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EmailArts circles are abuzz over a long, prominently played New York Times investigation of the Seattle Symphony, which was published Sunday and reprinted Monday in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
The article focused on the long-simmering and rancorous feud between Music Director Gerard Schwarz and many orchestra musicians. It's a story that is both well known among the musical community and soft pedalled by the Symphony and the local media. At the heart of it is a debate over whether it's time for a new conductor, and whether a messy departure of Schwarz, who became music director in 1985, would so anger many major financial backers as to jeopardize the symphony.
So far, the symphony is not commenting on the story, saying there are "no new revelations" and that it's "old news about discord backstage." In fact, there were some new revelations, including the names of musicians who have filed affidavits in support of a violinist bringing charges of abusive behavior against the symphony and Schwarz; the actual vote count of a musicians' survey that was 61-8 in favor of new artistic leadership; unusual criticism from headhunter Pamela Rolfe, who led an unsuccessful search for a new executive director; and more details from musicians who claim to have been punished by Schwarz for speaking out.
The overall effect of the article was highly critical, saying the symphony has been "lurching from crisis to crisis." It certainly won't help in local fundraising, nor in landing a new position for Schwarz. Not surprisingly, the symphony is hoping the bad publicity will pass. The only comment so far is in the form of an e-mail sent by Executive Director Thomas Phillion to "Seattle Symphony Family" two days before the Times article appeared. Crosscut obtained a copy of the communication and has asked the symphony to elaborate on the inaccuracies it says were in the story. Here's the letter:
Dear Seattle Symphony Family,
This weekend, the New York Times will publish an article about the Seattle Symphony, which will appear in Sunday's Arts & Leisure section.
Because of your important involvement with the Symphony, I wanted to let you know that I have seen an advance copy of the article, and felt it was critical to reach you with a heads up about the story, some of my concerns, and what we are doing about it.
While there are some positive aspects to the story, much of it concerns old news about discord backstage, including incidents that we have worked so hard to put behind us over the past year-and-a-half. The referenced litigation has been ongoing for nearly two years, and just recently the court dismissed the principal charges. There are no new revelations contained in the story, and in fact, there are a number of inaccuracies.
But because the New York Times is a paper of national record, my great concern focuses on the potential broad implications such an article may have on our orchestra's national reputation. This is something we all need to reflect on.
As the Executive Director, I am committed to redoubling the attention placed on bolstering the reputation of this organization and build on the successes of the past year ... the record box office, the first balanced budget in several years, extraordinary fundraising initiatives and success, wonderful collaborations, an Emmy, great musical leadership, and most importantly ... great performances from the stage at Benaroya Hall. We will continue to focus on the good news, and work to communicate with all our constituents.
We have so much good news to share, not the least of which is that the public has responded with what is shaping up to be our biggest December ever. The public will be there because the programming is superb. What better vote of confidence is there?
Please know that I am available to you if you have any questions. I invite your support. If you should receive an inquiry from anyone in the press about this, please direct them to contact Rosalie Contreras at the SSO (206-215-4782). Thank you again for all you do for this institution.
Tom Philion
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Comments:
Posted Tue, Dec 18, 2:19 p.m. Inappropriate
NYTimes about the Seattle Symphony: As a long time member of the Seattle symphony, I have to assert that the NY Times article accurately reflects the morale of the orchestra and the musicians' frustration with the SSO board. That said, what the article omitted was that the allegations of "orchestral terrorism" were investigated by a 3rd party, hired by management and union, and turned up no conclusive evidence. This was never reported in the local press.
But the article is not about Mr. Cerminaro; that is just a symptom of the greater problem of what can happen when a music director stays too long. Any intelligent person can see from the current atmosphere that the relationship between Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony is no longer working. Under the current music director, the Seattle Symphony has had many triumphs, but few of them have had anything to do with music; the fact is, in the last decade the symphony has stagnated under this music director because there's NO "THERE" THERE. Hearing the orchestra under a guest conductor is enough to prove that with fresh, inspired leadership, the Seattle Symphony could be great indeed. With a survey stating 61-8 that new leadership is needed, one can no longer say that it's just a few disgruntled musicians! Too bad it has come to this.
Posted Tue, Dec 18, 7:14 p.m. Inappropriate
I will say that subsequent reporting on the symphony controversy and the blog battling by symphony members only has only confirmed Downey's original take on the situation.
Posted Fri, Dec 21, 12:21 a.m. Inappropriate
"Inaccuracies"???: "Inaccuracies"???........more like "The Untold Stories" -
The NYT story is much bigger in scope than anything that has ever been printed about the scandals surrounding the SSO.
It is a story of much intrigue which has finally caught the attention of a worthy journalist that saw merit in the many facts that have gone unheard and unnoticed till now.
As stated in one of the blogs..... it is also fact:
"This is reminiscent of other in-famous scandals such as the Mostly Mozart uprising and most recently the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in England, where Mr. Schwarz had become principal conductor in 2001 and inevitably faced trouble. As was reported, friction built........Malcolm Stewart, the orchestra's concertmaster of 24 years, quit in 2003. And in 2004, 40 of the 65 musicians cast an anti-Schwarz vote."
According to sources / long time members of the orchestra someone has already posted this (in one of the blogs):
" I have to assert that the NY Times article accurately reflects the morale of the orchestra and the musicians' frustration with the SSO board. That said, what the article omitted was that the allegations of "orchestral terrorism" were investigated by a 3rd party, hired by management and union, and turned up no conclusive evidence. This was never reported in the local press.
