Moving Culture

Letting marketing slip through

2010-07-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

My highly esteemed colleague in Vienna, Christian Henner-Fehr, highlighted a subject in his blog lately an article, which appeared on the web exactly at a point, where I banged my head against the same issue here in Slovakia. The original author Bernd Röthlingshöfer in his blog "... und jeztz zur Werbung" - translated as "and now to advertisement" - gives an interesting insight in the post for whom social media apparently is not intended.

Not so much, that there is a real restricted area, but the title is meant ironically. Were it not, that I deal with it almost daily, where I still need convincing clients to get out of their academically stuffy cultural cocoon and try to interface with the world, since a huge potential market is almost exclusively expecting you to be on the web, especially on social media.

Just in short, these are examples - according to the article - where social media is off limits:

when no clear goals are defined
missing long-term strategies
relying on an agent, since they have hardly a clue what it is all about
not having inhouse the necessary competency to make a decision
having no time
having no staff
not fully understanding how social media works
their reaction to developments within social media takes too long

Again, it may look a bit like mockery, yet these aforementioned clients do exist. Even those, who combine several of the above, if not all. Wonder why they are dangling on a rope and not understanding why business is so slow.

About time to catch up, else you really let your marketing slip through your fingers.

Managerial challenges

2010-07-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

Running a cultural entity, whether an orchestra, theatre or museum is a bit of a different type of job as running a regular commercial business. Your output is far less tangible as let's say selling books or computers.

Speaking of the latter, computers do play an increasingly important role in every day's society. Let's admit it, we do search for the best train connections, the latest discounts or the next concert with the help of the browser. The web-page is therefore not just a fancy window, but provides the first impression to keep the visitor interested - hopefully to make avail of your offer.

Recently, one institution, despite hiring me in as to help our with their marketing, decided without consulting me into a totally different approach, implementing inadequate parallel web-domains, showing not just disregard for portfolio's but most of all, inadequate understanding of marketing and web-applications as such.

What became more apparent, was the total lack of leadership, where suddenly every one became an expert for another person's portfolio.

Sad to see a another unique and valuable ensemble in Slovakia - with much international potential - go down the drain. Despite all warnings and written reports on threats, they cut their last life line. Slovak culture is hardly viable, since not only corruptions from above is damaging, but also human prestige is blocking much instead of taking a professional approach to move a bit forward.

Reaching for yet a higher C

2010-06-20T03:31:00.000-07:00

The Slovak Opera has definitively a bad spell, claims the far from superstitious author. When following the developments, every next step surpasses the amazement of the previous one. One expects that when the summit of blunders or unhappy mishaps occurred, that the next one will be a careful one, but then the opposite happens.

The new General Manager of the SND State National Theatre, was surprisingly selected. Despite initial doubts about the candidate's proven background, I decided to give some time as a kind of a benefit of the doubt gesture. The appointment was - again - slightly controversial, but let the man prove himself. Perhaps, there would finally be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Hardly, a few months have passed, when news of a sudden sacking of all three department managers was flung into the media, just one day before an important premiere-night. Not the best of PR skills. What was a bit bizarre, that the usual reasons given remained vague or rather unlikely. One cannot but be amazed. Among the immediate replacements were ... one of the selection-committee members, who appointed our best man into the saddle.

It could be argued, that perhaps most candidates will have supporters as well as those who would oppose. But such a move is definitively not adding to much of a convincing and professional image. It took too much time for an alibi (apparently embezzlement... don't be surprised).

The credibility, alas, has fully gone. Unless there is indeed a vested interest to keep this Opera in a muddle of scandals, then there is no other explanation but a bad spell. A never-ending story of intrigues and mismanagement. he new government fortunately has ousted the communist elements from the government. Now let us see, if they can effectively restructure the whole cultural sector, so it will become a bit more prominent in society again, more representative and more decent.

How to loot your culture

2010-04-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Culture is a many faceted aspect of one's society. Especially nowadays Europe seems to struggle once every few months with a question about its identity. In such a situation, one would expect that governments would somewhat treasure their cultural heritage.In other words, rediscovering its value. This logic, however, is somewhat far fetched from normal day's reality. To which absurdities and contradictory policies a government could go, can be demonstrated in the case of Slovakia.

While there is absolutely no visionary policy on art, furthermore any kind of quality artistic contribution to society is either underpaid or in most cases completely ignored. The reason should not be looked for in our present day crisis, for it has existed long before. On the one hand, bureaucratic systems keep cultural activities on the lowest possible level - either by funding poor quality (as long as your friend's friend is in charge, their financial support is secured) - but funding as a general remains sometimes uncertain even till after a performance. Risks that can hardly be carried on the shoulders of those who make a humble living from it.

As the Expo Shanghai is approaching, a bizarre anecdote came to my attention. When communicating about possibilities to be present in Shanghai for the Slovak Republic, the bottom line of the whole matter was that; "Yes you can be part of our country's representation. No, of course we will not pay you; it is obviously for the honour that you will do it to represent your country".

How arrogant can a country treat its culture is clearly demonstrated. We reached a level, where it is already expected that musicians will work for free. But even an international representation - a kind of calling-card for your own country - is worth nothing. Obviously, the managers wouldn't want to forego their juicy fees. Slovakia's culture is basically on death-row.

An Odd Surprise to save the Opera?

2010-04-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

The final verdict for the appointment to become the General Manager of the Bratislava State National Theatre (SND) has fallen. A postition which has by now gathered enough controversies, that would need supernatural attributes of the candidate, as well as a firm grip of a generalissimo, but foremost being a skilled manager - a treat which demonstratively is a rare given around the SND. One could say, some level of masochism would be required.

In the end, what was most surprising, a candidate, who didn't want to become the GM at all - only to have his say and then keep his peace - in the end got the job: Ondrej Šoth. In these circles, life in Slovakia is far from dull and surprises are around the corner everywhere. Were it only that they would be more helpful instead of damaging.

Interesting was one of the headlines in the economical daily Hospodárske noviny which screamed that 'scandalous foreigners want to manage the SND". When only seeing the past 3 years at the SND, I would find the label 'scandalous' rather befitting to those Slovaks, who were in charge, and ruined the whole place. Moreover, one of the Slovak candidates (and thus not or less scandalous to the newspaper author I assume), was one of the very same initiators of the decomposition of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Need I go on?

In the end, while others are described having had a good preparation, the winner went only to give an emotional plea. Seems that romantic ideas and emotions count more than realistic visions to face managerial responsibilities.

I hardly do not dare to pronounce my feelings, where I already see this scenario to repeat itself within a relatively short time. I don't want to draw a sign on the wall. But I am afraid, that somehow something is continuously nagging in my mind, that this circus has definitively not ended yet.

Da Capo for the Slovak National Theatre... al Fine?

2010-03-16T00:22:00.000-07:00

Certain things in life have a cyclic recurrence. As we enjoy the slow yet steady return of spring as a revival of nature, it seems that even the Slovak National Theatre has awaken from hibernation. Despite years of a mismanagement-circus, costing valuable millions while at the same time the directors where coming and going like migrating birds, resulting in further soap opera-like (how striking) floating without any direction. A tragic fate for a institution, which wants to be a figure head of Slovak culture.

The Minister of Culture Marek Maďarič has showed that other matters were clearly of higher priority, as was the dubious Language Act, which was given far too much energy for a law that remains questionable [sic.]. Given the minister's background, I would have expected a bit more concern in the matter. But be it so, the gods of Slovak culture seem not to be too favourable. However, a monstrous institution without any managerial vision is a deadly combination.

Since the little coup d'état last summer, where after three directors within a few months' time, the last Opera director together with the chef-conductor as well as Drama boss demonstratively resigned and finally the General Director Ms Hroncová arrived at the only possible conclusion to finally hand in her resignation, it was somewhat quiet at the frontline.

The long awaited outcome of the hiring process in December last year, brought nothing more than surprise. None of the candidates have made it, while the current ad interim director at the last minute withdrew from the selection procedure. The reason given was agonisingly quite unconvincing.

Even the more as yesterday's news announced, that seven candidates applied for the job of General Manager. Immediately after the December's failure, it had transpired that Mr Maďarič had approached singer - and current boss of the Košice Opera - Peter Dvorský for the job. Was it pre-meditated? As these signals hurled some unpleasant discussions behind the scenes, perhaps the minister wisely changed his mind after all; hibernation period started.

The fact, that suddenly a renewed attempt is detected - at least something is happening again - made me wonder, whether I was not accidentally reading about months-old news. As among the candidates was again Pavol Smolík, who - to remind you - withdrew his candidacy at the last minute. Indeed, it was the latest news, yet it looked as if the carousel was turning again round and round, never to advance into any direction. When thinking of the wasted millions while good quality musicians hardly stand a chance to find support for their performances, it is making me far from optimistic.

One would honestly slowly start thinking, that this monstrum - the building of it took over 18 years, yet it looks inside and outside like a concept-less bunker, where even the auditorium, specifically erected for opera, has an acoustic value of a third rate sports hall - has not only a poor design but even an eerie spell. No manager appears to be able to cast that spell away. A sad prospect.

Slovak Philharmonic's blues

2010-02-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

A trend in Slovakia's music world is that incompetent managers do everything they can to destroy it. A manager is not to have any vision, responsibility for his product is completely unheard of, and it seems the only objective is to make sure your own salary is as optimal as it can be.

Slovakia's Philharmony, one would gather it to be a prestigious cultural institution to carefully nourish and use as a promotion abroad. Yet, it is a petty club of drifting musicians, victims of anything bad that Mr Murphy has put into his law. Season 2009/2010 has started quite a while ago, and only in February 2010, its newly appointed chief conductor Emmanuel Villaume finally came to town to present himself and 'his' orchestra. And till the end of the season only one more concert to follow. How about that?

True is, that it is becoming a general trend, where chief conductors spend much time abroad. But the quality of an - let's say - Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra or a Berlin Phil is a bit more steady to absorb such shifts. While the Slovak Philharmonic has fell prey to management struggles, where one conductor after another walked out, this tactic (for hardly can it be considered a strategic choice) proves to be devastating. But in all honesty - merely 2 concerts for this season and having a status of chief conductor? What's the point? Having two heavy weight cultural centres around the corner - Vienna as well as Budapest, the burden is simply too massive to be ignored.

This so-called opening concert announced a Brahms symphony. Nr. 4. Whichever Brahms you take, any self-respecting philharmonic band needs to have this in its repertoire, and almost be able to play it by heart, no matter who is swaying the baton. Perhaps the bride and groom were so nervous during their first appearance (although it was not the very first co-operation between the orchestra and the conductor). But when even a minimal professionalism of playing together, following the maestro, among others, is not there, then the state of the orchestra is at a dramatic low. Unless it would have been a last-minute stand-in to replace a suddenly fallen ill conductor, it could be excused. This is an embarrassment. A better job could be outdone by an average amateur orchestra from Germany.

My conclusion is, despite a Mahler symphony ahead (and my acquaintances know my appetite for Mahler), the Slovak Philharmonic is no longer on my visit-list. Unfortunately.

When even the minister comes

2010-01-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

Attended an opera: While cities like Vienna and Salzburg, have regular - if not non-stop - programmes with their native composers' oeuvre, Slovakia's capital Bratislava's frequency to perform operas of its famous son Johann Nepomuk Hummel - or his compositions in general - is almost zero. You would as why? I simply don't know. Perhaps, it's too much of a burden. But, last Sunday, Hummel's opera Mathilde de Guise was performed, and remarkably in an HIP version. Historically Informed Performance. Not the standard modern instruments, but real gut-strings, natural horns and trumpets, etc. A tantalising flavour for real connoisseurs.

It was a great surprise, that unlike during the Slovak (and world!) première of the opera Svätopluk by Eugen Suchoň, which has been hailed as the nation's national opera by the government leaders earlier, but where not one single dignitary bothered to be present, at this performance, lo and behold the Minister of Culture himself was present. Would he suddenly demonstrate interest in early music?

The performance itself was merely a concertante\show. Usually, players and singers are the one who suffer and sweat. The builders of the opera made sure that this suffering was to be more balanced; not only the acoustics of the auditorium (especially erected for operas!) is a dull as a gymnasium, they made sure, that the temperature in the hall would be at around 28 degrees centigrade, which - at least if you didn't show up in bermuda shorts and t-shirts, your going-out wardrobe became more than just uncomfortable.

The whole project - as it was obvious - was hardly worthy than it would befit. A clever marketing boss from Bratislava would make this into a happening with fireworks, with prestigious drumrolls and streamlined PR. As the conductor himself was no one else but Maestro Didier Talpain, who happens to be in fact the cultural attaché of the French Embassy, and is using the French tax-payers' money to sponsor his own conducting projects at the expense of many Slovak musicians, it was exactly this what was wrong with the whole happening. A poorly planned musical one-nigh-stand to inflate monsieur Talpain's ego.

But yet, since a diplomat sent an invitation, the minister bothered to attend, even if all of the early music attempts are gravely ignored by his bureaucrats. Perhaps it looks as a good sign, yet it is a harsh but real sarcasm. Only the really impressive performance and singing technique by Íride Martínez was a balming compensation for the whole.

When culture seems not to matter any longer

2010-01-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

Sadly enough, my observations throughout the past few years on Slovak culture have been a bit grim, to put it mildly. Minister Maďarič, who is bestowed with the honour of keeping a watchful eye on Slovakia's cultural institutions and developments, has - contrary of what one would expect from him - shown little interest in this field.

Perhaps life has become too fast for the Culture Ministry to notice all the developments. Not only was it visible, that the demolition tactics within the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra has devastated the foundation of the oldest professional orchestra in Slovakia, money wasting in the Slovak Philharmonic by its Manager Mr Lapšanský was equally alarming, which on top was marked by again a walk-out of another Chief Conductor, Maestro Feranec. Not the first one, to leave because of internal conflicts, hardly the last. Equally with the National Museum, who is run by incompetence and letting its foreign partners in deep despait, as their project of manuscript conservation is in jeopardy.

The State Opera has had the most dubious set of Managers' switches, with a mysterious misty shroud of quiet spokespersons, no press releases or contradictory statements. If you have every few months a new director, especially since your club is running on public tax payers' money, you have to explain a lot. Not so in Slovakia. In the best scenario, the Ministry is closing an eye and hoping that public either will not notice, or quickly forget.

But never mind the small change - who in Europe has ever heard of a Slovak National Museum, a Slovak Philharmonic (unless you are a NAXOS collector) or the like. Better, when Slovakia has proudly boasted of making its Eastern Slovak city of Košice into a European Capital of Culture! Prestige all over from Alaska to Tahiti. So one would expect, at least.

Nevertheless, as it appeared in the newspapers today; the prestigious project, backed by patronage the Ministry of Culture and Brussels to turn this little gem into a capital in 2013, and to make in a dazzlig cultural town full with events, it appears that the Ministry has somewhat failed to fulfill its financial obligations. One would ask why. Not that the State has gone suddenly bankcrupt. The reasons are vague, to say the least. It's just ... political.

This is definitively not the first time, where cultural projects are bleeding because of the incompetence, to move forward, or to at least stick to the set deadlines to deliver reports, decisions or what you have. A bureaucratic moloch, which shows hardly any interest in supporting culture at all.

Knowing, that the Manager, Ms Zora Jaurová, who as usual thoroughly prepared all documentation is far from happy. The whole project is at peril, perhaps to fatally end in a disaster. I know the feeling. Unfortunately, Mr Maďarič doesn't. Another case, where Slovakia has lost international prestige and added another embarrassment to its list. I am afraid, it's far from the last scandalous result of the present government. The frustrations of all those, who put their heart, soul and endless energy, ending up with empty hands cannot be described. In Slovakia, officially culture seems not to matter any more. One can only pray for a miracle, but almost too much harm has been done.

MS

Opera Soap

2010-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

After the last stalemate in the candidacy race to become the next lucky (perhaps rather unlucky) General Manager of Slovakia's National Opera, there is - believe it or not - some movement. In fact, any movement would be more than welcome, as the incompetency of not being able to find a suitable manager for a prestigious organisation like the Opera is really becoming more than embarrassing.

The fact remains that for more than three years a centralist management has been causing many upheavals and controversies, where the Opera wore out every few months another manager. Controversially mainly because all new incumbents were hailed as the brighter than bright future, leading the Opera to the heights of European, eh no: even World level! The dream-team bubble burst only within a too short a period, with a record of merely 3 months to be attributed to the famous singer Gabriela Beňačková. Whoever was to blame, three in a row was simply too much of a coincidence, yet it had to take a coup-d'état of 3 directors had to take place, before the General Manager Ms Hroncová was forced to step down.

While these things might equally happen in any other country as well, what is a bit frustrating or disturbing is the fact, that misty and vague interviews (if any) are given, leaving an odd flavour of political intrigues and hidden agendas. But let's call it sheer mismanagement.

As I described in one of my earlier blogs on this, 7 new candidates submitted their applications to the selection committee. For some unconvincing reasin one candidate withdrew one day before the interviews. The outcome: nobody made it. Fulfilling al requirements, plus handing in a fully elaborated strategic business plan seemed not sufficient enough to convince the committee to pick the right successor.

Then Minister of Culture offered the famous singer Peter Dvorský - currently also in charge of the Košice Opera - to become the next General Manager. Although in this was suspected for a long time, this obviously was far from a surprise. Knowing, that Mr Dvorský has aspirations for this post, there is however a slight twist to the matter; somehow, Mr Dvorský didn't meet the requirements as stipulated in the aforementioned selection procedure. Since this was unsuccessful, now the Minister can adjust the requirements according to his own discretion, paving the way for a selected... well; preselected candidate.

Whether Mr Dvorský would be able to manage the SND Opera is debatable. What is a big shame is the murky process. A farce to justify the next political moving of the chess figures on the board. A slight sense of exhaustion takes hold of me when I try to fathom all this fiddling around and wasting money just to play the pathetic old game of who gets what. Bratislava will probably never reach any level at all with its Opera, neither the global, nor the European standard. It's a costly soap situated in a provincial village where nobody cares. Very costly with a dragging yet sad ending.

Unbelievable!

2009-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

My daughter would call it "a bad hair day"; when daddy is not in the mood, manages to create a bit of stupendous chaos, or says something which is utterly inappropriate and then wants to crawl in the deepest pit. Happens to all of us. As musicians we are, after all, still human. But what I read in the papers, would - in case I would be quoted these opinions - cause me to jump of the highest building in town. Perhaps I was born on a wrong planet, perhaps in a wrong century, but if my memeory serves me right, when we used to study music, or for that matter whatever we did, we tried to keep an eye on quality. Or else...

It was a few days ago in the SME newspaper - culture section, where the Slovak violinist Juraj Čižmarovič gave an interview. (For those able to read Slovak you can find the article here.) Just for your information, Mr Čižmarovič is currently concert master with the Cologne based WDR Fernsehenorchester and is lately taking up the conductor's baton as well. Quite an achievement. Chapeau.

While elaborating on the usual stuff like his youth, parents, studies and achievements, he places a remark, which made my hair raise as if electrocuted with 20 thousand Volts - the least. He was asked on the question of quality (in music). The conclusion was, that quality is determined by consensus and therefore, when (the majority) of the audience like a piece it is therefore quality.

Now that is an interesting statement, when taken out of context might be interpreted a bit, .. well wrongly. I re-read that paragraph a few times; the exact questions, the immediate answers (the journalist seemed surprised as well, and reiterated his question to clarify whether he understood Čižmarovič correctly), and cannot conclude that he meant it that way.

Some time ago, the very same Mr. Čižmarovič came to Bratislava, to perform Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It was a kind of a weak rendition of "Mr. So-and-so and Friends", where - in all honestly - the professionality of Mr Čižmarovič was at stake. The playing was not only outdated (over vibrated, acrobatic show off instead of refined music due to the piece), it was out of tune, full of mistakes, where even a tone-deaf listener would notice mistakes, for the Four Seasons are almost known to everyone.

But putting these two things - the embarrassing performance and the interview - together, gave me suddenly an insight what Mr. Čižmarovič is all about: playing lousy music - but as long as the audience loves it - is quality to you. Perhaps the artist shoudl have a sense to feel responsible to deliver quality to the audience, also to educate the audience to become more appreciative to quality... or am I too naive?

Well, in that case there's little hope for Slovakia's audience. You get medicority as a standard of quality. Even the professional musician seems no longer to be interested in true musical quality. Unbelievable. Perhaps I am having a bad hair-day.

A Spell on the Opera

2009-12-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

After the resignation of the controversial General Manager of the Slovak National Opera, the Ministry of Culture has - for the first time - publicly announced a hiring process for the said post. While one would be used to broad publications for similar posts in Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, Milan or even unconventional places like Singapore or Sydney, Slovakia prefers a hush-hush announcement. Albeit, that those really following the whereabouts of the Opera, were able to get the needed information. Anyhow, the cultural world - or let's say, the Slovak cultural world - was closely following the developments. Last Friday, the long awaited results of the candidate-selection would be finalised, and the eagerly awaited new General Manager would be appointed.

