Dear Friends,
The holiday 2009 season arrives none too soon, after what has certainly been a full, yet fulfilling year. Hard to imagine, but in 2009, I finished my tenure in Lucerne after five years, and earned my new position as Music Director with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. I also made my first concert as Music Director of the Hollywood in Vienna with the ORF Radio Symphony in the famous Vienna Konzerthaus. This red carpet gala concert was quite the contrast from the intensity of Tristan and Isolde and the 9th Symphony of Beethoven. And then to also enjoy a summer tour of “Jazzique” music making throughout Europe and North America with Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang seemed yet even more distant in the orchestral realm. Yet, perhaps not.
I find myself increasingly asked to do more versatile programs, not only to reflect my interest and taste in music, but also the evolving demands of the public. Perhaps that tells us something? The classical artist (and pop, rock and R&B for that matter) is reflecting much more the society served, rather than expecting the society to serve the artist. In doing so, we artists mirror the attitude, lifestyle and taste of the audience for whom we perform. 50 years ago, a classical concert was an overture, concerto and symphony of core repertoire, performed in a traditional etiquette and attire. Today, it is not unusual to hear AND see an orchestra on youtube or in the concert hall, to enjoy Beethoven combined with world music or film music or to hear Sting sing a song in concert with an orchestra. Today it is not so strange to hear jazz and classical on the same program, in venues looking more like clubs than concert halls (Memories of OrchestraX!). And if the orchestra wears a frock one night, they might be wearing jeans the next.
What does all this mean? Maybe for an orchestra to succeed in today’s media and internet oriented world it needs to adapt. The idea of being exclusive no longer applies as the market share shrinks and the traditional audiences disappear. Inclusivity and Interactivity are the key words. But is the orchestra meeting the demands of a changing audience, one quite different in the 21st century than that of the 20th? Or is it the artists who have changed, who have built up a following and fan base, and the orchestras and promoters are simply reacting to that success and identity? Maybe its a combination of both. To hear Fazil Say compose a violin concerto, play Beethoven on the same concert, and then do a jazz concert is extraordinary, of course, but it sets the standard by which other artists are judged. Daniel Hope is not only one of the great violinists today, he is an author, a producer, a philanthropist, and one of the most creative programmers of anyone Ive known in this business! Martin Grubinger plays world premiere percussion concerti one night and then tangos and salsas the next. He can play with the greatest orchestras of the world, and then after hours jam with street musicians. Renée Fleming is one of the greatest opera sopranos ever. And her jazz recordings are as sultry as anything Billie Holidays ever sang. And the list goes on…..
So as I enjoy these holidays and celebrate the new year, the end of the decade, I think about all the new music and debuts I will make in the coming months and year, of the flexibility in repertoire that I not only enjoy, but which also seems to please the orchestras and the public. From traditional core repertoire such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Brahms, to contemporary works by Golijov, Del Corno and Fedele to Film Music to Bernstein and Duke Ellington: this year will be an exploration into the elastic elements of what makes music “classical” today. Having just performed with the NDR Hamburg in their new alternative concert space, Kampnagel, a concert of American contemporary music colored with Jazz, with Makote Ozone, the Japanese jazz pianist, and experiencing the enthusiasm of both audience and orchestra, I realized that times have indeed changed when even the NDR does rhythm and swing. And I find this to be a healthy dose of both reality and romance. If there ever is a need for the instrument of the orchestra to sustain itself by identifying closer with its public, I think we are on our way. And it bodes well not only for the orchestras with whom I work, but for the industry at large. Though I am indeed very happy to contribute in my own small way, it is the music that is big, the audiences will get even bigger, and the orchestras and artists will breathe new life into classical concerts. If that doesn’t sound like optimism I don’t know what is. What a great way to start the new year!
Much love,
John
