This may come as a shock to many people but…. the classical music world is very strange. Case in point – this weekend, which found me the one place I was pretty sure I would never be again, and though it was a balmy 64 degrees in Minnesota it was certainly the coldest day in the history of hell.
Minnesota Orchestra
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
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.
Calling Joe Welch
An unfortunate thing happened to me over social media over the last 24 hours. It was, of course, related to the Minnesota Orchestra, and it rather accurately distills the raw and unfettered emotions surrounding this controversy. Somehow this got me thinking about what we, the community, have lost.
The Difference Between Simple and Easy
In the wreckage that is the Minnesota Orchestra a lot of us have been throwing around ideas on what the next move should be. Many of these ideas are intriguing, some are debatable. A large part of these discussion have rotated around very simple ideas which on the surface seem no-brainers. Unfortunately, many of these are a trap.
Setting the Record Straight: A Clarification and an Apology
In my last post I made some very pointed jabs concerning the situation at the Minnesota Orchestra. I have heard through the grapevine that these may have been misinterpreted by some involved in the lockout. I want to clarify my intent and apologize if anyone has been offended.
Well…
18 months ago Sticks&Drones first broke the news about the labor strife at the Minnesota Orchestra in a blog entitled The Sinking of the Minnesota. Reaction to that post was, to put it mildly, somewhat negative. I was excoriated in the press as being “unhelpful,” for “throwing unnecessary fuel on the fire,” and other things, some of which I would have thought unprintable in this day and age. In that post I made the following statements: Many musicians appear convinced that during this round of contract negotiations the M.O. is intent on … Continue Reading
Dear Governor Dayton
Dear Governor,
I know that the demands of your office make you one of the busiest people in Minnesota but the musical flagship of your state needs your help. Right now. And I need to tell you a story –