The formal requirements were a bit of a farce; previous directors either fulfulling the expected preconditions or not, have never been able to fulfill their tasks, and either left on their own chosing, or were bluntly sacked, under mysterious circumstances (where even the official spokesperson would not be able to give comments to the occasions). Nevertheless, a total of seven candidates have come forth to run for this race of the titans.

Therefore, last Friday was a big day. Another step forward. How more susprising it was, that the current interim manager suddenly withdrew from the race. His reason seems a bit unconvincing in my eyes, but let it be. The shock - or disappointment - was a bit bigger to find, that the commision has not chosen anyone. Leaving the door open for any other possible solution. A solution, which might be politically driven. Left aside, who the candidates were, one cannot wonder, who would still really be interested to hold this post. Either a complete masochist or somebody completely detached from culture.

For a few years I have monitored many public institutions here in Slovakia in their management struggles (or rather their lack of it). One can hardly stop feeling amazed by the events and whichever angle one takes into consideration, such wild-west solutions would be far from acceptable in most Western opera houses. There is much awe and question-marks left. It seems that Bratislava and its Opera have a magic spell. Not to excel, but to be doomed to mediocre level of amateur games of those, who wallow in political intrigues. It would be an interesting scenario on stage, but not behind it.

Hidden Baroque Music in Poprad

2009-11-12T00:50:00.000-08:00

Last week, an international early music project called Central European Music Academy took place in the Slovak city of Poprad, just under the majestic High Tatras mountains. Slovakia's most prominent early music ensemble Musica Aeterna from Bratislava was present. Even some of my acquaintances from abroad would attend. Good news one would say.

Except from the fact that such a 'prestigious' event had no medial coverage in Slovakia whatsoever. Despite my close connection to early music in general, I was personally shocked to find out of this festival through foreign sources - I reckon, that it was just a slight error for me not being informed of this beforehand. Newspapers wrote a brief article during the festival - where one would expect to publicise in advance in order to attract attention and to point out dynamic activities in the field of early music. But not so. One news item on public television, focussed on the presence of the dance department of Prague's National Theatre, who were performing original baroque choreography to the music of Jean Baptiste Lully. Not one mention of their own Slovak participants. Why?!

What gnaws on my mind is; are Slovaks so embarrassed about themselves, that they purposely eliminate all traces of themselves from such worthwhile activities, such that only foreign prominence gets the sole attention? I have witnessed many early music projects go to waste, because insufficient public interest and most of all lacking interest at the Ministry of Culture level, where they should be eager to support such trends.

The artistic music director of Musica Aeterna, Peter Zajíček was quoted in the said SME newspaper article that baroque music in the West doesn't sound other than in the Historically Informed Performance practice - and implying, that Slovakia seems not to realise this given, continuing to play a 1960s-ish Karajanesque rendition of baroque music as is the case with e.g. Warchal Chamber Orchestra. I totally agree with that statement - but I have to add something to complete the picture; this state is partly also caused by the lack of a structured and professional marketing approach. It is highly underestimated.

Continuing like this, may result in Musica Aeterna to bleed to death within a few years. The foundation of this music quality of Musica Aeterna, which had a profoundly genuine and pure approach to early music thanks to the late Ján Albrecht, will find itself in a dead-end alley. A quality gone to waste. Such that hidden attic performances will be the last sighs of breath. And despite that Poprad's 'music academy' was an interesting highlight, to me it looks like a missed train.

Slovak culture and Web 2.0

2009-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

While Slovakia has experienced during the decades of totalitarianism political limitations to free information until 1989, for 20 years now it has entered formally the free "western" world, where information is accessible, especially since the introduction of internet and the like. Our world has gradually changed - we became more dynamic, more global, and more technological. IT-technological that is: Our borders have somewhat vanished, and we can nowadays access instantaneously electronic data whether from Anchorage or Auckland.

This would, in theory, give us a grand virtual mobility, where the geographic distances are irrelevant. On the one hand, as we became more computer literate (let's admit it - how many people were 25 years ago knowledgeable about RAM, kbps, IP, UTLs and you name it) we have a rich scala of comparison at our fingertips; in the event I recall a certain title by e.g. Jane Austen, I can google the book and eventually legally download it, or read some background info on it. All within a few minutes. In the old days, I could visit the nearest library, and if the book was taken, I had to wait another couple of weeks perhaps.

Technology has definitively also influenced our connection to arts. Not just Picasso's works can be viewed, music of all sorts is available from our sofas. While in the old days, we savoured unique life concerts, records brought - be it with some quality limitation - music into our homes. Nowadays, we can hear performances from Sydney, Los Angeles, Seoul, or Covent Garden, and compare them with the Concertgebouw, Berliner Philharmoniker, La Scala or the Gewandthaus. But now in full hi-fi quality, digitally remastered. A former manager of a Dutch symphony orchestra once described it as our "Ear-Phone Experience": When being at a live-concert, it is no longer the experience of hearing beautiful music to pleasantly spend the evening, but it has become a "comparing notes" with the other dozens of prominent performers.

Departing from this, technology moved us a bit forward also in a different field; now that we have become more informed, we have also must have added to our critical preferences - or at least we should. While all over the world the era of the so-called Web 2.0 is not a mere phenomenon of just globalising business vis a vis your home, strengthening networking; even arts has now strongly boarded this vehicle for their marketing purposes. While major orchestras even appear on Facebook or Twitter (to name a few), actively informing about there upcoming concerts, even providing possibilities of viewing online or downloading their concert, there is an odd silence in Slovakia.

Although urging colleagues and other institutions to utilise these available tools, the vast majority has no connection to them. The effect of internet (or Web 2.0) is highly underestimated. There is hardly any connection felt for the possible synergy. The role of a marketing manager is grossly downgraded, as the willingness to invest in this field is close to zero. Slovakia has - sad to say - hardly understood how to deal with quality and how to sell it. Political structures hold a stiffling grip on culture, which is obvious on how institutions are run and when the chief editor of the only classical music magazine, is very selective in his criticism towards key figures in Slovak's culture, giving it a slight flavour of party propaganda. Well, perhaps his job is at stake.

While I sadly see how fast forward moving culture has connected all over the world, where colleagues in my direct neighbourhood like Christian Henner-Fehr, David Röthler, Karin Janner and many more, are successfully channeling art through the Web 2.0, I see Slovakia like a time-capsule, still experimenting as if still in the 1950s. Where music trends are generally speaking outdated, and where innovation is rather smothered than encouraged. Web 2.0 is a great tool, but for Slovakia it is still an unknown field, where the only problem is the Slovak mentality, unfortunately. The prospects are not very optimistic I am afraid.

Operatic hurdles

2009-10-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, the Slovak State Opera came at a turning point; after years of dragging and pulling, four run-out managers, finally the General Manager resigned, after which the then (resigned) Opera Director received the position of overlooking - albeit temporarily - the management of the whole organisation. What was known to insiders, a shrouded mystery remained on the reasons why everything took place. Took place then, and most of all, why after so many turbulent, or let's say rather chaotic years, where no truly professional management was in place.

Mr Pavol Smolík, who currently runs the house has given lately an interview to publicly give some insights (so one hopes). What is immediately apparent that none of the answers give a conclusive impression of what is ahead. Not sure how well the author prepared his questions, what was edited, but it must be said in all fairness, that given the situation in which Mr Smolík finds himself, it is also difficult to work in, and therefore, difficult to conceptualise, implement and carry out to the end a necessary innovation project to help the Opera out of the ditch.

While having been closely observing the period, where the famous opera star Gabriela Beňačková was endowed with the task of forming the Opera house to equal the great international levels of other famous centres like La Scala, the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan, and you name it. Afraid to say, that neither Ms Beňačková possessed the skills nor did Ms Hroncová, whose only talent was to keep on firing people and having a talented non-communication style.

What is sad for Mr Smolík is, that Bratislava is not bestowed with many essential elements, that could (or should) lead to this goal of putting the Opera into real and splendid action. There are a few, but nevertheless persistent, hurdles that prevent the Opera to excel: Firtsly a very old-fashioned style of working. The most basic functions operate as if a scene from a 1950s comedy show; innovation is regarded as a threat, and therefore not readily appreciated (concurrently, doomed to fail); new 'talent' is - due to the education system in general - difficult to find or below an acceptable standard; financing of culture and marketing skills is one of the most neglected areas in this country. If you want to change the Bratislava shed into a New York Metropolitan Opera style, it is only a naive perception. Here neither the specialists at the Culture Ministry hardly understand what their role is, nor the faculty of Arts Management of the Bratislava University have produced capable anybody who could or wants to solve this Gordian knot. The question should be asked also: why?

I sincerely wish Mr Smolík a lot of strength and wisdom. He has some goodwill among the stakeholders, which is a good start. How far he will be able to go, is a question mark.

What was or ... what wasn't

2009-08-30T23:17:00.001-07:00

The sudden resignation of the whole Opera management is rocking the boat a bit. Initially, somebody, who has been following the whole developments, could make an estimated guess of what went on - an those, who had more first-hand accounts were fairly informed.

Today brought (finally) a certain reaction by the General Manager Ms. Hroncová, who after 4 opera managers in 3 years, finally stepped down herself. Every person deserves a chance to give his or her view on the matter, at least to help us getting a more balanced conclusion of the whole thing. So more than glad to read the interview.

While in some of my earlier blogs, I have pointed out the desperate lack of any official information, giving the Slovak National Theatre (and it's Opera) a misty and secretive wall around it. The communication with the public has always been a neglected issue. Does it matter? A shareholder of any kind of company has obviously the right to know - to a certain extent decide - on management matters. The National Theatre is a public institution, financed with tax-payers' revenues, and therefore; yes, we have the right to know.

The demise of the first three managers, followed by the resignation of Ms. Hroncová has until today still no clear (or official) explanation. Either the parties keep quiet, or express a vague argument, which could be interpreted either way.

Ms. Hroncová has expressed and stressed foremost all her positive results during her 3 year reign. Higher profits than ever before. But who can tell, if all of it is continuously kept suspiciously secret? Was it really such a good result, held back by 'conservative forces within the organisation', or wasn't it? That is in fact the whole problem of the Opera and the National Theatre. Nobody can tell, as all is kept behind the doors of the Ministry of Culture.

Such interviews are therefore a bit pathetic, as this shrouded mystery is the biggest problem (of all the institutions - Radio Symphony, Philharmonic, State Television). Moreover, it's in a legal sense a faux pas. It's sometimes hard to understand, how this keeps on persisting. Twenty years after getting rid of communist rule, culture is still a hostage of the same clique.

MS

Drama at the Opera...

2009-08-29T01:40:00.001-07:00

The Slovak National Opera is not blessed with success. To the contrary; it is haunted with resignations, sloppiness and incompetent management(s). Indeed managements - in plural! Ever since I have arrived in Slovakia (only in 2006), the opera has had 4 managers [sic]. Breath deeply and calm down. Yes, you calculated right, 3 years with 4 managers. Not that health reasons overtook the abilities of the said people, or that they reached retirement age. Simply, the general manager of the Slovak National Theatre (under which the State Opera falls) seemed to have an unusual craving for changing her staff a bit. Last week, all of a sudden the new manager (only to accept his job in May) resigned together with the director and chief-conductor. This was an act mutiny at its best.

It shall not be my intention to reiterate what I have written earlier in my blog on earlier decisions and management styles within the SNT/SO, but this development is too grave to let it pass without a comment. In all honesty, because of these former developments, I have somehow completely lost interest in this Opera house. Yet the news of the threesome demise caused a kind of "Andropov-Chernenko"-reaction in me. Perhaps you remember, Andropov who took over from Brezhnev suddenly died a year after in office. The joke went that watching the state funeral (first B. then A.) that people were a bit disappointed, and wouldn't plan to attend next year's funeral. How we laughed about this wry "wishful" thinking... until it indeed happened!

The fact that the SO-manager Mr Smolík's decision was taken so soon (just about 3 months) was indeed a blow of shock. While doing some correspondence, I saw my twitter-bar message appearing and was practically nailed to the ground.

Mr. Smolík was hailed in as the new manager by Ms. Hroncová, as he has shown the best worked out concept for the future of the Opera. It must be said, that at least Mr. Smolík has gotten this post through a public selection procedure - contrary to the previous selections, who were personally hand picked by Ms. Hroncová, which was, to say the least, not according to legal regulations regarding functions in public offices. This, obviously, causing much controversy in the first place.

So the first open procedure was finalised, and Ms. Hroncová fully supported (although, so she did in the previous instances) Mr. Smolík's plans - concepts - experience - know-how and you name it. Why then, the sudden run away? Even the more, Mr Smolík has worked with the Opera all the time before, so one would expect that even on a person-to-person basis, both parties knew eachother, knew what to expect...

The following day, Ms. Hroncová stepped down. In a press conference, she proclaimed what good intentions she had with the SNT (to raise it to a European level), which in some extent could have been true. Yet, there is a slight difference about one's envisioned goals and how to implement it.

True, in some fairness I need to mention that some voices aired that many within the Opera are still having a background from the totalitarian regime. That especially such conservative camps were opposing to her innovative style. In my view, Ms Hroncová's style was far from innovative, and equally imperious as the old regime was - and as mentioned, even trespassing even regulations. Even, when the truth is somewhere in the middle, the (general)manager has a managerial role and managerial responsibilities. Failing communication, transparency, and some counterproductive decisions were not exactly a good example of skilled management. So far a manager's opinion.

Mr. Smolík - after Ms. Hroncová's resignation - agreed to return temporarily to the Opera. Time will now tell, whether he can pull the Opera out of the bog. It is a trend to be seen even in the Slovak Radio, Slovak Television. Just one big drama. Let's see what's next.

MS

Sale season (part II)

2009-08-05T00:09:00.001-07:00

The Znojmo Music Festival (see previous article) will have a small encore: Haydn's La terra della luna" will be performed once again in Prague coming October. In fact, just after the closing concert, musicians were pushed a contract for this event in their hands to sign. Fortunately, due to the after concert rush, o few open issues had to be addressed, so further communication followed.

The point for instance was, that a majority of musicians comes from abroad: the contract stipulated only to play a rehearsal and a concert, for a price of 100 Euros. In case you would live around the corner, travelling 30 minutes by subway or tram, it might be acceptable for a fanatic music lover. But in reality, we deal with a following situation: You have to travel from Bratislava to Prague, which is a long trip and you should take the train if you want to avoid the frequent collision related traffic jams. There is indeed a good intercity train connection, which goes only a few times a day. I order to make it to the rehearsal on time, yoru train will leave at 5:35am from the main station. Your day will thus start at around 4:00am!

So the early riser will arrive at the rehearsal and physically play the whole lot including needing the concentration. After the session, there are empty hours before the actual performance. What can you do? Shopping? You have no facility provided to take a siesta, to rest, to practice, ... you are in fact kicked into the streets. After the performance (again full commitment, physical effort and concentration, you can head home, which means you arrive - if you are lucky - at around 3am.

For almost a 24-hours shift, plus artistic output you will get 100 Euros. In case you would take a hotel on your own (which would be ideal, so you will be well rested), out of these 100 Euro's you will left perhaps 20 Euros. When addressing this issue, the organisation simply replies with the statement that there's so more money. Basta.

The fact, that you have a limited budget is quite possible, but then: where do you have the impertincence, to insist professional musicians to work under such conditions?! I would like to ask the organiser Mr Roman Válek one question: Have you ever tried to go to a supermarket, take a product to the counter and tell the cashier lady that you can only pay 10% of the price? Can you imagine what would happen? You will be kicked out. Musicians have also their value.

MS

Wrong expectations...

2009-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

Slovakia's music scene is relatively small. It's in fact just a small village. Only the lack of a good high-way system makes the country seem vast, where you travel almost a whole day to reach the other end (instead of just a couple of hours). One of the reasons, where one's focus on music is therefore determined to be confined to the capital itself - and thus even a smaller village.

Referring to my earlier articles, where I have encountered a detached type of provincialism in cultural life, something came along my path recently. Although I have marginally noticed this ensemble during one of my surf-sessions, it was only now, where I came across the "Baroque Quartett" from Žilina. My relatively intensive dealing with early music in Slovakia, caused my heart to skip a beat, as I realised why how come I haven't hear anything about this ensemble before. A recent concert in Trenčín would be able to give clarification.

Right at the onset, a serious concert-goer would maybe hear alarm horns sound: what in fact would a "baroque quartett" mean? Calling a group a quartett, would mostly imply perhaps a string quartett, yet the string quartetts became fashionable since the classical period... any other four-some group one would refer to as ensemble so-and-so. Nevertheless, this group is fixed and indeed officially called "Baroque Quartett Žilina". Well, baroque music can indeed be played in an almost unlimited variety of constellations, so let's see. First of all, it appears none of the instruments are period instruments - all modern. OK, I know of instances, where Jan Willem de Vriend also manages to create a fairly convincing baroque sound out of modern instruments. But this was a bit different: when seeing the programme, after Händel (pretty baroquish of course) there were works by Mozart (a bit classicism according to my books, but still ...) then 2 contemporaries and César Franck......... To be honest, a bit strange.

I shall not delve on the technical imperfections, the poor technique and not being able to understand any of the phrasing by the musicians (all professionals as I must believe). The only thing to say this big disappointing concert is this: If a professional musician, is not capable to do his job right - don't be a professional musician. Never mind that one doesn't want to agree with a bit more informed performance of pre-classical music. In that event, don't call your band a baroque quartett. It creates certain expectations. That's pretension to the fullest, and you make your audience look like a bunch of ignorant crowd. This is a 1970s Mantovani style kitsch. This was a level, one would not even send one's kids to as an educational concert. It is appalling and embarrassing. No wonder I never really encountered much of this ensemble, and perhaps better I never will.

MS

Sale season / All reduced prices....

2009-07-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

Attended a festival. A baroque music festival. We have a dozens of them around the world. Let's be specific; I attended one in the Czech Republic. In Znojmo to be exact, a beautiful medieval town in Southern Moravia. Nice to be back in my native country. The programme booklets, which were royally distributed around in most restaurants and cafés were impressive. A long list of sponsors (prominent ones included!) and a top star virtuoso violinist was the focus of the whole happening. Nothing wrong here one would say. I was truly looking forward.

Like all major events, there's much to be organised and behind-the-scenes-stress is a daily occurrence. The preparations, contracts with the players, securing venues, and all the thousand other details... you name it. In the past, I was frequently involved in such and it's indeed tough. Glad I am out of there. Yet there is one big tendency, which was almost like a slap in the face, when I found out some of the practices of present day's festivals.

We are all aware, that culture is at the receiving end, and that the receivables are not always very generous. Organisers are faced with such a problem, when putting together their budgets, resulting in inevitable choices; where to apply cutting. Festivals are - or at least should be - prestigious events, adding up to cultural life of a certain town, reviving music practices, attracting extra tourist - which to a certain extent also increase overall revenues for the benefit of the local entrepreneurs (as well as the tax office).

What I witnessed, was on the outside a try-hard glamour; while at the inside, musicians not only enduring some unusual long rehearsal hours (sometimes under almost unacceptable climatic conditions) - but rehearsing is part of their job one would say - it is mostly the accommodations around it, which were shocking. Next to the just mentioned bad conditions (too hot, too humid, poorly ventilated rehearsal places) the housing accommodation was - to use an understatement - appalling.

Taking into mind, that this is not a high-school summer camp, where teenagers may feel OK with improvised or crammed housing conditions; these are professional players, specialists in early music, who are stashed away into a dormitory (where time since socialism seemed to have stood still), three floors, with only one toilet and shower facility for all - somehow the keys are lost, so even a basic given of your privacy to lock yourself while using the toilet is nowhere to be found. One communal kitchen, with a tiny fridge, barely enough for all attendants to put in their basic food supplies. Not that this is a weekend-off event; it lasts for three weeks. The chaotic (and nerve-breaking) organisational chaos in-between the rehearsals, I will not even touch.

When complaining, little is done - or can be done, as resources are limited of course. Yet the star of the event, the Czech violinist-star Pavel Šporcl proudly shines in the lime-lights, maestro Roman Válek (who de facto organises this festival) is complacently strutting around. Sure, Šporcl is an audience attraction - but in all decency; is this the way to pave your path of glory on the backs of exploited colleagues, who work under those appalling conditions for a fee, that is too ridiculous to mention? Since no Czech orchestra was willing to play for you any longer, you called on to Slovakia's musicians (with individual exceptions here and there), and it doesn't take much to figure out that there is much inequality how much people were paid. One should be rather ashamed.

