On Monday (10/3), classical-music radio station WQXR 105.9fm posted a podcast, hosted by broadcaster Naomi Lewin, that looks at contemporary definitions of the role of the orchestra conductor. “The notion of the conductor as autocrat, bent on achieving perfection by any means necessary, can seem like a throwback to another era. It was Arturo Toscanini who famously broke batons, berated musicians and even threw a score at his orchestra during rehearsals, all, we were told, in the service of the music. By the 1960s, collective bargaining agreements and workplace rules helped to do away with such behavior. Or did they? In this podcast we explore some recent incidents along with the larger question of how the Internet and social media play a role in modern orchestras. … ‘We’re experiencing a kind of Arab Spring among orchestra musicians,’ says Norman Lebrecht, author of several books including Why Mahler?, which is just out in paperback. … Anne Midgette, the classical music critic of the Washington Post, is less convinced that conductors are any worse today than before, and cautions against blowing up localized issues. … Jesse Rosen, President & CEO of the League of American Orchestras, argues that ‘command and control’ is no longer the dominant leadership style that it was in Toscanini’s day, and today in the U.S. at least, a more collegial atmosphere pervades.” The full podcast can be heard at the link above.
Posted October 5, 2011
