Stürmisch bewegt... discussions on Mahler con brio

My current schedule in the last few months leaves me with little time to be able to follow all interesting publications. During some hasty breakfasts, I quickly browse my RSS-feeds to get at least a glimpse of what I am missing. While two conducting colleagues on their blog give their respective opposite - but both evenly interesting to read - experiences on conducting Mahler's 5th Symphony. Obviously as a Mahlerite myself, I do find it worthwhile to read critics of his music, most of all to take once in a while a distance and reflect on my own position towards his compositions. So far for the light reading: A couple of days ago, suddenly articles appeared on Gilbert Kaplan's Mahler's 2nd performance in New York. Having known Mr. Kaplan's devotion to Mahler's 2nd Symphony for a couple of decades, this was not quite new to me, until I glanced over a few comments going with the respective articles...

What caught my (professional) attention, was the large variety of different opinions, especially from professional musicians, on conducting itself. To repeat all the pros and cons from the whole discussion would be too boring, I guess, but with some amusement I do read the most fervent argumentations. What most strikes me, is that when thinking about the whole discussion, and if taken out of context, many arguments are evenly be applied to any other conductor. Mr. Kaplan's non-professional conducting background is highly being criticised (I must admit, I never had the chance, seeing him perform myself). Yet, all the described "faults" and critique could be used at many professional colleagues conductors, who (thus) are supposed not to make such mistakes... a contraire. Many professional conductors should never have gotten into this business, but circumstances decided otherwise - and it was obviously not always their excellent talent nor skill.

This makes perhaps this job of being a conductor so mysterious: aside from the point who got the job, if taken a truly great Maestro under the magnifying glass; none of them resembles the other... There's never (and never will be) a universal recipe how to be a good conductor, and even the greatest maestros have orchestra members in front of them, who will never like them. It's not about beating time, it's not about being an eloquent charismatic generalissimo leading them to the battle.

But after all; isn't it fun to have so many flavours? Imagine a world with a uniform time beating robot... Let's give room to all the available variety. And what a joy to realise that the composing conductor Gustav Mahler himself is unleashing such interesting discussions.

regards
MS

Some links:
Slipped disc
New York Times
Abu Bratsche
Sticks and drones

Opera blues

It's in the news already: while having heard the first rumours from insiders a while ago, last Thursday the first server informed the public about the resignation of the renowned Ms Gabriela Beňačková as the director of the Bratislava's State Opera. Hardly half a year in function (only!), this move - which was foreseeable - is another blow; not only for the Opera's existence, but is sadly enough proving the fact that management is out of control. Or maybe is in fact in control to pursue its own directionless course and thus disregarding the interests of an opera to be met.

What is most disappointing about the whole matter, is that Ms Beňačková is the third director to in a row leave within a year - she has the sad record of even less than half a year. How can it be explained, that an institution like a state owned opera experiences such frequent re-shuffles, while none of the directors have managed to extablish a clear strategic vision to lead such an organisation. Especially the dubious record of Oliver Dohnányi, who initiated first the death blow programme to the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio, has left another organisation unmanaged again when Ms Beňačková stepped in.

Her coming seemed a turning point. Her internationally gained experiences would be the necessary tools to uplift the Opera's future. It soon turned out ot be mere wishful thinking. In her interviews, Ms Beňačková kept on stressing her international fame. She had great concepts in her mind, without hinting at any possible direction, soon to be revealed... Ms Beňačková forgot to realise, that she was not hired to repeatedly reminding us her stardom, only to be going into depths of her irrelevant anecdotes. She behaved like a diva, and like a diva only. Her so proudly hinted great plans and visions have however remained only in her head, never to come out; without any consultation with relevant people around her at all, without working anything out. And we were hoping to hear a manager speak.

Her resignation is shrouded (again) in mistifying secrecy: She refused to tell the public the reason for her decision. That the job was difficult to do was obvious. An institution needs a director for at least a year or four to get on track - where the new manager would need first to get the feel of the organisation and fathom all its issues, a path which takes at least a year or two to accomplish. An institution in turmoil even the more. Now another director has prematurely left the ship, only to pout about the fact that she felt a hostile team around her. Being a responsible manager is a bit of a different job than being a celebrated opera star. I am afraid, Ms Beňačková has, despite her always self-proclaimed experience, deeply grossly underestimated this role.

The lack of any possible transparency within the management of the State Opera has met with much criticism - in and oustide the Opera, which for a great part can equally be attributed to the general director, Ms Hroncová herself, who has still the final responsibility for these management-quirks. Frequent interviews were only to be answered with empty phrases, even only in writing(!), where either Ms Hroncová and Ms Beňačková would only answer those questions that suited them, cleverly evading the unpleasant ones. The cherry on the cake was, that even the spokesperson of the Opera, when asked by journalists, refused to give a reaction on Ms Beňačková resignation. The fact that the "focus was on the premiere of Gluck's Orfeo and Eurydice", the lady wasn't able to answer (you will ask yourself; is a spokesperson paid to give management-related information to the public, or to stick posters on billboards or even sing the leading part in the premiere-to-come?! Perhaps my job-description of a spokesperson is outdated already, but this fact really makes your jaw drop from disbelieve).

Unfortunately, it proves even the more two things: Old corrupt practices are still very influential - a success from the communist era, but second, in a society that has still somehow moved further in time, these practises are becoming self-destructive. The question is; when and who will finally break through this sad circle of wasting chances and resources? I have the feeling that Slovakia should perhaps be deeply ashamed by this.

MS