And true, musicians for whatever reason have accepted this gig - they should stand more firm and demand at least unilaterally at least a minimum fee. Yet, only a minority knows how to be more business minded. And this is exploited.

Besides, an interesting observation might be, that the festival is under "ensemblebaroque.cz" - yet, Pavel Šporcl doesn't perform in the HIP style at all, and the attempts of violoncellist Jiří Barta to play authentic is overrated - to say the least. The text of their website would suggest differently.

Znojmo is a picturesque town, but the fact how this festival is run, spoiled my enthusiasm. Perhaps it is because it is the sale season; get the last pieces for a reduced price! That's how music is treated. Just imagine, you study many years on your instrument, researching on specialisations of early music, and this is where one ends up. Among music colleagues, one would expect more collegiality and a sense for respect and human decency. Instead: cheap labour. Cheap business. ... Sad!

MS

Accepting authentic music

2009-03-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Since the emergence of historically informed music practises, in the early 1950s, the camps between the traditionalist and the new ‘rebelious’ or ‘alternative’ performers were somewhat polarised. For some odd reasons, a large group did not want to give in, and the other few would sometimes have the feeling they were the lonely voice calling in the desert. It was as if neither were to meet.

Throughout the years, many new ensembles sprung up all over the world, following the example of Concentus Musicus Wien, the English Consort, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the like, with astonishing results. A whole range of genres were lifted out from the neo-romantic gravy and newly re-performed, with a fresh new sound, giving credit to the authentic vocabulary of the composers. Followed after the early baroque, even renaissance, then classicism, came even up to the romantic period, to be musically scrutinised and reatailored to the ears of the modern audiences, as if you restore an old forgotten painting.

And although, as said, the realm of ‘authentic performers’ seemed a long time to be exclusively for a fanatical few, there is a slow trend, that even the grand masters of the mainstream, are beginning to accept the fact, that perhaps these authentic performances do have justification. Recently, the famous conductor Kent Nagano has begun performing with the Canadian ensemble Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. And another highlight; the grand Maestro Bernhard Haitink, year-long chief director of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, known for his Mahler performances.

As he has celebrated his 80th birthday a few days ago, he belongs to the era of the great Maestros of the romantic repertoir. Yet, the perfomance of the Mozart’s Haffner Symphony in Amsterdam was without any neo-romantic elements, as even the (smaller) timpany were from the classical period. A wonderful experience as it is a proof, that autheticity has slowly found its way to the regular concert stream performers and audience. Well, why not? If you want to see the Mona Lisa, you also do not expect a Picasso. Both are equally valuable, yet diverse. And both should be appreciated in their respective “Zeitgeist”. The same with music; the molestation of early music composers’ works with unrealistic style-elements should be banned finally. Professional musicians are grown up people to be able to accept these facts and audiences should demand this quality. Anyway, they pay for their tickets.

MS

Long live the internet... or...

2009-03-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I came across an article in one of the newspapers, which aired a critical outlook on Wikipedia. In short it was criticising the fact, that - although the basic idea is excellent - because of unlimited access to data (and therefore being fully editable by anyone who wishes to do so), the quality of information is at risk. True. While an incomplete article can be completed by someone, who happens to know additional details, the danger is there that an ignorant person could equally alter the contents in such a way, that the article will be incorrect, to say the least, or even manipulate facts on purpose (for whatever purpose, willingly or unwillingly). I must add, that this was referring to a certain language-branch of the Wikipedia, where such abuse was spotted.

The quality check, is therefore up to the reader in general, to cross check (never a bad thing anyway), but in the event you have not a specific know-how of the subject, you might take it too easily for the truth and simply assume you are well-informed.

This morning, I gooogled a bit and stumbled upon a clip, which was published by a recording company on YouTube. It was promoting a young soloist playing some Vivaldi's concerto's (I shall not reveal the name of the soloist, for it is not relevant). The presentation is juicy and illustrates the recording, an interview with the instrumentalist, and of course the usual excerpts of the said recording.

Needless to say: Vivaldi belongs to a certain period, and for about 40 years we already know how badly we have performed these compositions and we are attempting to put them back into their (more realistic) sound context, by means of research and new practices. What shocks me here, is that despite an arch-lute and a cembalo, nobody in the orchestra plays a period instrument, and neither does the soloist, and - of course - the full vibrato romantic sound....

If it was just like that, I wouldn't have bothered perhaps, only then during the interview, the soloist is making such statements as if this recording is finally the summit of totally understanding Vivaldi's music and his time. This is pure pretension and disinformation: none of it what and how it is played has anything to do with Vivaldi, and the soloist looks like almost like a silly text-reader, revealing little knowledge of her profession. When browsing through the comments, it is saddening to see shouts like "music as it should be" (really???), "better than any other recordings" (that's maybe subjective, but definitively not historically correct, and thus questionable).

Such promotional materials are maldeforming the image of music to the audience. And here is the risk again; the information, simply because someone bothered to put it online, is taken for valid, without being questioned. Our sense of being critical to information provided has shallowed over time. I admit, that the internet is a great tool for finding data, and perhaps I couldn't live without it anylonger. But such trends make me extremely wary. When reading, I sometimes cannot help but concluding that we have become very superficial and lazy. If we want to be entertained by Greek-mythology characters on TV in a Sci-Fi kind of setting and listening to a pseudo-Vivaldi like this.... it is too sad for words. It is presumably the Age of Information, but we have become almost void of knowledge. And yes, there are also very high quality performances, but take the effort to look for them.

MS

Good governance (II) - Ministry of Cultural Destruction

2009-03-06T03:13:00.001-08:00

After a short introduction on good governance, I would like to make an appeal to the Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic:

You hold office because of a political consequence, where the public have elected you (albeit your party) into a position to form a coalition-government, which in numbers has a majority in Parliament, BUT it still implies there is political responsibility for the whole society.

You hold office at a Department, which is supervising among others a varied and interesting area in your nation's life: Culture, as we could all agree, is a substantial, unique and inseparable part of people's lifes. Although it happens today and now, some of the cultural strings go far back into history. Next to a specific national character it has also international connections, as culture has always gone over national borders, forming a symbiosis of colourful flavours to re-emerge as a innovated artistic expression elsewhere.

Our societies have changed over the years; while in the old days, governing was a purely "imperious" matter, our internet age has brought information closer to the public. Government decisions are hardly kept locked behind dusty cabinet-walls, but are sooner published and known to people than in the past. Not just because of unwanted information leaks, also because the governments' press departments publish decisions, which were officially not even made yet.

Concurrently, for the past few years we see an alarming mismanagement in public organisations like the National Opera, Radio Symphony Orchestra, even the Slovak Philharmonic. Nevertheless, non of the involved competent parties (as would be your Ministry for instance, as the highest organ) ever visibly implemented a change in order to come to a solution. Still the responsible people are held accountable. Rumours are spreading, discussions occur on different web-forums, and none of them are being seriously addressed (at least to clarify and take away the unrest).

You hold office, because you are entrusted with good governance. Indeed, it could be argued that governments should not interfere in cultural matters. This is true, up to the point, when cultural institutions are undergoing severe abuse from its managers. It is your responsibility to interfere in such a situation. Although Slovakia is a member of the EU, even within the Schengen-Area, yet one gets almost the feeling of living in an African country, where politicians do as they please. This is not the mandate of your society and it is not a behaviour which fits in the EU-setting.

As I set forth in my previous article, good governance needs a set of minimal requirements. Only then, the credibility of management and leadership can be restored. The media and verified sources unfortunately tell another reality. Good leadership requires adequate decisions. Or else, your Department might start considering a new name; Ministry of Cultural Destruction. I think, none of us would appreciate that.

MS

Good governance (I) - Introduction

2009-03-06T01:54:00.000-08:00

Go-ver-nance: decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists either of a separate process or of a specific part of management or leadership processes.

In societies, and foremost in developed ones, a public post holds the responsibility for the area for which it is appointed to. A responsibility implies that such a governing body and its decision-makers are accountable for all the decisions and that those decisions should be for the benefit of general interest. Never to the interest of a few individual key-role players. In the "developed countries", where there is a long tradition of democratic political mechanisms, the term "good governance" is further defines the required (and acceptable!) aspects of the roles and responsibilities of such a public decision making organ.

Good governance, next to its implied management and leadership roles, adds a few specifics. In short one could put forward that the basis of good governance consists of participation, regulation, transparency, responsiveness, consensus, inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency. One could justly argue, that "leadership" itself implies these qualities, yet applying certain tools and therefore executing (even bad) leading functions at the exploit of others could also be regarded as leadership. This aside, however.

As we face a financial crisis (at least, at the time when I am typing this article), many public decisions are requiring some change and many organisations and governments are - sometimes somewhat startled and panic-struck - have halted some decision-making activities altogether. From a human point of view, understandably, up to a certain extent.

Yet, for the past few years, I have unfortunately observed a few trends (so even way before the crisis started) which cast deep doubts, whether the involved parties would have faintest notion of what good governance indeed is. Instead, there is visibly a high occurrence in indifference, favouritism, bureaucratic incompetence, even corruption. Whereas the public office is expected to act in the general interest, party politics and personal ties supercede any logical, visionary or strategic conduct. This is therefore completely detached from any crisis, global or regional. In the end, all benevolence of the public and credibility of yourself turns into a sour atmosphere of suspicion. In case of true interest to (in case the suspicion is not founded) reveal openess to assure the public of the right objectives. Yet, none of this happens, and the suspicion therefore is ... indeed: affirmed - at least to the appearance.

Such a state, is harming all involved, especially those whom the public organ is to serve.

MS

A lost speech

2009-02-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I arrived home too late to pay attention to the news. Just another day. As I opened my news-bookmarks this morning, I noticed an entry of a speech of the Slovak President in parliament. Oh yes, I vaguely remembered it was mentioned on the news. Just taking a glance, and just before clicking away, suddenly my eye fell on the sentence with the word "culture"! I began reading and fortunately there was a link to the integral text of his speech. Especially this section caught my attention:

"Our culture is the fundamental character of our Slovak identity. Its uniqueness is being strengthened, even through its openess, its moving towards and exchange of other cultural values. Our culture is our principal message to Europe and to the world. Today it lacks a bigger courage in its view on us and the surrounding world. We need timeless visions, refusal of trash and quick commercial fame. This is especially the case in creative arts, which has started to copy cheap foreign successes. Bussiness is nowadays cruelly trampling on the qualities of culture. We need to change this and support every attempt into this direction. ... "

One could not agree more. While the message of this excerpt is touching, and true, the context of the President's speech including the reactions of various parliament members gives it a grim after-taste. Cultural life suffers quite much - not only to mention the sheer implementation of funding culture (and I am not talking of the effects of a financial crisis here) but also the visible abuse of some of those involved, where the artistic quality seems irrelevant but what counts is one's political allegiance. In the event, he would have really cared, he could have intervened. He has the tools to do so. He never did.

Knowing - although I greatly regret having to say this - that the speech will land on deaf ears, the short-lived excitement of having read such frank truth on culture from a politician's mouth has slowly faded already. For such issues one needs a true statesman. One still hopes though.

MS

source: SME Newspaper
translation by the author

Failing PR in the Opera

2009-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, a news item appeared on the internet pages of the most prominent Slovak newspaper. Only on internet. It was an open letter from the previous General Manager of the Slovak National Opera Marián Chudovský, addressed to the present General Manager Ms Hroncová to step down for proven mismanagement, simultaneously appealing to the Minister of Culture to take adequate steps. The smashing facts - so obvious, that even a blind person could see them in the past few months - were fully justifiably summed up, and still in a courteous manner. The fierce discussion, which it unleashed afterwards - less courteous in some cases - revealed even further serious matters that lingered under the surface. It was a deed, which normally speaking demanded a reaction. Any rection would do.

I waited for a few days, till another article appeared... In my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagine this to be true. What was missing? Any official respons of any possible kind to the facts presented. Here we are slowly treading into a dramatically damaging situation. Ms Hroncová has managed the National Theatre (under which the National Opera falls) for 4 seasons. She holds an almost unique record of having used 5 managers in the Opera (which she appointed herself, then disposed off). What good does it serve? Especially the last 2 Opera Managers were the least successful - a conductor (Oliver Dohnányi) not paying any attention to his function of being a manager at all, then the renowned opera diva Ms Beňačková, who at the beginning perhaps did try to play the role of a manager, however, had no managerial skills at all and after only four months left, shrowded in deep mysterious silence. During her office, the Opera had the most performance-changes, replacements and/or cancellations in history (and not all because of indispositions of soloists...) The Guiness Book of Records can add another chapter.

Where people work, some disaccords or mistakes do take place. When we work with transparency, we have some extra credit to mend our wrong decisions. The Opera seems to live in a phantasy world, where management is convinced that deceit and lying will remain within its walls as long as you keep your mouth shut.

The discussion after the aforementioned article proved exactly how well informed people are, and thanks to internet, insiders have a way - even as anonymous discussion partners - to reveal inside information without limits. Ms Hroncová and the Ministry of Culture should be much at guard; exactly their silence, trying to ignore signals, will prove deadly. If Ms Hroncová - by way of her spokesperson - refuses to react because Mr Chudovský's accusations are "emotional", this exactly arouses the suspicion. Why is it so problematic to admit flaws and explain what your strategic planning is? One doesn't refute news or rumours by refusal to communicate. In short: Ms Hroncová is not able to prove Mr Chudovský's points being emotional (thus implying they are false) because they are correct and valid points.

Likewise, when Ms Beňačková left, not even a press-release was issued, the spokesperson was too busy "because of a première". What foul business must be hidden behind doors of Ms Hroncová's office? As the State Opera (c.q. National Theatre) is a public entity, government (tax-payers' money) goes there. But neither the Ministry has an interest in clarifying the matter. But in a country, where the Ministry pays the Slovak Philharmonic a budget, plus stashes additional sums (quasi for extra projects) into the pockets of its Director, meanwhile refusing to support other ensembles, which have even more to offer, it obvious how the political maffia systematically misappropriates funds. In other EU countries this is a punishable offense. In plain language; it's criminal behaviour. In Slovakia it's a sad reality. If we imagine how public broadly reacted on Emile Zola's newspaper article J'accuse, Slovak leaders are marked by an all present stiffening authism when fishy business is being addressed.

My recommendation; why doesn't the Ministry and its comrades-in-arms apply to go on a course "Basics in PR within Public Administration" (If it's too much of a luxury; you could request even EU-Funding for it!). There is still much to learn. Good governance is a rare asset these days.

MS

A Message from Obama

2009-02-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

Even though Slovakia's economy has still the highest growth (!) within the EU, the effects of the crisis are slowly being noticed around. Foreign and national investors are pulling out the plug - be it partially or completely, and some closing down of factories has been reported already. The negative effect on arts is therefore even harder felt. It is not so much that the audiences are no longer coming out of their houses to attend concerts or galleries. It's rather the attitude of the institution which is in charge of exactly these arts that is pulling out and many performances and exhibitions are simply smothered by the Ministry of Culture for not receiving any support any longer. One would perhaps argue that if there's no money, then the state can no longer finance. OK, point taken. But in this fact, the money is certainly there (meant for this purpose). The sad thing is, that the money goes into the wrong pot, while at the same time, it gives a wrong signal to the public too, causing even private sponsors to lose the little remaining interest, which was still left. And thus the downwards spiral is created.

Therefore, the election of Barack Obama seems to be a promising turning point. As the most powerful person on earth, who has all the media's close attention, he has not only openly and unequivocally criticised managements of the large corporations for their money-covetting behaviour. What is a most astonishing signal, is that Mr. Obama has openly demonstrated his concern about the state of the arts. Not just by mere mentioning in one of his speeches. He called in several managers of arts institutions to the state's capital (even before he was inaugurated) to discuss the problems.

As most US presidents have - perhaps to add a tiny extra boost to their image - invited various pop-stars, playing the saxophone with them, president Obama seems to have a different type of interest in arts. Not to mention, that during the inauguration we could witness even a few minutes of a classical genre music. Obama seems to see a clear link between the role of (quality) arts and the strengthening of social cohesion. A valuable lesson from FDR? The unifying bond of a society in times of crisis. Where, as I have repeatedly pointed this out, art i.e. culture is a public domain, which comes initially from the people itself. As we (i.e. the tax payers) finance our government offices, it is the responsibility of the government, to have a solid and an empirical understanding of the function and value of arts. If the government refuses to see these connections, it is slowly tending to a kind of misappropriating of funds (I repeat: for which we pay). When giving a positive signal on culture, it will influence the general attitude towards culture and the more funding from outside somehow will be a result. Culture as a prestige still works. And as we look with envy to culture hotspots like Paris, Rome, New York, Milan, we don't even consider the question; how these cities ever became such important centres. It is unfortunately that so few people realise that everything has a start somewhere. And not that "we are not, so we will never be!". Staying passive is never a good strategy to advance. It is especially in these times, that we need to be creative and try to make a difference.

Last weekend, there was an artist ball in Snina. Probably, you have never heard of this city. It's perhaps the most Eastern town in Slovakia (near the Ukrainian border) with a population of only about 40thousand. No highway going there. Yet many guests (included the undersigned) had travelled for many hundreds of miles to be there, while the capital of Bratislava was celebrating mostly commercial-tabloid-type balls. When chatting with various artists - from Slovakia, Ukraine, etc - you sense a positive energy and a certain optimism as well. Hopefully, the clear message of president Obama on the value of culture will reach other political leaders as well and we will realise that perhaps our materialistic days should be replaced by priorities with a more intrinsic value. It would enrich all of us.

MS

Thank you for the financial crisis

2009-01-19T03:12:00.000-08:00

Although the heading of my today's blog may sound a bit cruel, nevertheless I would like to make a kind of comment on the crisis from a different angle. Within the art-sector - though not exclusively - the pain of dried-up grants and subventions is being felt quite heavily. Yet, as a manager, I am a bit amazed by the fact how things are going.

First and foremost, the crisis was not too unexpected. For financial experts and economists, it is already an obvious given, that a crisis is a cyclic occurrence, which we are faced with every 10-15 years. The sad thing is, however, that mostly we hardly ever learn from the previous. Despite these signals, those who are in fact the experts, are also the ones who deliberately create the next crisis. What did we learn from the hedge-funds? Nothing: We just jumped into a similar empty bubble.

Ever since the rise of Liberalism there is a group of people (mind you: wealthy people), who somehow are trying to find a way, to become more wealthy. And mostly at the expense of others, and to be more exact: the poorer masses. I am definitely not talking of solutions like those by Karl Marx (although, in the light of miserable poverty during the industrial revolution era, quite understandable). When we just take a look at the Great Depression of the 1930s, where through thorough government interventions of President Roosevelt, the United States were able again to slowly crawl out of the ditch. As we compare later the total opposite political programs of the let's say Reagan and the Bush (Jr) administrations, we see again sharp declines. And although Republicans complain about the Democrats, who - in their view - have a devastating economic policy, it is exactly the Republican administrations that cause soaring huge state deficits and an ailing economy, while the Clinton administration has left the White House with the biggest surplus in history.

History clearly showed, that Reagonomics, Thatcherism and other laissez-faire inclined politics have led our world economy to the edge,by becoming so greedy, that those empty bubbles (like the internet bubble, the finance bubble) were the obvious result of uncontrolled money-hording, which slowly has become a norm. Our society is hardly interested in culture or arts anylonger. What is cool nowadays, is a big jeep, a big house (with a number of rooms, you hardly will ever use yourself). Now that joy is over. And the crisis is again - like a catharsis - showing us a mirror, giving us a change - to cleans ourselves where we should earnestly ask; "what have we done?". Mind you that those CEOs or CFOs, who were heading with these companies into this mess (and they should have known in the first place), are - at worst - leaving the almost bankrupt companies with a multi-million severance package, while those, who were down the ladder face perhaps long-term unemployment, losing everything they have. Should we just tolerate such??? Well, we agreed somehow to let loose the control mechanisms, as we were so eager to reap the seemingly unlimited profits. Lulling ourselves into a comfortable worriless sleep. Another question springs up in my mind: Since economic theories - in their whole extent - can hardly withstand time and prove to be fully invalid after a number of decades, how can some Nobel-Prize winners seriously be convinced of their theories - knowing that economics is no dogma - or is it because they get the benefits of it too (as was the case in the LTCM crisis)?

It is perhaps time, finally to wake up and to reconsider our values; that perhaps we really don't need a jeep to bring our kids to kindergarten or for going to the supermarkets. Maybe other values in society - e.g. to enjoy reading, art galleries, concerts, are contributing far more to our character-building than that what we have been doing for the past years, by consumption-materialism beyond belief. Perhaps, this can be a good starting point to re-design our societies; to prioritise again, and choose for more sustainable values in life.

MS

Bio-Music...