But the article is not about Mr. Cerminaro; that is just a symptom of the greater problem of what can happen when a music director stays too long. Any intelligent person can see from the current atmosphere that the relationship between Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony is no longer working.
Cranky Boomer is woefully ignorant of music, the orchestral industry, and especially audition procedures, and totally unqualified to make judgment about the musicians in the Seattle sympony. Under the current music director, the Seattle Symphony has had many triumphs, but few of them have had anything to do with music; the fact is, Cranky Boomer, in the last decade the symphony has stagnated under this music director because there's NO "THERE" THERE. Hearing the orchestra under a guest conductor is enough to prove that with fresh, inspired leadership, the Seattle Symphony could be great indeed. With a survey stating 61-8 that new leadership is needed, one can no longer say that it's just a few disgruntled musicians! Too bad it has come to this."
....we as the concert going public can see for our selves what can happen when an orchestra does the right thing.
In reading what happened to the Royal Liverpool orchestra, I hope the same outcome will echo in the halls of Benaroya.
Why Liverpool is galvanised by the 'Petrenko effect'
Posted Fri, Dec 21, 12:23 a.m. Inappropriate
TRUTHS by a NY critic: For Tom Philion to deny any of this is ludicrous.
If he chooses to stick his head in the sand, perhaps he should read this revealing review by NY's foremost critic Greg Sandow (Wall Street Journal, 1998):
"What almost killed the evening was the conductor, Gerard Schwarz, who's been music director of Mostly Mozart for 16 years. In his favor, I can say that he kept the soloists, chorus and orchestra together and moved everything along at the proper speed.
But in his hands the music had no line, no motion from place to place. It had no color, only the most routine kind of clarity, and no sense of Mozart's style. Mr. Schwarz didn't even breathe or phrase with the singers, giving them no support at all, as if to him they were just some minor element in an otherwise orchestral texture. Sometimes he'd demonstrate his control by emphasizing details -- accented notes, or momentary counter-melodies, all of which seemed pointless in a performance with no tone or shape, no strong contrast between loud music and soft, and sometimes in fast passages (like the final chorus) not much rhythm.
Why, I might ask, should someone with so little to offer be entrusted with a major musical event, let alone one that so clearly demands a point of view? But there's a larger issue.
For years, Mostly Mozart hasn't mattered very much. People bought tickets, and that, it seemed, was all its planners cared about. The performances mostly were routine.
Lately, though, Lincoln Center's programmers, Jane Moss and Hanako Yamaguchi, have revived the artistic spark that created the series in the first place. Within a week, I've heard not just "Idomeneo," but heartwarming and deeply original performances by Emmanuel Ax (playing Chopin's second concerto on a period piano, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) and by the deeply original Latvian-born violinist Gidon Kremer, with an irrepressible ensemble of 20-something string players from the Baltic states, which he calls KREMERata BALTICA.
In a festival of this emerging quality, Schwarz -- once known for running chamber orchestras in New York, but now not much respected outside Seattle, where he leads the Seattle Symphony -- wouldn't be invited to conduct. That he should be music director is, quite simply, astonishing."
Greg Sandow adds:
[Some people find this review very strong. Maybe I should have added an explanation, which would have gone something like this:
We have two baseball teams in New York, and when there's an issue concerning one of them, everybody knows it, sportswriters and fans alike. It's debated intensely.
But that's not true in classical music. There's hardly any debate at all. Gerard Schwarz can be a washout as music director of Mostly Mozart and everybody in the business knows it -- but it's never discussed openly. The critics don't say a word.
So I thought I'd try writing what everybody says backstage. One of my colleagues, by the way, praised Schwarz for renovating the Mostly Mozart programs. He should have made a phone call to check his information. Don't music critics do journalism any more?
Late flash -- I got a phone call from a member of the Seattle Symphony, whom of course I won't name, though I'll stress that it's someone I'd never met or spoken to. This musician wanted to thank me for this review, and said, assuring me that all but two or three players in the orchestra would agree: "If they fire him at Mostly Mozart, maybe that will make it easier for us to get rid of him here."
Never before, after writing a review, have I gotten a call like this.]
Wall Street Journal, August 11, 1998
Renovating Mozart
Posted Fri, Dec 21, 12:39 a.m. Inappropriate
Executive Director or Puppet??: .....incidentally, when Philion first came to Seattle he was introducing himself as "I work for Jerry" .....truly astounding isn't it?!?
I thought he worked for the Symphony?
Posted Mon, Dec 24, 5:57 a.m. Inappropriate
Local "Media": What I think is most shocking about this story is the way the two major papers, the Times particularly, have ignored this story for decades, sticking steadfastly to cheerleading for their major advertisers. For many years this SSO story was so very well known in the community that it could hardly even be considered insider information. The same is true for stories about the Opera, Ballet (during the interminable Stowell era), and others - which never see the light of day unless they are reported out of town. But I guess when the pr flacks rush out to embrace the "critics" when they arrive at an opening, that should tell you something. The kid glove treatment these institutions have had is the very definition of provincial.
Posted Wed, Dec 26, 8:27 a.m. Inappropriate
"Media": well put.
Incidentally the NYTimes article re-print by the Seattle PI with headlines "Courtroom is Seattle Symphony's next venue" has magically vanished into thin air after some very enlightening comments all 65 of them.
Now you cannot even find those comments when you search google using cache.
Posted Wed, Dec 26, 8:41 a.m. Inappropriate
NYTimes original article: I think it is worthwhile to point to the original article again.
In Seattle, a Fugue for Orchestra and Rancor