I have grave doubts, whether this is indeed a genuine excuse.

The chef conductor, then, Oliver Dohnanyi – who first of all demanded excruciating fees (at least for Slovak standards, was in a way the author of this concept. Oddly enough, after slamming this into the face of the musicians, who were in such a shock and distress that obviously the morale was at Siberian low. Apparently even causing, sadly enough, one viola player a heart attack from the stress. Yes, and Maestro Donhnanyi in the meantime leaving to be the new chef of the State Opera (professionally speaking, this is not giving a right signal during a transition-stage, and therefore is a very unfortunate move), leaving the orchestra in the hands of his young assistant Mario Košík, a young lad, who came through the back door, without formal auditions, who has a disputable reputation, and as it shows, no leadership.

Ever since, the gap between orchestra and management has widened (a mild understatement), due to meetings where promises turned out just empty phrases, without consultation with orchestra members (or at least some representatives from the orchestra) salary issues were pushed through – an interesting detail is, that some orchestra members have managed to approach the Ministry of Culture to get some extra funding. Yet management, after having received a juicy sum on their bankaccount, decided to use this money for other purposes than for which it was intended in the first place. In every sense of modern ethical management, where it is the role of this management to address market trends (in other words: make the orchestra economically go forward) as well as keeping internal working harmony, this was the complete opposite.

What puzzles me a bit, is the fact that during meetings, musicians (true is, several are from the communist era, where you had to keep your mouth shut if you wanted to remain playing in an orchestra – at that time a priviledged position) are not always articulating their exact views. Rumour has it, that the general director even removed the players’ bulleting board, naively hoping that players would not pin critical articles or comments there anylonger. Censorship pur sang. But very unprofessional and even up to brink of childish). It seems, they forgot to realise, that outside discussion forums exist, and even the official Slovak Music Centre moderated such a discussion, where clearly ‘insiders’ (musicians) aired and shared their views and info. Though very emotional at some times (as most forum-discussions tend to become) when taking an objective distance, you can deduce a lot from them.

The reader would not need too much phantasy to imagine that this situation is very explosive. The orchestra of Columbus Ohio is enjoying for quite some time international attention from journalists, critics, or adaptistration experts, after rigorous plans have been thrown at them.

But Bratislava is less important perhaps. “We are a small country” you would hear often as a standard alibi. As an art management consultant, you tend to look a bit further though. There are still smaller nations (doing well); Slovakia’s economic growth in the last years is one of the highest in Europe; comparing statistics – GDPs, PPSs, % of people employed in performing arts. Nothing that could substantiate this almost fatalistic defeatist sentiment. What on earth is wrong with you?! One fact is true: it’s small in the sense, that everyone knows everybody in the field – keeping the ranks tightly closed.

It’s definitively a question of attitude. But to conclude: a change to improve is a very legitimate action plan. The way it has been miscarried out is very dubious and regrettable, and could have been avoided by simply applying some decency and common sense. The greatest shame is, that so much money, talent and energy is wasted. The scary part of it is, that it somehow is veiled in some kind of an officially embargoed mystery. It goes on, unpunished. You might slowly get the impression that there is indeed a hidden purpose, since it smells slightly fishy…….

MS