2009-01-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, while I was somewhat hastily shopping in our local supermarket, I stopped pondering over the choice of buying a box of regular tomatoes, or the (much more expensive) biologically grown equivalent. As we prefer tasty, fresh, Mediterranean delicacies, my choice was easily made. Sorry for the bleak, cheaper-produces, glass-house tomatoes from Holland. This time it was not only a matter of "better taste", but also the knowledge that one would not be chewing some chemical residues or pesticides along with it. At the same time, an older article by Christian Holst crossed my mind, where he made a striking comparison between strawberry flavoured Bio-yogurt and an artificially modern manufactured flavoured strawberry yogurt as a metaphor for recordings of Rene Jacobs and those of Herbert von Karajan. As I am - personally - not very much inclined to Karajan at all, nevertheless I do try to make the choice between the modernistic approach and the Historically Informed Performance practise. And, as Christian Holst correctly mentioned: "The modern artificiall strawberry jogurt may taste more-strawberry-like, yet it does not make it a better yogurt". Why do I expand on this right now?

As we find it nowadays necessary, in general, that we inform people about health hazards and being conscious about our weight, dietary habits, etc., yet the promotion of early music in Slovakia is not always regarded as being nonsensical, unnecessary, even up to the extent of being perhaps blasphemic. And while the rest of the world already accepts Historically Informed Performances, the Slovak Culture Ministry - including the Bratislava Music Academy - seems to smother every serious attempt to have early music thoroughly researched and studied. Moreover, the Ministry of Culture holds back grants, referring to the already active music repertoire of early music of the Slovak Philharmonic. The times that - let's say - the New York Philharmonic or the Philadelphia Orchestra played e.g. Bach or Handel are way back in the past, and no serious conductor would dare to put these compositions with such orchestras on the bill, since it does require a bit of a different apporach. Yet the Slovaks have still the idea, that they live in a time-capsule; we still live somehow in the 1960s, and that Bach can still equally be performed à la Karajan, Ormandy or Stokowski.

A few weeks ago, the Slovak violinist Juraj Čižmarovič (currently concert-master at the West Deutsche Rundfunk Orchestra) was playing - together with befriended musicians/quartett players - Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons in the historic building of the State Opera in Bratislava. What was so sad about this action: This was not Vivaldi. Even if Mr Čižmarovič and his colleagues have no interest at all for the permormance of baroque music, he even showed off in front of the camera his virtuoso-techniques... by not even being able to play the correct notes, playing the ones left even embarrassingly out of tune.

If this is the level, how an instrumentalist is still being hailed (despite the embarrassment he demonstrated so publicly) as almost "the greatest Slovak violinist", it says a lot about the audience as well as the arrogance of a certain group of (colleague)musicians and their political patrons. Ignorance and arrogance is widely ruling, and they have become - thanks to the label of playing under the Slovak Philharmonic, Opera, or whichever institute - thoroughly and utterly complacent. But still: you may prefer the artificially flavoured jogurt, just because your taste-buds are spoiled by mere chemicals, the only truth about which product is truly of better quality is very obvious. Perhaps to think whether we should invest more into the musical bio-strawberries before they completely die out.

MS

Culture is not about just being old-fashioned...

2009-01-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

Writing a blog is fun to do; it gives you an opportunity to analyse your own thoughts, it saves time as potential customers can scan your opinions (or let's say; free advertisement) and you don't have to go through time-consuming publishing processes. When placing a web-counter/stats application it gives you also a feedback of who is reading your blogs and ... for what reason.

For the past few months, I have analysed my page hits, and come up with an odd finding: whether readers are from India, Nigeria, Canada or the UK... I can see remarkably many search requests for "is culture static/dynamic?". Scaringly similar! And although financial crisis or not, whether a certain political coalition is favourable to culture or not, it seems that there is a universal quest for finding out whether culture is something that is static (stiff, unchanging, conservative) or dynamic (subject to changes, flexible...). And it makes you think even more about exactly these search queries.

When taken only at our modern setting's outlook, we consider perhaps modern mass-media culture as being dynamic. In my case, I am referring actually to culture as not being MTV-spots but to culture of music traditions. Music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Cassicism, Romantic period... Music of our forefathers - therefore long long ago,.. thus "static". Yes, music of our forefathers, but nevertheless so much alive and exciting to fathom. Why fathom? Because through time, to a certain level, we have lost touch with it. Now, in our modern era of almost unlimited access thanks to internet, we can re-discover the dynamism of early music even re0invent the clear sound of late-romanticism, which we have unfortunately polluted with overly-zealous vibratos losing cristal clear intonations and harmonic cleanliness, making the music more alive and appealing.

A few weeks ago, I have invited some friends - who would hardly ever go to a classical concert - to a concert of the ensemble Musica Aeterna. Playing French baroque music, this would perhaps be a different planet to them. Although they would never tune their radio to a classical station, or buy a CD with Pinnock, Gardiner and whoever else, they were much astonished about the vibrant vivacious nature of the performance, even intrigued to the very end.

Pursuing research regarding old manuscripts, performance practices, is usually an exciting quest -almost an adventure. You blow off the century old dust and find out about the lively emotions of musicians of centuries' ago. And discover that we do hardly deal with stiff two-dimensional painting like figures but true people living through all strata of human feelings, which resemble ours. When approaching early music with such a "jazzy" attitude, it can be demonstrated that even "early music" is hardly a kind of dinosaur skeleton in a dusty museum, but a exciting encounter with our forefathers who are exactly... like us. It shows us, how wrong we have perceived their lives. Culture is hardly from static; it is dynamic and fully alive.

A happy and musical 2009 to you all!
MS

Stürmisch bewegt... discussions on Mahler con brio

2008-12-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

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

Financial crisis' doom scenarios

2008-11-27T23:48:00.000-08:00

Each day, we get mixed reports on the current financial crisis. Though with frequent intervals, the major world's stock markets close with a plus, to be followed by another day in the minus. A roller coaster ride it is. As economy is not only a matter of money, it is mostly (if not: always) lead by... emotions. The major given for investors to decide whether to invest or to pull out is their trust in the business. A slight hiccup and a profitable business can turn bankrupt almost overnight.

As the news on the crisis goes on, the first waves of redundancies were detected, alas. Economical analysts give their views - sometimes totally contradictory - making them mere fortune-tellers looking at their magic crystal, adding oil on the fire of the said people's emotions.

In such a scenario, we tend to become cautious; keep our purse closed. Not just in the individual households, but also fundraising and sponsoring is visibly affected. Music and arts in general are as if squeezed out even more than before. A logical consequence? Perhaps not: We all know how in 1945 Europe lay in ruins. People's first priority was to survive. Living among rubble, not knowing where to get food to make it to the next day. And yet, in those times it was e.g. that the Salzburg Festspiele was reboosted. The post-war era was the time, where our present-day big-and-famous orchestras were (trans)formed into beacons of fame and wealth.

Fortunately, we are not living in ruins in Europe at this moment, we are just panicky, because financial institution greedily were selling their credits in order to earn their bonusses, found out that in their greed they have uncontrollably created a soap-bubble which has burst now. We will get out of it - in fact, it's their problem to solve it. In the meantime, let us remember what new opportunities were launched just after 1945. Let's try to give arts a new accelleration again. We did it before, and why shouldn't it work now. It's all a matter of emotions.

MS

Culture in crisis (II)

2008-11-10T05:18:00.001-08:00

The news goes on - stocks exchanges all over the world go up-and-down. A roller-coaster ride so to speak, which is definitively not a pleasant one (especially for those at the bottom of the ladder).

What intrigues me is this; when I apply for a mortgage or a credit, my bank is poking into my private life, trying to find out every single detail, to assure them that I will be able to pay them back (plus all the extra fees, interest rates and all). I have to meet certain criteria - what assurance is it that I have a contract now, while my boss can get bankrupt by next week anyway? - well, so be it.

When we apply for a concert project to the Ministry of Culture (government)!), we need to prepare the most irrelevant paper work and requirements (even submit proof of insurance of the individual musicians). Yet what we get is sometimes just small fraction of the needed budget.

Now the banks are in trouble; but governments pump in billions of Euros - and against what assurance? None? So bank-managers are at least able to get their millions in bonuses paid. Great; what a relief!!! I was already getting worried that they were not able to afford their Bahama Christmas this year.

Aren't we becoming a part of a bizarre Kafka plot? So far one good thing has happened - Last month, the Culture Ministry increased the own contribution from 5% to 15%, giving several ensembles a death-blow. Last Friday, due to this crisis, the Ministry has decided to reverse this decision. Whether the remaining projects would still be feasible is still to be seen.

MS

What is the last drop?

2008-11-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Readers of my blog have noticed my regular reports on the slow liquidation process of the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio (SOSR). And although I am by nature quite a positive person, ready to take up any challenge, the analysis was quite pessimistic ... unfortunately as I must admit. Nevertheless, the story doesn't end here. Slovakia - as a cultural platform is small, and Bratislava therefore even smaller. The trend of the SOSR is not exclusively confined within its walls - it is equally found in other institutions like the Slovak Philharmonic as well as the National Opera.

Why should we bother? All these institutions are public ones: By law, such institutions are obliged to give public access to their decision-making, their financial health, etc. In reality? As a tax-payer, who is interested in e.g. the sudden sacking of person A or B, I am not able to get in touch with any person of the administration, let alone the management responsible. If all would go smoothly, I would hardly bother... the fact that things are far from smooth, it causes not just simple frowning. And many around me agree. We are not just talking of petty, trivial mishaps; the news that comes out from these institutions from first hand sources (insiders) is indeed very alarming. Neither of the said organisations is being managed with a vision. It's lacking strategy and yet vast streams of money (my tax money!) is thrown into a deep pit.

To a certain degree, I could understand if in emergency cases one hires an befriended colleague - also that this could cause some nasty remarks from other colleagues. Yet if it is shrouded in mystery, and everybody refuses to explain and continuously trespasses laws and regulations - then it is becoming obviously very fishy.

Would the responsible Ministry not intervene in such a situation? Ah yes, it should but it doesn't. Lately a Ministry official stated, that Bratislava's Musica Aeterna baroque ensemble is not to receive money for a project, since the Ministry is "already spending much for early music... " But where then? To the Philharmony. For years we already accept in the West the knowledge that early music is not to be played like a bombastic Richard Wagner performance (no offense to Wagner intended). Yet, the Ministry's point of view is that the Philharmonic should perform Baroque music. Like the Health Ministry will abolish Orthopedic departments and, when breaking a leg, would advise you to visit a Cardiologist who - according to them - is equally qualified to help you.

Not only the Ministry thus proves herewith to have completely incompetent decision makers (not understanding their own field of responsibility, for how credible is one with such a point of view), the incompetence of the managements of the aforementioned institutions - despite of trespassing the national laws by their arrogance of refusing to react to repeated appellations of the public to give account of their behaviour adds up to the growing disbelief on the current developments. How far should this continue? Till all orchestras are completely dissolved and forgotten? The Slovaks, instead of treasuring their talent, turn away. Don't care. The talented ones disappear abroad and what can Slovakia still truly be proud of to show off to the world? Favouritism, mediocrity and ignorance seem to rule.

MS

Historic lessons...

2008-11-05T01:10:00.000-08:00

Driving my car to the city centre, while the sun is rising and the morning-dew is still lingering on the vineyards on the mountain slopes. The gorgeous almost idyllic sight is not the only thing that makes me feel good. I am listening to the radio, I hear the news that Barack Obama has won the elections. A historic moment, which I definitively welcome with a big sigh of relief.

Why is this event, for a culture-person as I am, of any significance? It's not just thinking of being a global cosmopolitan world citizen. There's a bit more to it:

First of all, it is the awe, to witness that a nation, which has known segregation still back in the 1960s (remember reverend Martin Luther King?) has had the courage to vote en masse for a coloured politician to become its president. This fact should definitively not be overlooked. While Hillary Clinton, as women-politician, was not able to make it to receive her nomination as persidential candidate, Barack Obama made it to the very end. And I must admit, fearing that perhaps old prejudices or political apathy would prevail at th every last moment during the elections, I was a bit surprised. The bottom line was; the people want change. It was still a change against a failing republican Bush administration, but a change that overcame those very prejudices and apathy to vote. This was not "too close to call" as in the unfortunate and dubious election results of 2000, this was a massive landslide victory!

Why it made my day, this very morning while driving to town? Well, although America has lost its glamour for me a long time ago, it still maintains a considerable influence in world happenings. And many do see it as an example. Going back into history, the pride of this nation lies concentrated in its Declaration of Independence. How unique it may seem, it was a rough copy of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands, who declared itself separated in 1581 from the tirannical rule of their Spanish monarch Philips II. The conclusion was, that if a ruler abused his power, the people were having the right (if not being their duty) to leave his rule. And thus it happened in 1776 as well, as the American colonies severed all political ties from the British motherland. And the patriotic Americans recite this Declaration of Independence by heart ... with pride.

You might ask yourself by now: what is he talking about on this culture blog, so back to my business: as cultural institutions sigh and moan under the hanging sword of Damocles - because of governments not wanting to support, and many feel the threat of being abolished - why staying then so passive? We have a job, if not a profession (in an art gallery, orchestra, museum,...) and it is a contribution to the society as a whole. If we feel that we're not able to breathe any longer because of dried-up funding, why not get out of the lamenting-mood and vigorously lobby to convince politics of our right to exist? After all, it is our money they subsist on. We elected them, we pay them. If we want a change, then we have the right to say so. It is us that are the initiators of change, and perhaps not the politicians after all.

MS

Culture in crisis

2008-11-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

For a considerable time, we are witnessing some panic in the financial sector, which has slowly but steadily spread its tentacles to other fields. Starting in the US - the land of the free entrepreneurial spirit - one could argue that it has the rest of the world in its grip. True, here and there we see the stock markets ending in the plus range, but it is still a brittle situation.

Why writing about the financial crisis, when my biggest chunk of work is related to music and culture? Not just because culture needs money as well (as does everything in life). For decades, we have discussions on financing culture, and especially; who has the responsibility for culture?

Culture is, generally speaking, an aspect of society. We can look at it from an angle where national, traditional, therefore a part of our own identity. When approaching it from the point of view that it is a mere luxurious form of entertainment, it appears to be perhaps obsolete. Whichever way we take it; the society itself as a group is involved some way or another.

Society has gone a long way of evolution; starting at a tribe-level, most people still had to be multi-functional in order to survive as a group. In more complex societies - as is ours nowadays - most of us have specialised functions: With a few exceptions, we all have just one job and have delegated other services to others.

While we have ever since the Middle Ages delegated activities like keeping order (police), protecting against an enemy (army), ruling (politicians), the trend since the industrial revolution has become such, that we would preferably move away from state intervention (Laissez-faire). We have slowly made acquaintance with words like "Corporate Social Responsibility" and even "Corporate Cultural Responsibility," where enterprises slowly begun financially supporting hospitals, welfare programs or sponsor orchestras. Indeed a true sign of less State and more enterprises in our every day life.
Interestingly enough, the Bush administration, as a staunch supporter (if not the most staunchest ever) of free entrepreneurship and withdrawal of government involvement into economics, has suddenly pumped in billions and billions of dollars in order to save banks from collapsing.

Is this thus an implicit sign, that free economics has exceeded its borders (again: starting at the very centre of free market economy - Wall Street) proving that it was just a huge bubble, and where suddenly we became alarmingly aware of the fact (including the Bush administration), that government (state) is still the main responsible for society?

The main question in my mind, and I would very much appreciate to receive your comments on who do you think is in fact ultimately responsible for maintaining culture as an integral part of society: Politics or Companies?

MS

The Bratislava Academy of Performing Arts

2008-10-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

Bratislava, laying at the banks of the Danube - not so blue anymore, as during the days of Waltz king Johann Strauss - has a unique position. Not merely speaking in the geographical sense. It used to be a city, that has endured during the centuries many different influences, as can be seen from the different names the city bore, from Celtic times, Roman occupation, the Great Moravian Empire, Hungarian rule, Austro-Hungarian era resulting finally in the capital of Slovakia, be it under the Czechoslovak independence in 1918, later the independent Slovak Republic in 1993. Historically speaking definitively an interesting place to be.

Culturally, it goes without saying, that Bratislava therefore contains an interesting mix of traditions that rushed through its veins. Yet this richness, is somehow muffled below a drab surface of prejudices and a streak of passive defeatism. But - for crying out loud - why??? While we put spotlights on European cities, having internationally renowned festivals or grand exhibitions, Bratislava seems just to have a slight hiccup once a while, immediately go into hiding, as if hoping to again disappearing into deep oblivion.

When regularly talking to fellow musicians, there is almost always this dreadful resignation in them. Interestingly enough, almost all of them seem to have a similar feeling and what is most amazing, knowing fairly well where the greatest challenges are - at least most of problems. Yet, where is the darned blocking discrepancy between the generally felt sentiments and the so much needed change forward?

Partly, there is definitively a historical legacy there; during cold-war era, culture was readily used by the communist rulers in Prague, to keep the masses lulled into their proletariat happiness. At least they learned a lot from the Roman emperors. Bratislava was, however, in this scenario the "provincial little brother". Maybe the Slovak Philharmonic was felt to be slightly second rated to the Czech Philharmonic. This politically directed cultural balance was causing a certain lingering resentment, especially after the turnover of power, and finally full independence.

The other reason, and far more dramatic than the former, is that - and again - the former regimes have created a mentality and with it a certain standard, which was surely detached from the general trend in classical music in the outside world. Artistic excellence was not most important, it was your loyalty to the party which would guarantee your career, being able to perform outside, go to prestigious events...

The old structure still lingers here. Some time ago, a befriended violinist, was lamenting over a glass of beer about the fact, that though he graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts (in Bratislava) under the so-called finest teacher, he was always being turned down when applying for a job abroad. And that's exactly what keeps him barred off. Slovakia's culture rulers, managers and teachers have created a fairly backward status quo (yes they are aware that there are those around, who are better - but it a scary experience) , which is not only a trap for themselves but also for whole generations to come.

Aren't there any positive trends? In fact, there are of course enough people with enthusiastic ideas and talents. But it is very hard for them, to push through the needed changes. There's is this barrier of not letting them into the established old circle. With a incidental exception. For the rest, there is a strong clique, who directly on indirectly devastating the classical music scene.

What could have been perhaps a beacon in the storm, where the last hopes would find refuge, is the Academy of Performing Arts. Fostering and nurturing new talents, guarding quality, investing in thorough music know-how. Instead, as the governments funds seem to dry up, the best quality is being skimmed off first, leaving a mediocre layer of bureaucratic musicians, who treat music perhaps more like a dusty and boring academic matter instead of a form of excellent artistic treasure. Music students are generally speaking

Yes dear friend, still sulking over your beer; the fact that you play like you were taught, makes you, sad to say, a priori uninteresting to foreign orchestras outside. Your Academy's record will be only used against you, but if, at least, you do not show more interest in better standards, it will, how unfortunate, definitively not lead you anywhere. He lacks - just as the majority - a birdeye's view and a (self)critical consciousness, and does therefore not fully realise his deficiency. (Brought up as in a pseudo-Russian way, as if being another Oistrakh - almost cocky in his playing, convinced of his infallible skill). A sad result of being a product of the old school. As if still living in a time-capsule. The world around him has moved in the meantime.

This is just an individual experience of one musician, and there are many many more. One would wish, that the Academy would show more vision and a stout standing. The current management style of "utmost seclusion" will have catastrophic ramifications. Most possibly. But the signs are there, that this Academy of Performing Arts will eventually become the downfall for the eager musicians. Both generally speaking, as well as for specialised fields, which are highly demanded outside Slovakia's borders.

It is a sad observation, which I see everytime when sitting together with musicians. The change must come from within. The present structures will not lead them. Too many interests involved.
A reason the more, to start right away.

MS

Challenges, challenges,...

2008-09-25T14:45:00.001-07:00

In order to summarise a few challenges that I see around us, I will ask a few questions (based on real cases):

Imagine you have a specialised band of musicians (let's say, baroque music) and you are negotiating a concert-project. A colleague finds out, and offers a similar performance for half the price. Calls a number of players to quickly form an ensemble, who have not always sufficient skills to perform baroque music. The quality offered is below standard, unfinished,... Obviously, with a lesser budget negotiated, a couple of players, who are hoping to earn an extra buck with this gig, will not receive a single penny, with excuses that e.g. the organiser/subsidy has not yet paid (the truth is, it is either paid long time ago and perhaps used up already or paid only the negotiated half... but who will find out anyway?).
The question is; is this ethical? Perhaps, one would argue, that this is the principle of the free market economy - if you offer a 'competitive' (=lower) price, then you will be ahead of your competitor... provided, you compare apples and apples. A dumping price, for inferior quality is easy to offer. To do so is - in my eyes, to say the least - very very questionable, and is a hazard to quality. Value for money becomes an empty phrase.

