A (Washington) Post Mortem

Two days ago I tuned into my local MPR station and within 30 seconds had correctly identified the two gentlemen talking – Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. There was something about how they presented themselves which made me immediately think about Watergate and Nixon. I didn’t even get the gist of their topic before I knew who they were. One of them (can’t remember which), when talking about that era, mentioned that he thought they were working for the greatest editor (Benjamin Bradlee) and the greatest owner (Katharine Graham) in the business. Lo how the mighty have fallen.

Continue Reading

Dear Mr. Gelb…

Well, to be blunt, you’re not just wrong, you’re dead wrong.  And since the eyes of the (baseball) world are on the beautiful city of Minneapolis right now I’d like to invite you out here for a visit. “The Minnie-Apple?” you say. “What could that Midwest backwater possibly have to interest such an urban New York sophisticate as myself?” Admittedly, the bagels here aren’t nearly as good as most places in Manhattan, and for some reason the Twins simply cannot beat those damn Yankmes (yes, Derek Jeter is one of the greatest … Continue Reading

The Tale of Two Papers: A Head-to-Head Breakdown

Sticks&Drones is delighted to hear about the deeply researched article in the Indianapolis Star, the premiere paper in all of Indiana, that delves into the upcoming appearance of Joshua Bell with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In today’s world it is a woeful rarity to have such erudite reporting about classical music, let alone a major symphony orchestra. The choice of pairing him with Joshua Kaufman was certainly inspired as well. And if the idea is taken a step further…

Continue Reading

The Broken Circle

Well, it finally happened. Those of you not living in a cave will have heard the Osmo Vänskä is returning as the Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra. I’ve already heard some people claim that the orchestra has come full circle. Not quite. There are still some major issues surrounding the M.O. that cannot be avoided. Musicians have left, and to replace them is a lengthy, time consuming, and expensive process. There is still a deficit which needs to be addressed. There are very bruised feelings in the community over how this has all … Continue Reading

Don Quichotte Rides Again: Viswa and the San Diego Opera

Just because I’m lazy here’s another post from my colleague Viswa Subbaraman on the San Diego Opera situation:   A lot has been going on with the San Diego Opera in the past week. I’m going to try to talk about the most updated information I’ve seen, but it’s changing pretty rapidly. If I’m behind in my analysis, I apologize. I want to preface all of the following tirade with these important disclaimers: I don’t know the exact numbers behind the SDO issues. I have not seen a statement of cash flows, … Continue Reading

Guest Blog: Viswa and The San Diego Opera

It has been a few days now and yet I still don’t understand this decision on the part of the San Diego Opera board. But what do I know? I don’t spend every waking moment dreaming about opera, producing opera, conducting opera, etc., so I’ve turned to someone who does.

Continue Reading

All The King’s Horses

About a week ago a friend asked me why I hadn’t posted a blog on the Minnesota Orchestra lately. My response was that I was waiting until the lockout was over. I’m not sure which of us was more surprised: him, for what I said; or me, that he was surprised I said it. Unfortunately, it’s the truth – the lockout is not over.

Continue Reading