Management of a Performing Arts Academy has to make a financial decision. As every organisation, management faces the challenge to maximise the budget. You have to decide what department to keep running, which to close down, whom to hire, and... whom to fire. Perhaps it is very human, to see to it that your closest friend stays on board. So another person should go. When seeing - strangely enough! - qualitatively good teachers having to leave, and believe me; sometimes for very vague reasons, it makes one wonder.
The question there is: management is, of course, responsible for good governance. Meaning on the one hand, financially an institute should be running smoothly. On the other, the institute has an objective. To define this objective, it needs a strategic vision, and also to understand the value of the objective (to create an environment of keeping alive (to conserve - hence the word "conservatoire"/"conservatory") a valuable given. In this case be it e.g. music. If a choice needs to be made, should not a management be conscientiously responsible for choosing quality as a long term investment, rather than keeping sometimes mediocre friends in place (this, if I am not mistaken, is called 'nepotism'). A case of mismanagement then. A function in management has its repercussions and repsonisbilities. You are accountable.

Pursuant to the previous point, I would like to pinpoint at a scary trend in Slovakia: For historic reasons - and one must understand this background a bit - there was a long forced artistic tradition prevailing here. During the years of totalitarianism, young artists - as long as politically approved - were sent to Moscow or Leningrad. The great Soviet master was also artistically dictating what was culturally acceptable. Of course, when having a pool of a few million potential artists, you can work out an impressive result. The music tradition became a circus; acrobatics - faster - higher... In a small satellite country, the choice is a bit more limited, yet creating a circle of a "selected few". The artistic quality was not always the main reason to belong to it (a contraire). If you meet a more talented colleague, either you are eager to learn from him, or you feel threatened and shield him off.

As long as the old school is still in charge, culture is in danger. It is not only a matter of ethics, but also of managerial responsibility, that changes for the better are an imperative.

Just to conclude this article by reporting, that confirmed rumours already circulate, that the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio (SOSR) will be completely dismantled by January. Imagine; the oldest professional orchestra (even established before teh Slovak Philharmonic) will cease to exist. Why? Because of selfish, self-centered interests of the general manager, and amateurish shadow-boxing of conductors Dohnanyi and Košík. It is sad news. And you pray that an unexpected miracle will happen. Here it becomes apparent, how mismanagement expressly shields off advice (there's enough good advice around) and gradually brings an orchestra to a slow and suffocating end. A sad week it was.

MS

A Night at the Opera

2008-09-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine convinced me - despite my crammed schedule - to attend an opera performance. Not that my previous posting caused it. I owed it to him. The night, where I was free, scheduled Madama Butterfly, and definitively a must for music lovers. So,... no excuses; yes, I went.

Interestingly enough, the opera was still rehearsed under the previous maestro Dohnanyi, but presently conducted by Pavol Selecký. A reason the more to attend this performance. Alarmingly, I was counting the number of empty seats in the auditorium. Oops... half full.

As a musician (conductor) myself, one has a slight - and bad(!)- tendency to compare things to one's own technical liking (performance), noticing those technical details of the orchestra and singers, and have a rather critical approach. Admittedly, as the overture was behind us, and the singers came on stage, I slowly let loose the critical scrutiny and decided to have a relaxed evening.

The quality of (young) singers surprised me, as I have frequently encountered vocalists here, who still could do with extra language classes, as their Italian or even English or German was incomprehensible, or using an over-extensive vibrato to "pretend" dramatization (or is it to camouflage their intonation flaws?). Whichever way, this was turning out a good performance after all. The roles of Cio-Cio San (as sung by Jana Doležílková) and Pinkerton (Peter Berger) were impressive. Nevertheless, when knowing the whole story, when feeling moved again by the combination of music and plot, it is a worthwhile show. And all viola-jokes aside: The viola solo by the young excellent violist Tamás Cseh during the "humming chorus" was a feast for the soul and ear. Only one big minus.... although I am not always a big fan of modernist approaches, like looking at Nozze di Figaro in a 20th century penthouse in New York setting, the modern, minimalist props were fairly acceptable.. Except when the Japanese characters arrived,.... their costumes were... typically Chinese! Ouch!

It became apparent that the Bratislava SND (State Theatre) is quality-wise a good orchestra - maybe I could say, in better shape than the Radio Symphony or the Filharmonic. During the break, when spotting the audience in the foyer, I noticed that a considerable portion was foreign; Danes, Austrians (coming all the way from Vienna?) and British. Hopefully, the comming years under Gabriela Beňačková will finally make this institution keep a grip on its developments (and I mean developments in the upward direction). Ms Beňačková's role is not easy, but Bratislava deserves an opera, and an opera like this deserves a future. And more people in the audience.

MS

Doing too much (at the same time)

2008-09-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Bratislava State National Theater SND, has a new director. At first glance, not an unusual headline. What makes one frown, is the fact, that this is the 3rd director in 3 seasons (!). Even more surprising is the choice this time: ... the renowned soprano Gabriela Beňačková.

Not that one would not wish Ms Beňačková this honour, there is more that makes one raise the eyebrows. It seems that the general director Silvia Hroncová seems to enjoy experimenting. During her reign, the SND replaced its directors every year. First it was Peter Mikuláš (9 months only), then Oliver Dohnányi (1 season, simultaneously conducting the Opera) and now it's Ms Beňačková's turn.

What makes me weary, is foremost Mr Dohnanyi's role. Not only initiated he the devastating turmoil in the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra - then suddenly resigning to move to the Opera, leaving a chaos behind (now in charge of an even less competent successor). During his directorship at the SND, he gave higher priorities to conduct abroad, instead of sitting down to strategically plan, making real and sound management decision. If you want to conduct, don't accept other tasks, if you have other tasks, don't focus on conducting. The result: His role is again unfinished - or not even started, again leaving a rudderless ship behind.

Now, Ms Beňačková has to take over. Not a fact to envy. Despite of her world fame, Ms Beňačková has absolutely no management experience. So why is Ms Hroncová again putting in a facade by using a celebrity, predictably just to have her replaced within a foreseeable time-frame. The repeated chaos of what Mr Dohnanyi left behind will presumably become Ms Beňačková's pitfall. Why can Ms Hroncová continue in these senseless experiments of her wheel-of-fortune-style management? And most important of all: because of the status the theater is in - no capable manager is really interested anylonger to burn his/her fingers on this precarious chore. It is again a sad chapter in Slovak cultural life; to see another prestigious institution crumble.

MS

A recent success story... (yes, in arts!)

2008-09-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Last Monday (1st September), we headed for the City of Olomouc (Czech Republic), to attend an opening of the new building of the Church Conservatory - formerly situated in Kroměříž, but now relocated to Olomouc. An old building, with early renaissance interior, a baroque facade, beautiful court-yard and an appealing park with tall green trees at the back. For the past years, a multi-million reconstruction project took place, with an amazing result, from an old building, to construction rubble (looked more like a ruin at some stage) until final outcome: keeping both the historic atmosphere of the building intact, while adding modern comfort as well.

The opening concert, where the Olomouc Philharmonic Orchestra performed started the evening, while afterwards the guests took a promenade of a few minutes to the new Conservatory, where a solemn fanfare welcomed the guests of honour; the chairman of Parliament, the local officials and other personalities, who have contributed to the realisation of the project. Then the usual receptoin of tantalising sushis (not quite typical for the region, but obviously still enjoyable), salads, amuse-gueles,...

Amazing, that despite all the stories of decline of culture, once again, one can see wonderful results. Results, which do not arrive as a bolt from the blue, but are the work of endless lobbying and tireless finding the right people, who do care.

The director (and composer), František Fiala, deserves a big salute and applause for his relentless work, in which he has achieved all this. He is an example of those, who do not give up, who do not let their head down, despite of all the news and trends. He cares about music and when being inspired to work for a cause, one can get there.

MS

more info on www.ckonz.cz

Music at dump prices!

2008-08-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, my colleague Christian Henner-Fehr concluded one of his blogs (for readers, who are interested and able to read German, here is the link) with the painful words: "musicians ending up financing their own projects". Obviously, for a long time we are analysing and digging into the daily question how culture is being financed, and the harsh reality in our modern world.

Today over lunch in a Bratislava restaurant, I had somewhat a unusual discussion about a project, which is currently taking place in a recording studio, and which illustrates the wicked vicious circle in which musicians are trapped,... but at the same time, are unpurposely actively collaborating to keep it alive.

A fairly prominent musician (let's call him "M" - not James Bond's supervisor, not is it the author of this article) is hiring people for an orchestra gig. Not very unusual. Indeed. Whether a concert series or a recording session of a few days. All arranged. Until you see the contract, where, besides the usual fee, the musicians are agreeing that payment of the due fees will be effectuated after the end-customer (concert organiser, cd-producer) has paid. There's the little trap.

Money has to be generated somewhere, obviously. The mysterious part is, that somehow the money ... never gets paid. There are musicians, who are still waiting after more than a year for their fee. Usually, if a customer does not pay, you would tend to decline the next time. Yet "M" manages time and time again, to engage the same (victimised) musicians over and over again. Why? Perhaps, believing that this time it will be paid. Anyway, sitting at home and not playing isn't going to earn them anything either. They're too good hearted. And that's becoming their own trap.

Professional musicians are indeed becoming real amateurs: playing for mere fun, without seeing a cent for their job. And sadly enough; these are excellent players. But who will pay for their rent, groceries...??? Mr "M" this is highway robbery of your own kind.

I would like to add, that there are a few very reliable festival organisers too, but these are an exception. For the rest, it's really music at dump prices. And nobody seems to care.

MS

Culture unattractive?

2008-08-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I visited a colleague (and a friend) of mine in Bechyne, in the Czech Republic. No, he is not living there, neither was it his camping-vacation. Being a musician (conductor), he organises for 18 years a kind of summer-music-school in a picturesque surrounding of this South Bohemian town.

What is remarkable, is that the vast majority of his "students" are non-professional musicians. People, who in their daily life are doctors, teachers, technical engineers, ... you name it. Even some music students add up to the mix. And once a year, they retreat for a few weeks to Bechyne and follow classes in chamber music, orchestra playing respectively choir singing, rehearsals and in the end give concerts, not only in Bechyne or surrounding, but after coming back, in the Netherlands as well. Not just one, but in all three different groups (A Vienna classics, Orchestra and chamber music from the romantic era and authentic 415-Hertz baroque).

It is remarkable, in a time, where we read the news that even a prominent Ton Koopman and his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra will get absolutely no more subsidy from the Dutch Performing Arts Foundation (yes, not a single penny), that Maestro Horringa, is mobilising 3 groups for an intensive music experience (be aware, that participants pay for this happening from their own pocket). The local population of Bechyne is visiting these concerts, as there's hardly anything left, while the local hotel has additional guests in its restaurant. In all, it generally stimulates society in more than one ways.

And still to think that music and culture are unattractive burdens to society??? Apparently not. Mayors and other institutions, who would be able to actively contribute, could bear in mind, that their involvement could add up to their prestige, perhaps.

MS

PS - With thanks to my colleague Dirkjan Horringa and his superb project. La Pellegrina. More info you can find on this site.

Fame through excellence...

2008-08-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

Many (music) students spend many many hours practising, hoping to achieve an excellence good enough for fame. At face value, a logical approach one would say. Looking around these days, on this supposedly excellence in quality, one really wonders, how certain people ever got there. Mostly as a result of clever marketing, ... just marketing.

Some years ago, I was having similar discussions on marketing of music. Perhaps, most of my readers are familiar with e.g. André Rieu. A Dutch violinist, who for several years travels around the world with his orchestra, performing Johann Strauß style concerts for huge crowds, with sugar sweet entourage costumes and you name it. His popularity is undisputed. At least the crowds are there, his numerous fans are enthusiastic. But is this really quality, which enjoys so much popularity. we tend to mistake that being successful is therefore being quality-wise good. Giving a show all the effective lights, sound-equipment (wonder why Maestro Rieu is not able to perform 'unplugged'), a romantic costume-closet and well-directed top of the notch camera-work is a good ingredient for popularity. Popularity of the masses.

Admittedly, André Rieu has a very good sense for business. Good PR. Good commerce. His income is at least six or seven figures. Nevertheless, his performances in the artistic sense and quality excellence is highly debatable. In addition, an often heard argument that his "commercial approach" has introduced many people to classical music. I highly doubt, that the crowds who have visited his spectacles or buying his CDs are suddenly fervent listeners of Haydn, Händel or Shostakovich. Like André Rieu, there are also many others.

We need to clearly see a divide between what is good marketing and what is quality-wise admissable in music performance. Trying to sell (more) classical music is definitively a good objective; to make it pallatable for broader masses (therefore more profitable) is a dangerous area, which should be dealt with very carefully else we create just big Kitsch, keeping the artistic value of music intact. Here, not everything is automatically acceptable. Therefore: Fame is not necessarily equal to quality.

MS

Saving money....

2008-07-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

As far as economy is concerned, or when doing business, it is your aim to generate money. Not only to cover your expenses of course, but, ideally, to make some profit too. Whether you will buy yourself a bottle of Champagne from this profit, or invest in your business is then up to you. In other words, people will regard you being a good treasurer, if at the end of the day, more money is remaining. In some cases, thrifty bookkeepers start making it their goal in life, to cut on costs as much as possible.

In earlier discussions - and when discussing art management professionally with clients - I highlight the notion, that cost allocation within cultural projects with very limited resources (or rather; no money available) is perhaps indeed a very day-to-day challenge, but most of all which should never allow us to become defeatist. Many musicians, however, are.

A couple of days ago, while driving home, a spokesman of an ambulance service was complaining about so many drownings happening over the summer-holidays. As the main reason, he mentioned the fact, that due to financial constraints, elementary schools had to cancel compulsory swimming lessons (as a part of physical exercise class). Politicians, who pursue very short-term vision, and keep on wrongly allocating the necessary funds, end up with a long-term problem for the community. Unfortunately, this example is of a very tragic kind.

In a country, that has one of the highest economic growths in the EU, such a financial short-cutting on the very basic thing like schools, is inexcusable! The truth is, that a lot of money is wasted on useless activities, or in the worst case; disappearing in someone's pocket.

The same happens to culture as well; Yes, you get little money, yes it has been like this for years. No, you should not accept this as being just a "reality". While in some countries, writers with a certain sense of social responsibility, appeal to politicians, why should not musicians be equally active to hold a mirror in front of society (and their leaders)? This is not just about saving money anymore - this is about drowning culture; drowning your job. Rescue it, while you still can!

MS

Second EFA-Publication “Give, get or Get Off!”; Challenges of cultural networkign today

2008-07-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

Throughout history, culture changed its importance within society depending on howmuch value the ruling class – or a sole ruler – would attach to it. Emperors and kings boasted with architectural palaces and court music without a limit. Moving the music scene out of the palaces of royalties or the aristocracy, a situation by the end of the 19^th century, has given music bit by bit a different place in society, unfortunately… losing its prominence.

After the fall of communism, the world has changed – not just politically speaking, but especially in the economic sense. Partly, because of the political barriers were removed, but foremost also by the growing presence of computer technology and internet entering our homes. Right after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Central and Eastern Europe were - for music - a “goldmine” for record labels to reap profits thanks to quick and cheap money recordings and indeed the sky seemed the limit. Not for long.

Ever since the decline of the recording industry – even some tend to deny such, but let’s face it, music industry seems to be in a deep ditch, from which apparentlt there’s almost no way out. And interestingly enough, despite an economical level never attained before in world’s history (technological advance, wealth), music is generally speaking in a deplorable state.

Two publications from the European Festivals Association are addressing the issues, which have arisen from this situation. While the first one (“Still a lot to be done”) deals with a broader discussion on how to address the more general cultural music discussion – filosofically, politically – the second publication (“Give, Get or Get Off!”) is discussing the cultural networking of today. In other words, when music is in despair, seemingly being regarded as elitist – and therefore become more and more detached from a (potential) audience, almost having the feeling as if classical music is no longer bon-ton – how music institutions should be working on their network expansion and thus be able together to “sell” again their product: Music.

The articles, written by various members of the association, are accessible and clear to read. As both a musician and an arts manager in Slovakia, the 2^nd book is interestingly enough tackling matters, that should appeal to my direct colleagues in Slovakia, but not exclusively. We must face the reality that the old structures no longer work (that is, where culture is directed from above, endowed by a wealthy aristocrat). We must realise that among ourselves that we should work on solid and efficient networks (co-operation) and therefore creating culture from the bottom. The book systematically analyses some feasible network constellations and possible variants, but underlining some basic requirements, which should be met, in order to be a successful network. Obvisously, the main problem lies in the fact, that while music should be more actively promoted, musicians are not trained to be business-like salespeople or be economically or managerially skilled. In the event, where they have the luxury of being able to afford (expensive) professional PR and marketing people, these are not always muscially oriented, therefore a gap between player and manager.

Also, among professional musicians themselves there are many misconceptions against branding, PR, modern-life’s dynamics and technology, which as a fact, is to be blamed on the old-fashioned (music) education system. Concurrently, also the public is regarding classical music completely biased. The necessity for a strong network is unmistakenly clear; to re-educate both the musicians as well as the audiences. From the effectivity of a network, a viable economic basis to function, fostering co-operations (nationwide and abroad), up to the application of real and virtual network projects; it gives a good direction of what we most of the time are lacking. Especially in Slovakia.

We may remain wailing in the repeating argumentation of being a small country, with no money, with no interest of the public, but we can also try to do something with it. There are smaller nations, who are far more successful, and after all it’s our job which is in danger if nothing is being done. Instead, let’s actively start doing something to get things moving into a better direction. Slovakia’s music culture and is worth working on it (and equally valid for any other culture, of course), because if we let it snow under our craving for 4x4 jeeps and hypermarkets and fashion-shopping, it might be lost forever. The EFA publications could give a good starting point, to construe together a networking with eachother – and not against each other, as is often the case – to make us visible again as another cultural centre close to Vienna, Budapest and Prague, contributing to the cultural richness of our region… and beyond.

more info on the EFA website here

Outsourcing an orchestra (a light note on modern managment)

2008-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Globalisation and modern communication technology has brought our planet more closer together than it was let's say 50 years ago. Modern management (a product from America) is being practised all over the world, whether from Anchorage to Zilina, or Reykjavik to Cape Town. In whichever country you come, all managers seem to think and (re)act the same uniform way. Much to the astonishment to any logical thinking mortal being. Most managers look like clones. Let's look at a fictitious scenario (but yet, perhaps not too detached from present-day reality). Setting: A symphony orchestra in despair - a realistic situation, yes - but here comes the modern, eager, pro-active, assertive, ambitious and shrewd manager. Watch him:

Scene 1 (at an office, some panic is in the air...)
Board-member A: Our financial status is causing some concern (= we're bankrupt)
Board-member B: I'll resign from the Board and you'll hire me as an external consultant and I'll give you a solution.
A: will it help financially?
B: yes, guaranteed

Scene 2 (a week later, same office)
B (now an external consultant): I made an case-study, and the solution is to outsource your orchestra. Just look at the flow-charts. Here's our projected budget. This is the time-frame. All worked out for you.
A: Outsource???? Whaddayamean?!?!?!?!
B: Let me explain... The financial problem is, that your local musicians simply cost you too much money. Not to mention your music directors. Well, the answer is; get cheaper ones.
A: Impossible. We have labour unions, minimal wages, fixed overhead...
B: No, possible: We have labour unions, minimal wages HERE... simply get them some place else.
A: Huh?... where???
B. Doesn't matter. Anywhere. As long as it is not here.
A: But we have to perform concerts HERE, don't we?
B: Dear friend, never noticed how we hold overseas on-line video-conferences? Who cares where people sit nowadays?! All you need is a big screen, satellite connection, and the audience won't notice the difference. They're used to flat screens already!
A: Insane!
B: But cheap, that's what you wanted!
A: We cannot do that!!!
B: I promise you a financial solution which will work!
A: Hmmmm... I don't know...
B: Trust me. All worked out.

Scene 3 (B is having a talk with the Project Manager 1 (Change Management) and Project Manager 2 (Implementation Team) in an office some place abroad)
B: did we find suitable musicians?
Project Manager 1: We lack a few instruments.
B: Never mind, it's good enough. At least we safe more costs.
PM1: But it does not meet the customer's requirements!
B: Who cares - we offer cheap prices so they should be content with that! We'll do with this.
PM2: Could I perhaps note that not all musicians are in fact ... er... musicians... I am afraid they hardly know how to play.
B: So what?! They have an instrument, that will do.
PM1: But the customer will hear the difference.
B: We promised that we would provide an orchestra, not quality sound. If they want quality sound, then they would need to cough up more dough.
PM1: Aren't we getting in trouble? How about the service level agreement to the customer? We cannot meet the quality requirements
B: Don't patronise me with service levels! You know what? You're having a negative attitude which badly affects our team. You're out!

Scene 4 (B meets A to prepare the implementation)
B: We are ready to go live!
A: Is the orchestra ready?
B: Yes, as promised
A: Where is it situated?
B: Not important: we found a suitable and really cheap location. People are eager to work, qualified, ... it's a success-story of the century!
A: Can we see it?
B: Sure!
....
(B is switching and adjusting the screen on the wall)
A: I don't see a thing....
B: That's 'cause perhaps our systems are incompatible
A: ??? Explain please...
B: Well, we deal with different standards of video output and versions of software...
A: But what can I do, to see it them then????
B: I would need extra budget for ITC upgrading...
....

Scene 5 (4 weeks later; B meets A to prepare for implementation - 2nd attempt)
B: Aren't you pleased with the view? (Looking at the screen)
A: Er... I expected to see a symphony orchestra
B: That's a mere technicality - a matter of definition
A: But I thought we will perform the same type of concerts to the public!!!! I fired the whole orchestra and now I have this?!?!?
B: Look - they have instruments, right?
A: ... right, but...
B: So it's an orchestra, which you wanted!
A: But not a symphony orchestra!
B: That's retro! This is the 21st century answer!
A: But you promised an alternative, the same stuff.. and a financial improvement!!!
B: This is an alternative all right. Never talked about the same stuff... just a bit different... And the invoices, which you paid, have improved my finances.
A: I think I am getting a bit unwell... Can they at least play???
B: I guess so.
A: what do you mean by "I guess so"??? Didn't you check???
B: Now hear: We never talked about quality - you wanted cheap replacement, because you were in the red. I got it for ya. That was the deal. They got some mass-produced instrument, so they can make a sound, which is basically equal to music. And what would you expect from these people, for such a low wage, you will not get skilled people.
A: I think I am getting extremely unwell!!!!
B: What for?! You got what you wanted! I gave you a solution. It's cheaper than your old situation.
A: But it's not what we had!!!!
B: That's in the past. You have to live with what you have now. This will be the wonderful future of orchestra problems! A wonderful concept, isn't it? By the way - here's my last invoice....

This was just a kind of humorous narration with a certain undertone. Nevertheless, it is a reflection of what I have witnessed a few times and therefore the undertone is not quite funny. The bottom-line: Management is nowadays a bit overrated. Decisions are sometimes nonsensical, objectives out of scope, requirements of the client completely ignored, only to be focussed on short term profits and prestige. And yet the manager is highly and highly overpaid and acting like an untouchable. Outsourcing is, as I described here - fortunately - not an issue in the music world; but somehow, it wouldn't surprise me, if a wiseguy will suggest such a solution... and some orchestra managers in despair enthusiastically follow such suggestion, only to get rid of the burden then to realise too late, what harm has been done....

Managers, and especially orchestra bosses... in fact: all of us! Let's realise what you are managing and what your management school training and guidelines have made you into. Don't end up like this fictitious scenario. Although it is a mirror of two real life projects, this was rather meant as an entertaining summer-holiday reading (although I wonder, who will recognise his/her situation anyway and feel a bit uneasy...).

regards
MS

A Maestro with a View

2008-06-29T03:35:00.000-07:00

Far back in the early 1980, as - being a young student - I was eagerly following music articles on conductors. At that time, a young Italian maestro, being labelled as a promising "prodigy" (still), appeared in some of the magazines. I still remember pictures, of a dark-haired, slim, youngish looking conductor. Television in Europe in those days was not as varied as it is today, and therefore my only knowledge of this young man was only from these articles and of his picture on certain yellow labeled vinyl records.

Only by the time, shortly after Herbert von Karajan had died, and the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra chose unexpectedly an Italian to succeed as the next chief, he became a bit more "visible". The rest is history.

Now, Claudio Abbado, in my view, the very best conductor around, has celebrated his 75th birthday. Despite (or perhaps because of) his leaving the Berliner - one reads about the growing differences between the orchestra and Abbado, yet the Berliner Philharmonic has gained so much from Claudio Abbado after the sterile megalomaniac era of von Karajan. I know from own experience, that a positive success is not always going hand in hand with a lasting co-operation, and ensembles realise too late, what opportunities they have lost by parting. The Berliner has become a more artistically aesthetic group than ever before, Abbado acting differently than his autocratic predecessor. Nevertheless... Also his health has perhaps contributed to becoming a very intellectual conductor, where music is the ultimate centre of the performance and not seeking self-fulfillment like many other conductors tend to do. These factors have made him a Maestro with a big capital M.

If I follow Claudio Abbado's path from his older Mahler recordings to the recent Lucerne Festival performances, the heights which he achieves with the Lucerne Orchestra are astonishing, almost giving me goose-bumps and seeing him conducting is the ultimate reflection on Mahler's message through his music. It manifests true understanding of music, not as a serie of black dots on a piece of paper, but searching the soul of piece. A view, and as it is not only in the case of Mahler, a philosophical view. Even for a Beethoven, Schubert, ... you name it.

Dear Claudio, wishing you still many years in good health, happiness and continuation of your musical success, from which we can learn a lot. Congratulazioni!

regards
MS

Breaking the deafening silence (II)

2008-06-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

With reference to my earlier published title (posted on 17 April), I need to make a slight correction, perhaps to clarify the title a bit more. Therefore a kind of "part two". Slightly after I have posted the first blog-entry, I was informed by Peter Breiner, a Slovak composer, conductor, pianist and publicist, living currently in New York, that the clear and critical statement on the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio (SOSR) by Maestro Peter Feranec was not the only and first critical voice statement.

Dear Peter Breiner, you are absolutely right, and I owe you an apology for that omission. The reason why I (on purpose) labelled my entry as I did, was not so much that apparently nobody has ever published abou it, rather than every time I inquire on SOSR matters, there's suddenly no response, as if my questions regarding the orchestra are being absorbed by a mysterious black hole.

True is, that your articles, as published in the Slovak classical music periodical Hudobný život [Music Life] or any other media, I have not been able to get hold to. (Some articles you find even after 8 years on the web, some other vanish very fast... ). yes, I have read a few references to your articles, yet nobody could provide me copies. Until.... I coincidentally found an old issue of Hudobný život, and lo and behold: an article "From the other world", where you state the same concerns regarding the SOSR.

In order not to forget, I decided to immediately write a correction and explanation to you. Since I jumped into these problematics a bit later than the publication date of yoru article, it somehow missed me. Unfortunately, to find out, that both we hold the same (alarming) view on the orchestra. But when thinking of it, comes to me another question: why the secrecy around us, why does hardly anyone sincerely wants to listen and to act adequately? Perhaps, I have a clue though, which I don't want to say aloud. To quote a famous conductor: it's not good to be superstitious,because it brings bad luck. Your statement (sub-title) that "even Rome lost from the barbarians", is a gloomy prospect. But what you wrote then, and what I see now, almost seems to confirm this expectation. Time will tell, how much the Slovak nation values and perhaps even deserves its culture.

regards
MS

The time is ripe

2008-06-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Discussing issues with people is a way of exchanging views, not just telling your point of view, but also to gain perhaps an unexpected new idea because of your discussion-partner's response, which could help you to adjust or improve your own strategy or effectiveness on the market. If art and culture were not so much forced into a corner, this discussion would not be as lengthy as it is now. So any innovative idea or experience to strengthen or (re-)affirm your work is always welcome. You must once in a while reposition your reference points. to be sure of your position. This time it came from an unexpected corner.

A friend of mine sent me a link to an Czech newspaper article. At first glance, not an unusual thing. It was a letter by the playwright and former president of the Czech Republic Václav Havel. Next to being a playwright Havel is in fact a philosopher, who has often outspoken (critical) opinions on society as a whole. Therefore, still regularly being quoted in the media. What was most pleasant to see, was that this published letter dealt with ... culture and society.

I will not burden you with all the details, as he compares certain trends with his Czechoslovak experience back in the 1960s (when culture was defined by a centralised communist government and an underground dissident movement). What I would like to highlight is the introduction, which immediately catches your attention, at least worth pondering about, which indeed capture the essence of the discussion about culture.

The introduction describes the "battle for survival of (Prague's) theatres, not being a mere battle for millions (funding from the state). It's more. It is a battle about the sense and the character of the nation".

It continues with a summing up of activities, which the state - as a representative of the people - chooses to allocate tax payers' money for purposes, that are not always making sense, nor have a logical well thought through long-term strategic purpose. In the best scenario, government should consider future ramifications of its policy, in other words feel responsible for decisions taken now and how our grand-children could benefit from it as well. A parent, who is in charge of an household, in financial difficult times, is expected to give priority to feed his children first, before thinking of buying himself a stereo-set or another new car. Nowadays governments behave the opposite ways: instead of ensuring that society is prospering with good infra-structure, economic incentives, and even to provide the comfort of access to good health service, education system and culture, it cuts where it can.

We will inevitably suffer as a community - and the loss of culture is, in my view, heavily underestimated by society. The damage faced will take much pain and extra effort to crawl out of that pit. We complain about high pace of life, burnouts, stress, psychological disorders, yet we let ourselves be fully controlled by these trends.
Wasn't it remarkable, that people once used to dress up and take time to go to concerts or operas. A kind of ritual to step out of daily life and let art give you time to relax, to contemplate, and have an enjoyable time.

Those times are really gone? Why? Blaming the "State" for not having the money anylonger, is not quite right. Remember that it was the people, the society who has instituted dedicated authority (municipal, regional, national or supra-national). These authorities (State) should realise, they should serve the people. The people (society) has the right to call the State to give account for their decisions.

Some governments (at least, the decent one's) inform public already about their well-being: change your habit to smoking / eating; it can have negative lasting effects on your health or segregated your waste; it's better for the environment.... When will governments finally realise also the true value of arts and culture; the traditions, the national identity? (of course, without becoming nationalist or xenophobe). Today, its' only about profit, political nepotist interests, and grab what you can. And if people are not content? Both governments but especially societies as well behave as if both live in completely separate worlds. You have shared responsibilities towards each other. Turning away because of disillusioned disinterested will not make a change. Do something! Take responsibility! The time is ripe to start realising this.

regards
MS

Early Music Festival in Bratislava

2008-06-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, that currently Bratislava is happy to enjoy the Days of Early Music festival. An annual tradition, which started in 1996 at the initiative of the late Ján Albrecht, to whom I have dedicated an article earlier on this blog already.

A 13 year tradition, which is being kept alive thanks to the endless efforts of e.g. artistic director Peter Zajíček or Mrs Dr. Alžbeta Rajterová, performing not just standard baroque or classicist works, but indeed very rarely performed pieces by Benda, Zimmermann, Haydn, Pleyel, Mozart, Stamitz, Voříšek, compositions which one would not find easily in a regular CD store. Famous names and ensembles like - needless to say - Musica Aeterna with Peter Zajíček, the Lotz Trio, Festival Orchestra Apollo, Visegrad Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Jos van Immerseel, and still others like Hjordis Thébault, Pierre-Yves Pruvot, Peter Guľas, Barbara Willi, Christian Leiterer, and many more.

Definitely worth going, if you are a music lover. Several institutions have lend their logos and contributed. Just curious, how many representatives these institutions will send (or of course come out of their own free will) and what the response will be from the public.

For more info: www.earlymusicba.org

regards
MS

Slovak Radio Orchestra: how further?

2008-05-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

When skimming the internet in the past months, some orchestras over the world, have gotten the unfortunate honour to be in the news because of drastic cost-cutting plans, even with complete dismantling. Classical music lovers and all those involved in this business, whether directly or indirectly, are aware which orchestras I am referring to. Equally, I have mentioned some of them in my previous postings. Canada's Vancouver based CBC Orchestra seems already to be a signed-and-sealed deal, while the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Ohio, USA) initially was only presented a scale-down of its size, the conflict between management and orchestra players has gotten in such a stage, that management finally threatened to pull the plug out completely. Fortunately, they resumed negotiations again. On his Adaptistration site, musician and orchestra management consultant Drew McManus is closely following the whole discussion.

Though I am not living in the near vicinity of Columbus Ohio, yet this orchestra's developments and its future is nevertheless interesting for me to follow. Especially, since I remember the times, when in the early 1980s, the then Dutch minister of culture André van der Louw proposed a plan to "merge" a number of provincial orchestras in the Netherlands. Merging was just a nicer word than dumping: If you merge, let's say a software-company, you add the 2 organisations together, dealing perhaps with a handfull of redundancies, but you end up with a bigger organisation, more production, more business.... In the case of 2 orchestras, there is a problem. An average symphony orchestra has perhaps 72 musicians plus admin staff. Merging 2 orchestra will form then 144 musicians (plus staff), and I cannot imagine (except of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, but due to its opera playing and stage concerts, their huge number of musicians is justified and workable in their case) such a big orchestra in a province in the Netherlands. Obviously, you then cut the numbers down to a regular size orchestra, and there is your result: you sack a complete orchestra after all. But of course: never call it that way in public! A shrewd idea which almost seems to come from Sir Humphrey from the series "Yes, (Prime)-Minister". The negative impact of these plans on the individual musicians was immense, and until today, Dutch orchestra- and cultural life seemingly hasn't recovered from these cost cutting plans.

Just freshly arrived in Slovakia, a few months after that, the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio (SOSR) hit the very same fate. While 2006 looked promising, with a pay-rise prospect for the musicians, suddenly at a press conference in February 2007, it was announced that the number of musicians would be reduced to improve quality and more money for salaries. Although I can agree, that a quality issue was indeed there, the plan presented was far from adequate. Despite many protests, even from abroad, the orchestra was nevertheless harshly reduced. Not that the salaries were increased as promised. The orchestra's manager Matej Drlička resigned soon after, since he could not agree to the changes as forced upon him from the general management, not being able to keep the promises, leaving the orchestra only in the hands of conductor Mário Košík, who is regarded highly controversial (to say the least) by the orchestra musicians. (see also my earlier posts). Despite that the orchestra in a confidence-ballot voted 91% against him.

The status as of today is as such - just highlighting a few:

The orchestra is working only 50% (yes, two weeks of the month the musicians sit at home),
the orchestra is losing revenues because losing projects as the orchestra is no longer interesting for organisers,
no official chef-conductor, prominent and renowned musicians have left, the salaries are at the lowest level of the salary scale for most of the musicians (compared to e.g. the Bratislava State Opera sometimes a dramatic difference),
even though maestro Košík tries to convince everyone, that everything is tightly under control, plans change every other day.

Yet, the blame is constantly put on the musicians as being the culprits and the fact that there's no money (who caused it in the first place, when the orchestra has gotten extra funding, but management refuses to use it for the purpose it was officially inteded?)

I can but agree with Mr Drlička, who has wisely decided to draw the right conclusion as a manager, at least showing managerial courage to resign, instead of twisting and turning and at all cost stick to a comfortable manager's desk. What is maybe a very odd but interesting detail: Mr Drlička was having a classical programme time on Radio-FM. After openly criticising the current SOSR management, the radio's programme manager sacked him immediately, literaly stating that "we have some difficulties with Mr Drlička's expressed criticism". So it's not just hearsay, but openly admitted by the Radio-FM management! Perhaps I missed the news lately, that freedom of speech was completely abolished here, but this is strongly showing a very very ugly trend, of how things are run at the Slovak Radio. As far as I can remember the totalitarian regime was toppled in 1989, but do we still work with mutual intimidation and sacking, if we don't agree with someone's (justified) criticism? Am I having just a bad dream or a real déjà-vu? It's not a dream, as the fact was published in the newspaper on 12th May.

Andrej Šuba, one of the editors of the Slovak Hudobný život-magazine, in his excellent article has written extensively on the aforementioned developments in the latest issue of this periodical. Sometimes, you hear a lot of information from people, where you hardly believe your ears, or you think "this must be a misunderstanding, they exaggerate!" ... until you find out, that it is indeed a fact. I was very much hoping, that Mr Šuba would have written an article, where things would have fortunately looked much sunnier, where some of my info seemed wrong, only to see, that his article is only confirming - if not worse - of what I had gathered myself.

When looking back at the long suffering of Dutch orchestras in the 1980s and 1990s, what is happening in Columbus Ohio, then we should have learned a lot from that. Taken into consideration, how things evolve around the SOSR, I can hardly express my disbelieve. Being a pessimist is often regarded as a bad characteristic. I like to refer to the saying that a "pessimist is an optimist with experience" or in Slovakia the saying goes like "a pessimist is a well-informed optimist". Whichever way you like it, unless the SOSR management would be finally willing to openly discuss and address true and relevant issues, the orchestra is a very sick patient already dying. And aspirins will not keep him alive, even more if you insist on buying the cheapest tablets you can get.

What the Slovak Radio's management - especially the General Director Ms Zemková and to a certain degree maestro Košík as well - should be fully aware of is this: As a public organisation, your salary (and therefore your responsibility for your daily functioning for the past months) is paid with my money which I paid as income-tax, including my radio-and-tv license which I have to pay, and so paid by others as well - ironically: even by all those tax-paying musicians, who became a victim of this mismanagement. We definitively have the right to insist on accountability from your side. Hopefully, nobody will again try to make me believe that this is normally to be expected in a country like Slovakia, where these managers are not managers but just musicians, teachers, and whatever. No, these are people who are paid to be a manager, and in our age and even according to their laws they are fully accountable. What time do you think we live? This is supposed to be a 21st century EU-member state and not being back in the 1950s Stalinist era.

sad regards,
MS

PS - in the event, it is really impossible to some people concerned to face criticism ; perhaps in Pyongyang there's is an opening for a director or two. No criticism guaranteed there!

Open letter to Mário Košík

2008-05-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Maestro, dear colleague,

In the latest issue of the Slovak classical music periodical Hudobný život [Music Life, issue 3-4,2008], you give a reaction on the previous interview article, where maestro Peter Feranec is airing a critical view on the current situation of the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio. I was very glad to finally see your personal reaction - to which I would like to place a reaction and a few comments:

It is quite natural, that you want to publicly give an insight to the whole matter, as the discussion around the SOSR is very high-tense, such that people would understand the difficult position, which you are in. Nevertheless, the points which you bring forward, are not quite adequate, and it seems to me that you mistake a few facts, which discolour the situation more or less.

Firstly, you refer to the Slovak Philharmonic's sacking (let's just call it that way) of Musica Aeterna and the Moyzes Quartett, implying perhaps, that maestro's Feranec' musical corpus was equally guilty of drastic cost cutting in the past. While it might seem the same, I tend to disagree, since the severance of the said ensembles is not a similar case, and moreover, Musica Aeterna and the Moyzes Quartett are better off - at least quality-wise Musica Aeterna, with which I am closely working with, has attained a far better and stable level ever since it became an independent body. Such a situation is not at all comparable to individual players which had to leave the SOSR.

Moreover, you remind maestro Feranec on the fact, that the SOSR is offering opportunities for young conductor-students of the Music Academy, which they had never before. Although, it is a very kind gesture to be concerned about the next generation conductors, I think, that this point has nothing to do with justifying the current situation. Yes, every conservatory abroad would be jealous to have a professional symphony orchestra ready waiting, to give its young students a chance to perform. However, this is not the reality.

In the event, you had a fully functional orchestra, the situation would be a bit different. Be reminded, that your SOSR is not fully functional at all; an orchestra that is being sent home half of the month, where the number of musicians is not at the level as promised by management, banking on the availability and benevolence of music academy students to compensate the open seats. Maybe one could (justly) argue, that the number of musicians would suffice for most of the romantic works (even Brahms rarely had a 1960-megaloman-sized Herbert-von-Karajan-style symphony orchestra at his disposition, so let's not be confused by 20th our century spectacles to lament a smaller sized group). But even though the absolute numbers are not that dramatic per sé, it is the fact that being sent home for half of the time, makes the orchestra a sitting lame duck. In addition, as I hinted before, there is still a strong discrepancy between what management has been promising and what has happened or put into effect. The result is a massively demotivated group of musicians, who have lost all confidence. That is the main problem and deadly in any organisation. With this given, you can never start working on quality, if you intend to give still the little precious time away to students. The SOSR therefore is reduced to merely a (demotivated) student orchestra.

Concurrently, you don't agree with the often heard criticism on the lack of direction, mentioned the fact, that never before has there been such a thoroughly planned regie. Perhaps at this very moment you have maybe clear plans and scenarios - but given the experience of management's behaviour in the past and not keeping their word, this is not very credible anymore. Hopefully it will prove later in time that the impression was wrong. The current dramaturgy appears to be just a result of the change, and not that the change was directed by a pre-concepted dramaturgy. Again, if this is not the case, then we deal with a poorly managed PR, since the reality and projection (=impression) are too far apart and that makes public as well as your organisation restless, even unconvincing.

Having said that, I agree, that perhaps many critics and discussions were obviously driven by high emotions, perhaps resulting in a fierce show of blaming-culture. This is very understandable, since musicians tend to be people with emotions (though not a fact exclusively for musicians only). In any transitional stage where changes are being implemented, people are not feeling comfortable. This must have been acknowledged by management beforehand and pro-actively channelled into a workable direction. This chaos is obviously uncontrolled.

You appeal to all those, who are seriously concerned about the SOSR's survival to hand you an "economical recipe" (financial blueprint) for the orchestra's survival. This is not what will save the orchestra. Here you mistake management with simple accounting. I agree, that you deal with serious financial/budgetary constraints - despite Slovakia's rapid economic growth (for some time the biggest within the EU), this is a strangely enough a chronic disease. But, dear colleague, a financial plan is not what you need. Moreover, if indeed a so-called economical recipe would exist, all people would be rich entrepreneurs. The outside world is not that simple. It would be simply too naive to blame only the numbers and to believe there's one magic recipe to solve the matter. It is management conduct in general that needs drastic changing, since its wrong priorities (inexperience?) have lead the SOSR into this direction.

Arguments like "having to save the oldest symphonic orchestra in Slovakia" are not acceptable or debatable to you. I am very sorry to hear that, even the more, since you add that an orchestra derives no legitimacy for its existence this way, that only the (financial) situation will dictate what the SOSR will have to look like (or in that case even perhaps to be dismantled). As a conductor, I would have hoped for a bit more visionary attitude, and as part of the orchestra management more strategic goal setting. In my eyes this is a very passive and defeatist attitude, which no manager (or even a conductor) should ever show. This way, why not close the joint right away?

External factors will unavoidably always be on your way, blaming them is not a sign of good leadership. True leadership takes responsibility - even if external factors were unexpected and out of your control. This responsibility is part of your role in management (being a conductor within this hierarchy is another discussion) and it's simply part of the game. Whichever way the situation will turn, and none of us is owning a magical cristal looking glass to foresee all things happening, as a manager - and this role you have visibly and actively taken upon your shoulders - you must accept the consequences; not seeking for excuses. Every managers faces tight budgets - or is accountable for proper expenditure - but also needs to identify and address (new) sources to continue his business.

To summarise: yes the orchestra is in a precarious situation, which is unfortunate and never easy. Your points which you had published, however, are beside the point (even though I can imagine why you name them). The initial step was that due to financial constraints to start improving the quality of the orchestra (which in itself is a very valid argument, with which in principle I tend to fully agree) - an objective which unfortunately became so blurred due to failing management, that big and to some degree irreversible harm has been done. As a manager, you must address these issues adequately, not downplaying them, nor hiding behind false arguments. I fully appreciate your position to wanting to defend your cause. Keep in mind that, statistically there are far smaller nations than Slovakia, having more thriving orchestras and a more flourishing cultural podium life, yet coping with the same budget. Too many people are staring at the wrong picture, and I have the feeling as if constantly cause and consequence are being mixed up, where the tendency is rather to blame the consequences for the cause. And to remind you of the fact, that perhaps this very same 'cost cutting' is causing your orchestra to lose potential income as event organisers have shown no longer interest in dealing with an incomplete orchestra.

In addition, I think you can always find me (I am not that invisible in Bratislava), so - coming back to your appeal to all those concerned with the SOSR's survival: in case you are interested in genuine solutions - as far as there's still something to be saved - I am more than willing to have a friendly chat, since the survival of the SOSR (or any orchestra if you will) is for me not only of professional interest, but also for the sake of the community.

Yours truly,
MS

Classical Cyber Celebrity

2008-05-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

While on a tour, you tend to get in touch with new people, and with some colleagues you finally have some time to finally discuss matters, which you hardly had any time for. A couple of days ago, next to enjoying French foods and wines - and performing music of course - we had several interesting discussions on music marketing and how internet facilities are insufficiently used. Obviously, my readers are familiar with my preferential view on computers. It was a great and pleasant surprise, that a colleague of mine shared many views and opinions, and some interesting issues were discussed. Unfortunately, there's always a balance (or maybe rather an imbalace) that of trying to catch up with all your calendar's appointments, that there would be hardly enough time to focus on internet-networking or presentations. Understandably, needless to say.

After returning to our own little vineyard city North of Bratislava, life began again picking up the usual routine, preparing again for the usual work-appointments, studying, preparing, planning, meeting people, etc., as I suddenly read this interesting article by Fiona Maddocks today in the London's Evening Standard: .... "A Diva for the 21 Century". A true opera soprano singer Daniella de Niese happens to be on the web - not just the usual personal website posted on the internet either by her agency or a fan-club, but having a real MySpace page. A sign that even classical music business is slowly but finally breaking through in the networking areas and forums of the internet. After all, music and culture business has always been a matter of who you know. Contacts are and will remain to be the first essential priority in this business.

MS

Blogging culture forward

2008-05-08T00:26:00.000-07:00

In one of his recent articles (interesting as ever), Christian Henner-Fehr highlights a subject which is fairly current. Arts management on the internet. His article is linked to another blog by Karin Janner, recently publishing on the web herself. Since both sites are in German, I would like to add a small article in English myself. Moreover, the subject is therefore interesting, since I have hardly analysed my own reasons upfront, why I have started a weblog on managament of the culturalrealm, yet in the meantime I am meeting people, who see the computer only as a sophisticated typing-machine to type-and-print an incidental letter, maybe make an address-listing of their friends or CD-collection in excell, and a few are even reading some e-mails (forgetting to reply to them sometimes). Maximising the internet, and therefore not only to download a game or a video-clip, is sometimes a bridge too far.

Karin Jenner very nicely and systematically started her first blogs, by explaining (analysing) management in general, then arts management, then why she decided to blog. The reason is clear and simple - the fast and easy access to it! In my case, I also searched for all kids of information, comparison material, readers, and let's be honest: imagining myself to go to libraries, talk to people, make phonecalls to order something, to obtain the quantity of materials which I have gained through the internet, I would have needed a multifold number of workweeks to succeed the same result. Internet is faster. Then comes the point, where you gain some experience or information, or sometimes just ideas and findings, which are perhaps interesting enough to share. In the old days, you sent it to a publisher, maybe a magazine, and weeks or months later you might be lucky if it was published. Here we have the ability to publish within minutes, where anyone from Vancouver to Sydney can read my article.

And reading your article, makes you visible in the market. Remarkably, people write me many mails regarding my articels (only very very few post a comment on my articles, maybe because publicly posting something seems a bit scary to most of us). But the number of contacts, which I got within a very short time period was something that even surprised me.

In the old days, offices (of managers, or consultants) had perhaps only a phone. Calling overseas was a costly thing, therefore limiting the quick communication slightly. Most of the communication was envelope, stamp and dispatch. Internet is unlimited - once you have access, whether you contact your neighbour down the road, or at the other side of our planet, is no difference any longer. You don't have to wait for the courier to stop in front of your door or waiting for the post office to open. You don't need paper, stamps, tipp-ex, paper-clips.

Internet and blogging, is therefore a splended tool - in my view - to present your strategies, your haves and to gain efficiently a network, mobilising people around you, to manage your cultural issues. It is the fastest and cheapest PR-tool you can get. So why not maximise this fascinating opportunity?

And to end with a light note: yes, I hear some sceptics mumble already - "we should not be dependent on the internet all the time": True - not to hang all the time on the web, but the more efficient you become on the web, the more time you gain to enjoy private life outside the laptop. But the saving of time and effort to attain the same simply cannot be compared. Let's admit, that if you miss this train, you miss the whole lot.

MS

Investing to maintain itself

2008-05-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

We often hear these days about orchestras' budgetary constraints, forcing to make abrupt decisions, which sometimes heavily affect either its repertoire choice or personnel issues - in short it endangers its identity.

A couple of days, however, the news was published that Riccardo Muti was appointed the new Chicago Symphony Orchestra director. Not that new director appointments are very unusual (yet interesting to follow), but it was exactly the news analysis by John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune that followed, which made my day: It is exactly here, where John von Rhein is hitting the nail on the head, why a conductor (and maestro Muti is definitely not a rebate-priced conductor, who would be desperately in need of any available gig; he did turn down the New York Philharmonic before). Von Rhein correctly points out in his analysis that

The city's world-class orchestra could not afford to tarnish its reputation, or that of Chicago as a major cultural center, by settling for someone second-rate.

It nicely illustrates, that the already 'seemingly dwindling importance' of orchestras in society (which everyone seems to believe) is "forcing" orchestras to settle for less prominent (read: cheaper) choices. But isn't such choosing-trend, in fact, cexactly contributing to this very waning of importance? As if prestigious car manufacturers like Volvo or Mercedes, would suddenly start using inferior cheap components to make their cars cheaper, losing their reputation and image of quality. Would they still be a successful brand? Perhaps maybe available to a bit more consumers, but in the ling run?

In my view, choosing for reputation may perhaps affect your budget in the short term, but it is an investment that can be in the end paying off. Needless to say, not every orchestra in the world is able to afford a prominent conductor like Muti, Abbado or Haiting, but it is necessary to seriously reconsider the current trend in making choices. It requires a great deal of a businessman's spunk to dare such approach, which I unfortunately do miss a lot in the orchestra world (a few exceptions aside, of course).

Hopefully, this will give a positive signal to the orchestra world. Let's not be too defeatist and dare to show, that classical music is alive and kicking!

MS

A balancing act

2008-04-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

A recent orchestra-rehearsal made me realise (and especially when reflecting on it on my way home), how subjective personal perceptions disfigure musical performance. The maturity of one's skills and applying them accordingly - call it being professional - can correct your playing to its correct proportions.

Let me clarify this by a very simple example - if e.g. a violin player or a singer, has a lousy hearing, (s)he will play/sing out of tune (not referring to accidental wrong hits due to speed or incidental nervousness). Like a foreigner, learning English, will perhaps pronounce teh phrase "Where were you" as "Vur vur yoo" - not distinguishing a nuance of pronunciation of the words "where" and " were". You must tell him the difference. It's a process (s)he must learn master: maybe the ear is poorly trained and the player has no clue what (s)he is doing wrong. Equally bad, if the player is not interested at all to be bothered by adjusting the intonation. This is a mental state - and believe me, even among professionals I see it often enough. Yes, even musicians are human, and can have a tendency to laziness or sloppiness. The latter can be corrected, but the former is more problematic.

Now, our ears are not only trained to hear pitch, but a lot more as well. Besides having a good intonation, the ear is also trained to be used to style - your own playing style. Ever recorded your own voice, and played it afterwards? Usually, we tend to be shocked by the different sound of it, the different colour, the extent of nasality - while another person hears no difference at all. Our (hearing-)perception of one's own sound (re)production is therefore extremely confusing ourselves. My struggle often is, that musicians often have a wrong perception of style (the earlier mentioned overly use of vibrato), have a different tempo - even if I beat clearly a bit faster or slower, they keep on going in their own tempo (preference); specific rhythmic patterns notoriously 'force' musicians to start speeding - something which they would notice when only listening; when playing, they're sometimes not aware of their sudden tempo switches. Even if I request them to alter this or that, they continue in their previous way (habit). And perhaps, they're convinced their own performance is flawless, because thinking it is according to what their professor told them to do (pride).

Here again, we come to the discussion, why we allow people to use wrong style: the often heard excuse is "oh let them do this their way, they're already used to it" while, fortunately, intonation is OK to work on? Consequently, if never criticising musicians on their playing, they will become "professionally autistic", not being able any more to maintain a (self)critical hearing, to be more open and appreciative of other ideas, not questioning their own output. To put it differently; we are expected to be critical only to one single aspect, but for the rest we should readily let them err?

Unfortunately, I do see a lot of passivity and this disinterest as if a chronic "professional autism" reigns. 40 Years of communist rule here have left a sad mark, in a field, which one would expect to be detached from politics. Nevertheless it has created a mentality issue. The old school doesn't produce good methods to keep musicians self-critical and to develop an attitude to constantly improve oneself. The good thing is, that there are still some outstanding musicians, with good ideas and open mind - sadly enough they are only an exception. But together we have a task to move forward into the right direction. In time, the rest will gradually have to follow suit or else leave the stage. It is all a balancing act, but balancing which is needed - not because to please your music colleagues, but to make us survive.

MS

Adapting music education

2008-04-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

In one of my previous articles on marketing music, I have already addressed the need of music education to change their programming. Since our modern society has a different pace and methods of exchanging information than 20 years ago, musicians (and especially those, who are to become musicians in the near future) should be made aware of this. PR, branding and entrepreneurship are not terms that exclusively belong to big commercial companies whether in the hi-tech software-, fashion- or oil business. Equally, musicians and the cultural institutions require such strategies in order to function in our world. Keeping a distance, because entrepreneurship simply is alien to them, will in the end result in a slow and a grinding halt.

The American double bass player and blogger Jason Heath beautifully lists and describes in his blog realistic scenarios which take currently place in music schools. What a music student expects, what is (thought) necessary to learn, and how it ends. Despite that there are certain regional specifics due to their setting in the USA, generally these scenarios are, in my view, also valid for most European students and professionals. The bottom-line of his article can be summarised in his passage:

In order to succeed in the contemporary musical landscape, classical music performers need to become businessmen as much as performers, promoters as much as practicers, and innovators as much as reproducers.

I deal a lot with music students and academy professors and performing artists, and see indeed an alarming widening gap growing, where music education is not in line with music life in modern society. Naturally, if focussed on performance (reproducing) only - which has been a given ever since musicians began playing - there is a risk of keeping prejudices towards the 'other realm': "we are just artists, they are businesspeople, technicians, lawyers, workers, etc. ... " This passivity and timorousness will definitively work against themselves. Oddly enough, although young students despite playing a fiddle or piano, know very well how to find mp3 files or free music scores (so, it is not a matter of being IT-illiterate), yet seeing the internet as a tool to research on business approaches or to propagate themselves is exceptional. That's somewhat a connection which seems not to be very obvious.

What is quite mystifying: although for a few years, courses are being offered already here in Slovakia (especially at the Comenius University of Bratislava), yet I haven't noticed any visible outcome. It is not so much about a musician - or art managers - to become money-hungry bookkeepers. Just to become more agile and responding to the market, using the right tools.

People are usually to a certain degree conservative by nature, fearing perhaps new and sudden changes, especially if it involves new technologies and techniques, but let's have culture slip into becoming a dormant dinosaur. It requires an open mind and willingness to admit that new approaches are useful and, in fact, an imperative. For the sake of their own survival. Currently, my art-management "colleagues" Christian Henner-Fehr and David Röthler are investigating workable possibilities and functionality of Web 2.0, whilst I am trying to support our culture-users in Slovakia to start using these tools... It requires an open mind and willingness to admit that new approaches are useful and, in fact, an imperative. For the sake of their own survival.
(to be continued)

MS

Culture: Static or dynamic?

2008-04-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

In life, most things do change over time. Thanks to our modern technologies, we can e.g. compare how our language was spoken 50, 30 and 15 years ago, and can directly compare its evolutionary change over the years. One of the reasons is that humans have the habit of being a bit sloppy and that the human memory is heavily influenced by external factors. Up to the point, of discolouring a memory because of a constant re-thinking.

What happens often in music, is that one often is confronted with interpretation-differences. Most of the composers we perform today, are unfortunately no longer among us, in order to verify our view with them. Doing some research, can to a certain degree give further insight in the circumstances in which a composition was created, or - maybe through diaries or correspondence, how a certain passage should be viewed, nevertheless it leaves a considerable grey area.

For several decades, there is a growing trend of moving away from an overly romantic practice of the Post-War period of music performance, where we have re-shaped almost (even disfigured) music. A few individual musicians, started in the 1950s and early 1960s to re-think about how Baroque music (most probably) should sound like - nowadays a commonly accepted discipline in the prominent music education and on stage as well. After the baroque period, also classicism and romantic period were put under the magnifying glass. Often I am drawn into discussions of what is valid about it. Being quite convinced about the need to repair the damage done in the last 100 years to the baroque and classicist composers, I often think of the once rebellious standing of Frans Brüggen where - he somewhere in the 1960s - exclaimed "every note of Mozart played so far is a lie!"

Although, there are a few aspects of playing that cannot be reproduced in written music-materials. Even some literature (say, a treatise by Geminiani or Leopold Mozart's Violin School) are not 100% conclusive to everything. However, by making use of the proper hardware (instruments - original or replica - using materials with the same technical parameters/limitations) we can experience for 95% the most likely probability of the historic sound, even the (im)probability of certain tempi. Last week, whilst travelling with a colleague-friend, we discussed the same subject on Roger Norringtons recordings (which I have heard, but unfortunately not all of them). Especially the Brahms' German requiem and even Mahler's symphonies are something which keep my mind busy. A vibrato-less Mahler?

I totally agree that the practice until the 1970-1980 (and even followed today) has grown completely out of hand. Admittedly, at first as a young student, I was adamant too, but now, when I see/hear recorded of 1980 Händel concerts with clarinets(!!!) and vibratos so huge, that your LCD-TV screen fall off the wall, not to speak of Bach's St. Matthew Passion conducted by the famous Mengelberg in 1939.

Here we arrive at the cross-road of the discussion: Norrington's approach is that even up to Mahler, the orchestra sound was less coloured by use of constant vibrato, while the Amsterdam Concertgebouw's maestro Willem Mengelberg, who was a personal friend of Gustav Mahler, inviting him to his house, intensively working (together) on his music, writing letters, has made recordings of the Concertgebouw Orchestra with a heavy vibratos - albeit that the recordings are made long after Mahler's death. Would Mengelberg transform the orchestra sound so heavily ever since? It is possible - keeping in mind, that I myself do realise my own change of preformance preferences as I grew older (and hopefully wiser). Nevertheless, I am convinced that even in the baroque period the use of vibrato was common - be it far less than today's trend - and so was surely the the trend in Mahler's time. The scores itself show signs that when composers write e.g. molto espressivo or non vibrato it meant to stress in order to highlight it from the usual playing style within the piece. What is really meant is perhaps a long debate, but it indicates that vibrato was indeed common (again, to a lesser extent than today).

It disturbs me too, to see young players - but not only the young ones - already before putting down their bow on their strings, to heavily vibrate their hands. Their playing looks like 10 spoons of sugar in a cup of coffee, completely losing the flavour of coffee due to the excessive sugar input. It is a bad trend. In addition, people/musicians believing only perform acrobatics to show off their skills, losing more and more the feel for musicality (musicality has nothing to do with high speed and high notes). I call it Oistrakhisms, where people turn Vivaldi concertos into a Paganini-caprices, Bach as if a Wagnerian ouverture into obscenity. It's simply rude towards the composition.

Now you would perhaps say; but culture is dynamic and changes over time - meant is actually just public taste. Yes indeed. Fully agree! But what exactly is being static and what dynamic? It is a (professional) musician's responsibility to know the difference between taste and style . Taste should not be overruling style. That's what we did wrong in the past. Wouldn't that exactly be being static, to blindly follow one (limited) sample, and dynamic if you take time to reflect whether what you play is indeed right (critically compare) and move yourself to a higher level? We have a society, which is far more literate and well informed, than say 100 years ago. It can handle well-thought approaches and concepts. Exactly the opposite, would disqualify a musician from his professionality, making him almost perhaps a kind of populist charlatan. The audience deserves value. And style deserves respect to remain as intact as possible. Besides, ever wondered, why a is called a conservatoire?

MS

Breaking the deafening silence

2008-04-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Moving around predominantly in a - relatively - small circle in Slovakia, nevertheless, one has an easy bird's-eye view over almost the whole music scene. The latest news spreads very quickly as well. In other words; quite a comfortable position, you would say, but sometimes you would wish a bit more variety. The struggle of making culture move forward.

What suddenly caught my attention last week, was an interview of the Slovak Philharmonic's present chief conductor Peter Feranec (starting his post this 2007/2008 concert season) in the Slovak magazine hudobny život ('music life'), which after a tremendous delay, finally issued its first issue this year. Next to the usually biographical part of the interview, it was especially maestro Feranec' open criticism on Slovakia's music life: Against the established managements of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the State Opera, politicians and society in general, on how they (mal)treat the orchestras, that was a pleasant surprise to read. Not the critisism itself, but especially his analysis, the overall ramifications and the alternatives he discussed, showed him to be a capable and balanced visionary orchestra leader.

Like a skilled acupuncturist, he (literally) pinpoints exactly the weak spots, which cause tremendous stagnation, and - here I must fully agree with Peter Feranec - even to liquidation processes (deliberate or not) as a result of some managers' decision-making. The sick patient, however, is not lying before him to be cured, so the healing effect of this possible treatment somehow will not be to his help. I expect even - knowing how it goes sometimes here - that some people perhaps will not regard him any longer as their friend.

Due to time-constraints, I will not delve on individual passages here right now (they would sound like clones of my earlier analysis; furthermore I am not a pro bono translator for this magazine). So if a prominent and experienced (internationally active) conductor airs the same constructive criticism, you would ask, why then is there so little response? But the main thing is, that finally here is a strong voice, which is publicly breaking a deafening silence, that was for such a long time so disturbing in this discussion. Spring has come. Time to awake from hibernation! Will keep you posted. (to be continued...)

MS

A matter of how to look at things

2008-04-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

As a musician, I hear colleagues often - if not constantly - lament how difficult it is these days to survive. As a consultant, when dealing with clients, it is my job to assist organisations with the hurdles they are facing. In all, there is hardly a difference between the 2 spheres, except that in the former case people treat me as their fellow brother-in-arms (thus being their equal), in the latter case, I am considered as a kind of an outsider, who has hardly any ties to them, which sometimes is a bit of a barrier (regarded as not being their equal) in our communication. As a colleague they are extremely frank and open, as a professional consultant there is apparently a professional distance.

Nevertheless, as I can draw a much wider picture of the things people tell me, it is hardly a problem, to grasp my clients' needs, as well as (and very important indeed) the way they feel and think. Understanding the psychology which goes along with their need for change, in other words "looking beyond the statistical data, graphs, economic forecasts" is a very essential aspect, that you have to keep in mind, and is instrumental for the solution searching and strategic planning. Equally, a much quicker confidence is created between yourself and the customer. To be open about their concerns or fears and making them comfortable in discussing this is a must in this business.

Even though, to the readers of my blog (hopefully most, if not all of them) this given is probably taken for granted, but I am amazed, to witness a trend - either within my group of colleagues, or with my clients - that people tend to focus so much on what they cannot or may not do, instead of investing more energy and creativity of what is feasible. On numerous accounts, suggested innovations are immediately opposed by responses like "that's difficult to do", "no money", "there's this bureaucracy", "we already tried five years ago". If I start calculating, how much time it takes to find a solution compared to how much time I need in order to convince the client to accept the fact in the first place that change is necessary for his survival (as the present situation is causing him problems anyway)... I alway tend to say: "If you don't shoot, you always miss the target".

Culture is experiencing a bumpy ride (and in fact... has almost always been in that situation) but if you see all the innovative technologies around - faster communications, better quality technologies, skilled people, why not positively make use of this all instead of constantly sticking our heads in the sand? - besides, we hardly have enough sand-pits for that anyway.

MS

Economy and Arts: Enemies or Allies?

2008-04-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

As this subject is a daily reality for me, publications on this subject have somehow summited for the last few months (or is it the same effect, when you buy a bordeau-red car, that suddenly you notice that more people started buying a bordeau-red cars as well?). For a long time, I am actively dealing with matters whether orchestras are (still) viable. Alarming news on dismantling orchestras, reducing its size, and last but not least, the publication of the Flanagan Report of the Mellon Foundation, which apparently seems to conclude that orchestras are facing an imminent death. Prof. Robert J. Flanagan of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as an experienced authority in the field of economics, analyses the state of American orchestras (would this automatically mean, that it is equally applicable to European bodies, or a band in Seoul or Melbourne.

The study itself might be valuable as an analysis over the period, which it covered (i.e. from 1987-2003) – it could indeed serve as a guideline, or as a possible variant. Yet orchestras – as well as other art organisations and non-profit sector actors – are not only lead by economic drivers.

Economic statistical indicators are only a partial snapshot of a situation, which do not reflect the overall picture: Equally, if you would visit your doctor tomorrow, he will take your temperature and asses it is 36,9 degrees centigrade (which is in medical terms perfectly all right) it will not prove, whether you are currently feeling happy at all. Not mentioning that your bed was a bit hard and you have a backache, or that you simply have a bad day, the fact regarding your body temperature is not conclusive.

The bottom line of the said report states that orchestras are a deep pit where money disappears – in other words: structural deficits. Economists or CEOs of huge companies would immediately draw the ‘obvious’ conclusion to pull the plug, before more loss will show in the records. Or, at best, a complete make-over of marketing, provided profitable turnover is feasible in the near-future (preferably within a time-span of 5 years maximum!). Anything in the red is not worth dealing with.

Perhaps we are hardly aware any longer, that in our modern societies, we have nevertheless services, which we as individual citizens have delegated to the community (municipal authority, government), and for which we pay, by means of taxes or through insurances. Both financed from our wallet. Is your local fire-department profitable? If not, would you abolish it? How about the school attended by your children? Or the ambulance service? And yet, correctly, societies still consider these items as essential – even though running them is a costly matter. Although we start realising, fortunately enough, that good education is essential for the long-term economic benefits, art is somehow a suppositious child… or rather an orphan. Community services even charity seem OK, but art is 'too elitist'?

In my view, the main problem is our own parochialism: We have started to learn to divide people and their disciplines into little niches. What I often sense, is the lack of being able to look a bit over the fence into other disciplines, to have a kind of cross-over in solution-seeking: A typical scenario: An orchestra is in dire financial need, a local manager - who happened to be successful in running a hardware store – is called to deliver the band from bankruptcy…and after a certain time fails. Why? Because the involved parties do not communicate on the same wave-length. The economist is academically looking at statistics and figures, while the artists are hardly interested in being bothered with management issues. Instead being deft in tackling the dynamics of the world around (a lot of creativity is required for that) it is unfortunately either this or the other opposite.

Therefore, I myself do resent the usual attitude of public taking such reports and sometimes come up with conclusions, which even my 5 year old son would be able to think of. Maybe a bit off-track, but do we realise, how much time, energy and resources such a report has cost society? We know very well, that throughout the years, many economic systems have been introduced, sometimes idolised, finding many years later out that they were not the right stuff… An example would be Keynesian economics and later Friedman and Hayek’s criticism. Therefore, economics is not dogmatic, its values never timeless. The so called economic demands are (and therefore the economic value) of a product – in our case the price society/audience would be willing to pay for concerts – is a very relative and a flexible given.

Since our modern society, with almost borderless access to any corner of the world (be it by means of modern transportation on via the electronic highway) is no longer limited to its village or town like it was in the 19^th century. Technology and communication is more dynamic than was 30 years ago. This is a fact, which all of us face, and this must be the starting-point from where we should develop our strategies.

Economics is only our thermometer telling us if physically we are OK (and still, it is only one indicator; is not giving any indication of our blood-pressure). If we feel fit, happy or if we want to be successful, more is needed. What the Flanagan Report shows me, is that orchestras have little learned how to deal with governance issues, whether management was art-oriented or economy-oriented. Economics seems as if it is behaving like an enemy towards arts, but only if perceived through this narrow-minded angle. It is necessary to be aware of this, and not to be afraid of the other discipline and start learning to jointly reach for a solution. It is this creativity to develop efficient marketing, PR, branding (yes also for musicians), and networking. Not only do we have to educate our orchestras to get out of their IT-illiteracy and start using more modern ways to surface, but also our audience (society) needs to be educated, to stop thinking of only short-term profit and loss – that other intangible values are sometimes even priceless. Realising that economy is also largely driven by psychology - if not primarily.

I would like to quote a blog-commenter, whose name I do not know unfortunately (calling himself only “unkultur”); he stated that culture is as brittle as nature: for a long time, people were not interested in nature preservation, no realising what a multi fold price they have to cough up to deal with our polluted environment. Only now, we realised, that we cannot live without this nature (or that the ramifications of our long lack of interest are dramatic). In my personal conviction, we cannot live withour culture either. How long will it take, before we realise this? Hopefully, in time before it is too late.

Business-like arts a failure

2008-04-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

I must admit, that my today's title is not very original, in fact it's the title of an article, which caught my attention thanks to the Das Kulturmanagement Blog (available only in German). But the article is coming at a moment, as I witness the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovak Radio being in big trouble, where CBC is dismantling its orchestra, and more: I simply couldn't resist any longer and had to post a blog-article myself as well. Surely, Christian will forgive me for that.

According to the original article in the Australian Sydney Morning Herald Justin Macdonnell, after having spent many years in the US as an artistic director, he comes to the conclusion that "throughout the English-speaking world, the board system of governance in the non-profit sector has been a miserable failure". His observation was - in short - that board members were slowly becoming business people [only], being focussed in the only thing they were good at: business, ... simply put: profit-oriented. Having read another episode of the earlier mentioned Columbus Symphony Orchestra struggling, is nicely illustrating an exception, and how the involved parties view eachother's role in it.

I would tend to agree both with Justin Macdonnell and Christian's analysis, that indeed art is not a 'business-business'. Although art is a strange and a slippery area as far as business is concerned: Millions have willingly been paid for Karajan's recordings, while now even better maestros (musically speaking) walk around our planet, who miss their chances because the orchestra is simply having a "budget-issue" - even though their yearly wage would be even far less than what Karajan would demand for a single recording. Let me describe a fictive situation: Like a Renoir; a piece of cloth with blurry coloured oil-based additions on its surface, turning it out to to the eye of the beholder to be a beautiful garden scene, where you can even smell the fragrant summer flowers in the garden. Howmuch is it worth? If a rich Japanese collector pays $1.7 million for it, it is considered to be the market price, and unfortunately our modest wallets' content would not suffice to buy it. But if our Japanese friend will suddenly have some bad luck, and his company go bancrupt, losing his fortune, he can always sell his painting.... that is; in the worst case, if nobody would be in need or want for it (not very likely though in the case of a Renoir, but purely for the sake of argument), then it suddenly became indeed a useless piece of cloth and he won' t be able to sell it at all.

Here's the point; we should indeed run our orchestras in such a way that every penny we spend can be justified. Have a good and a sound marketing strategy, yet realising, that orchestras are no oil-companies, that can easily increase the price of the tickets when winter comes, or another armed conflict in the Middle East would be pending. Therefore the marketing must be in balance with its artistic content - being based on purely a profit-and-loss analysis. Good quality art - performing art that is - has obviously its value. It only depends, howmuch you are willing to pay for it. That's a matter of educating your audience as well. If people never experienced an evening out to the concerts, it will unlikely be attracted to put down perhaps even $10. In the event, they were regular concert-goers, appreciating the whole atmosphere and entourage, then $50 would not be an issue. Orchestra governance is therefore more than sitting in a luxurious office, calculating this month's wages for the musicians (one of the biggest expenditures), making phone-calls to find a replacement (another few bucks over the counter), and distributing posters (printing costs!) for the upcoming concert. It is a serious matter, where the basic plus and minus do matter of course. But economy is not only calculating, it's also a great deal of psychology; a wrong signal can make the stock exchange crash within hours. The task is, to keep your audience's attention and interest. Here, being creative rather than only a book-keeper is essential. That's what some of the boards clearly missed. Unfortunately, people plan things solutions mostly as an "either - or" option, instead of an "as well - as". I would like to refer also to this ArtsJournal weblog written by Andrew Taylor on this matter.

Allow me to conclude with a quote by Albert Einstein, surely a man, which is viewed by most of us as being rational and a scientist pur sang, who said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge". And relatively speaking, this could apply to any given situation.

MS

Dismantling orchestras

2008-04-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

To my great astonishment, last week I have read the news that Canada's CBC Radio Orchestra is to be dismantled by November. Not reduced, no; definitively abolished. After worldwide featuring the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Ohio, USA), which has already raised much international eyebrow frowning, this news however, especially from Canada took me indeed by surprise.

I came across an article by Christopher Butterfield in the Times Colonist, from which I would like to quote two - in my view - very appropriate statements. Giving a brief analysis for the situation, he argues that the trend of cutting or dismantling orchestras is based on misleading grownds. His usual message to students is - and I quote - that they (we all) "live in a society that does not require art to have commercial value in order to be of value". Furthermore, he prophetically warns that the long-term damage will have (perhaps even irreversible) impact on local culture itself, referring to the song: "You don't miss your water 'til your well runs dry". That is, of course, if it is really your intention to stop drinking water, then go ahead.

Talking about commercial value, though (or considering something having a commercial value): Why is it, that most countries have locally perhaps only one classical radio channel, but a dozens of very similar commercial stations - broadcasting the similar songs? Seems that it's commercially more interesting to produce another radio-clone... Just to think about.

MS

Conductors' market: Inflation and beating time.

2008-04-06T03:59:00.001-07:00

Conductors are usually mystique and impressive - in front of a grand orchestra, they emulate inspiration such that the musicians reproduce the composer's oeuvre to its utmost intented perfection. At least, that would be the ideal case. What does a conductor need, besides a 10 dollar glassfibre baton and white-tie gala outfit? A lot of baggage. Foremost, intellectual baggage and a strong personality.

A few weeks ago, I met a young student conductor still in his twenties, who was proudly telling me that he became a permanent conductor of the National Opera. Unfortunately, we were looking at eachother, so I had to control myself not to burst out in laughter. It was obvious, that he obtained this post due to his contacts, as my judgement of his conducting skills are not very favourable. How on earth, can such a inexperienced no-body get such a prominent post? The answer is very simple; besides of his autocratic patron, he is servile, and - of course - CHEAP!

If you have, as a bookkeeper, a choice in between price-tag A for 5,000 or price-tag B for 50,000 which would you choose? Thought so. Now imagine you have a precious car, which you fill only with cheap very poor quality gasoline, no maintenance... what do you think, will the long term consequence be? A young inexperienced (not even graduated) maestro is no asset to any orchestra. How can a 20-and-something year old kid, have the intellectual baggage to lead an orchestra? He knows only how to beat time - at best. In the worst case, he simply immitates (without understanding the ramifications) his master or other conductor. In such a case, I could even device a software program, which compiles all the known recordings, and from that sublimate the optimally required tempo and dynamic, and project it virtually in front of the orchestra. Just a simple and effective time-beater! Hiring conductors is becoming a joke. And a bad one indeed.

Now this trend is not exclusively Slovak; it seems to be a fad, that young conductors attract the attention of the public. A few days ago, young Gustavo Dudamel (also 27) conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Although, I consider Dudamel far more skilled than the aforementioned conductor-student. Nevertheless, my reservation against such trends proved true, as I read a review where indeed my biggest adamancy is being exactly voiced: as a lack of weight (intellectually) conducting by young conductors, including the so (too) much hailed Dudamel, is merely a matter of tremendously showing off - conducting for the public; not for the music. As if you see a clone of Claudio Abbado (the very same gestures being immitated! - for what???). His initiative for young Venezuelan musicians is - I must admit - quite admirable. But when having seen an interview on BBC television, I nearly fell of my sofa. Still needs to ripen.

To all orchestra managers and culture ministers; stop this cheap conductor shopping, and finally realise, that in order to make your orchestras really presentable, make them work with real maestros, instead of cheap child-labour. Yes, of course, it will cost you a bit more, but what would you expect? In the end, it's quality that matters. About time to send the kids home to learn - for another decade or so - what music is really about. Your orchestras need to improve in quality and maintaining it, not becoming merely baby-sitters.

MS

Art Management: what and how

2008-04-06T02:46:00.000-07:00

When I read the blog, where my prolific colleague Christian Henner-Fehr mentioned last week three very interesting issues - namely the definition of Art Manager, and the value of our services (or: howmuch should we charge) and Art Management as a discussion platform, it caused me to make some analysis and reflect, as these three articles are closely intertwined. Let me just shortly illustrate my experiences, and air some thoughts:

Being an Art Management consultant, predominantly in Slovakia as well as in the Czech Republic, I am spending a lot of time explaining my music colleagues, what I do - or could do. Christian Henner-Fehr correctly points out in his articles, how grey(ish) this field indeed is. Even so, that despite several decades of adding this subject to their curriculum, none of the educational institutes match the definition of what this subject should contain. While some would primarily offer his/her services to assist cultural groups obtaining funding or sponsorship others - like myself - see it also as a kind of awareness raising task, to make these institutions improve their effectivity, viability and visibility. (And no, I am not an artist manager, who organises concerts, an impression which mostly encounter.) While it is indeed an obvious fact, that finance is the greatest barrier, and submitting subsidy/sponsorship applications is for most of them priority number one, I would always stress to my clients, that it takes more than obtaining a financial injection, since after this project there's still another horizon to come. Sooner or later they must become independent enough (else I would become some sort of bureaucratic subsidy-administrative assistant for the ensembles). Therefore the greyishness of Art Management is somehow a benefit to us, where we can creatively co-operate with our clients to reach our joint objectives - thus not being limited to one chore.

In my view, it is in this very niche, where I have to play a significant role as a consultant, to show them the way ahead. To be aware, that what they offer has a value, which they should adequately bring to the market. And there comes the other issue: what should we charge?

Being a consultant, people mostly associate with exuberant fees, a slick office, at least 200 world-wide branches, and you name it. However, we move around in a field, which has in some exceptional spots on the globe maybe offering six digits (e.g. Berlin, Vienna, New York, Tokyo) but for the rest, the majority is moving on a more humble elevation. We are facing sometimes a cruel dilemma, of offering a valuable lasting solution (the famous example of giving a fishing rod to the hungry and teach them how to fish, rather than just a fish), and a certain degree of idealism to support financially poor cultural groups, hardly able to keep their head above the surface. The price for our (professional) services should not be underrated, neither overrated. Especially, when we teach our client his worth as well. But when you client is open to changes, and provided your input is taken seriously, it is an investment which pays off well. For both parties involved, that is.

MS

Teaching needs investing

2008-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

As I do deal a lot with musicians on a daily basis (not just as a 'passive concert-goer') a certain observation of the Slovak and Czech music world around me haunts my mind. And the key word is, as awful as it might sound: STAGNATION. Oddly enough, there's an old proverb - and I must admit, maybe quite presumptuous, but for the sake of argument it is a nice starting point - "every Czech a musician". Proverbs sometimes do contain a slight historical truth, so let's ponder on this given. Just to make clear, since our long coexistence, I consider Slovakia still a bit similar to the Czech case in that aspect, as Slovak was labelled in the 18th century as Czech. But let's not delve too much on ethnographics and history right now.

If I remember Gustav Mahler's fan and acquaintance, whom I mentioned earlier in one of my previous articles, Ján Cádra, where he mentions a significant difference between a German orchestra and an orchestra from Prague, while Mahler rehearsed his symphonies with them, he did stress, that the Czech musicians seemed to understand the music better than the players in Munich - even though as far as the orchestra discipline is concerned, Munich seemed to have his favour. So perhaps. something in the Bohemian (Czech) culture was indeed notably music oriented. Not to forget the list of Bohemian composers, who even moved around all of Europe and beyond - Benda, Stamic, Rosetti (originally Růžička), and of course Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, Martinů and more. In such a landscape it must be inherent that passing on this cultural inheritance to the next generations would be the most natural thing. Well, ... not quite, as it appears. And in all honesty, I see hardly any big Slovak or Czech name, which in my eyes can truly compete with his colleagues from abroad.

I feel sometimes a bit depressed, when seeing how students struggle in schools, which offer hollow programmes - just the conventional dexterity excercises, teachers - who are not merely badly motivated because of the low wages, even sometimes have no fundamental pedagogical skills whatsoever - furthermore there is a chronic tunnel view (exceptions aside - but exceptions are exceptions; not the rule). Music education resembles an old outdated factory, where production is inefficient, producing low quality commodities which nobody seems wanting to buy. That's a bit of an alarming statement, but this persistently lingers in my mind, everytime I deal with cultural institutes in general.

Interestingly enough, when meeting musicians in a pub, after concerts or rehearsals, you hear suddenly very different and strong opinions. Not to downgrade pub talks - as these did indeed pinpoint exactly what is wrong. Obviously there's definitively a awareness around - maybe a bit limited to a certain group of musicians; those who have the talent, to look beyond their horizons. Fortunately! Naturally, the question follows, why, then, is stagnation so rampant? Is there such a schism between a quasi 'ruling class' and the others, where "the twain shall never meet"?

I see therefore one of the major weaknesses in education. An area, which needs a different attitude; the humble subservant teacher should be aware of his important role in shaping his pupil's skills and most of all - his character. I see a lot of scrap going on; people who should not be allowed to teach at all, as they devastate a potential talent causing perhaps lasting damage, rather than making him/her ready to be inquisitive, eager to learn new things, to look beyond, and be confident; confident to stand up, to start making a difference.

There is obviously a gap; what is diagnosed, does not get to the top, or the top doesn't want to change the diagnosed issue. Like a serious disease; you can perhaps try to ignore it for a while - pretending it's not there, but sooner or later, you will pass a point, where it becomes irreversibly incurable with fatal results. It is in the interest of all involved - and society - to jointly address this stagnation and get it moving again, to preserve a unique heritage while you still can. A matter of lacking money? But even with limited funds, the change can come even from within. The sad truth is, that there is enough money around; it's just a embarrassing lack of interest!

MS

Marketing in Music

2008-03-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-29T03:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-03-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-03-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-03-21T01:35:00.000-07:00

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