[Nikolaj] Znaider will appear in Venezuela with BOTH ensembles Chavez showcases.
Chavez sends both ensembles on frequent foreign tours as cultural exports for his regime. Very troubling is that one of the concerts Znaider will play in Caracas is a BENEFIT CONCERT. To the best of my knowledge, Znaider has NEVER appeared in a single benefit concert in Israel, on behalf of any charity, despite well over a dozen engagements by the Israel Philharmonic since 1997.
Znaider is allowing himself to be used as a propaganda tool by a regime that is actively working toward Israel’s demise.
I hasten to add that the youth orchestra movement in Venezuela was never used as a propaganda tool by previous Venezuela governments. The maneuver is a Chavez invention.
Is Znaider insane? Immoral? Dumber than stone? Whatever the answer, Znaider has fatal character flaws.
It makes me question whether Znaider is functionally literate.
Does Znaider read magazines and newspapers? Amnesty International reports? Anti-Defamation League issuances? Simon Wiesenthal Institute announcements?
Human Rights Watch issued a new report two days ago. It was widely covered in the press in Europe and North America. It pointed out that the Venezuelan press and judiciary had lost further independence and had become further corrupted over the last four years, that democratic processes and organizations continued to disappear or become disabled, and that violations of human rights had reached near-epidemic proportions.
Things will only become worse if Chavez wins the upcoming election to become president for life, an election Chavez will surely win because the voters are too afraid to support and vote for anyone else.
Apparently Znaider does not care about any of this.
Apparently Znaider is uninterested that synagogues in Venezuela have been defaced. Apparently Znaider is unmoved that there is an ongoing Diaspora from Venezuela. Apparently Znaider is indifferent to the anti-Semitic rhetoric that has become a staple of the Chavez system. Apparently Znaider is unconcerned about the fate of Jewish residents of the nation, all of whom are suffering, fearful to raise their voices and terrified to be seen as anti-Chavez.
I am, when I think of Znaider, ashamed to be a Jew.
Damn the man.
An eloquent comment from earlier today, originating—according to sitemeter—at the Wiesenthal Institute in Vienna, Austria.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Questions For Nikolaj Znaider
Why are you, a Jewish man with an Israeli passport, appearing in Venezuela?
Are you unaware that Venezuela has severed diplomatic relations with Israel, and is aiding Israel’s enemies?
I realize you are not an educated or a sophisticated man—but are you not aware that Venezuela is no friend of the civilized world?
Are you unaware that persons of the Jewish faith are leaving Venezuela in large numbers because of institutionalized anti-Semitism promoted by that nation’s current regime? And that Jewish organizations all over the world have been issuing outcries and calls for action?
Does not the history of your mother, Ruth Znaider, and your father, Wlodek Szeps, mean anything to you? Or do you tell your family’s story at every opportunity simply for public relations purposes?
Your parents escaped totalitarian states. Your parents escaped anti-Semitic states. You embrace rogue states.
I have no respect for you.
And you should have none for yourself.
Are you unaware that Venezuela has severed diplomatic relations with Israel, and is aiding Israel’s enemies?
I realize you are not an educated or a sophisticated man—but are you not aware that Venezuela is no friend of the civilized world?
Are you unaware that persons of the Jewish faith are leaving Venezuela in large numbers because of institutionalized anti-Semitism promoted by that nation’s current regime? And that Jewish organizations all over the world have been issuing outcries and calls for action?
Does not the history of your mother, Ruth Znaider, and your father, Wlodek Szeps, mean anything to you? Or do you tell your family’s story at every opportunity simply for public relations purposes?
Your parents escaped totalitarian states. Your parents escaped anti-Semitic states. You embrace rogue states.
I have no respect for you.
And you should have none for yourself.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sereny And Speer
Don Honeyman’s famous photograph of his wife, author Gitta Sereny, interviewing Albert Speer at Speer’s home outside Heidelberg in 1978.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Farewell, Miss Sereny
The great Gitta Sereny has died. She died exactly one month ago today. It was only tonight that Andrew and I learned of her death.
We are utterly ashamed we missed the news of her passing.
At dinner tonight, Andrew’s father mentioned Sereny’s death in an offhand remark, a remark that left Andrew and me with gaping jaws. Looking at our reactions, Andrew’s father instantly realized that Andrew and I had been unaware of the great writer’s death.
Although Sereny died on June 14, her death was not revealed until June 18, when Sereny’s publisher had issued an announcement. Obituaries began appearing in the British press that very day (Sereny was long a resident of London). The first American obituary—there were only two—was published on June 20, the last on June 24.
Sereny’s death was hardly a shock—she was 91 years old on the date of her death, and had been ill for quite some time—yet it was unsettling to learn of the passing of a great figure whose life had been closely intertwined with so many seminal events and key figures of the 20th Century. Like Samuel Pepys, Sereny will be remembered, for centuries hence, as one of the great chroniclers of her age.
Sereny’s husband, Don Honeyman, had died last year. Andrew’s father had sent condolences to Sereny at that time, but had not heard back from her (and had not expected to, given Sereny’s illness).
Honeyman, a professional photographer, had been an important figure in his own right. Like Andrew’s father, Honeyman was a native of Iowa. Back in the 1970s, the two had established a friendship of sorts arising from that common heritage. Several times over the years, Andrew’s parents had visited the Honeymans in Kensington (in private life, Sereny had always used her husband’s last name).
I have always thought it ironic that Sereny, writing in magnificent English (not her first language), found her largest audience in Central Europe, where her books were widely available in translation. I suspect it may have been the distinct Central European sensibility of her work that appealed to Central Europeans. Sereny was born in Vienna, and spent most of her pre-Anschluss life there (for three years in the 1930s, Sereny had been sent to England for schooling).
In North America, Sereny was known most of all for her book about Albert Speer. Sereny’s study of Speer surely is the most astute and penetrating of the many volumes devoted to Speer over the last several decades. More than any other writer, Sereny peeled away Speer’s self-delusions until she had arrived at the core of the man. Her assessment of Speer is the subtlest of all—and by far the most damning.
First published seventeen years ago, Sereny’s Speer book has never gone out of print in the United States, a remarkable state of affairs for a lengthy and complex historical tome. I have never been in a significant bookstore in the U.S. when a copy could not be found on the shelves.
Sereny did not live to complete her final book, a study of Vienna in the 20th Century. In fact, Sereny had had to abandon the project a few years ago owing to ill health.
Tonight, out of curiosity, I glanced at the Wikipedia entry for Sereny. I was shocked. The brief Wikipedia entry provided little if any worthwhile information about Sereny’s life, her work or her importance as a chronicler of the 20th Century. An uninformed person, relying upon Sereny’s Wikipedia entry, would conclude that Sereny was a very minor figure. Sereny’s Wikipedia entry was less than one-tenth as long as the Wikipedia entry for Serena Williams.
The founder of Wikipedia should declare defeat, close up shop, and return to his previous field of endeavor: pornography.
We are utterly ashamed we missed the news of her passing.
At dinner tonight, Andrew’s father mentioned Sereny’s death in an offhand remark, a remark that left Andrew and me with gaping jaws. Looking at our reactions, Andrew’s father instantly realized that Andrew and I had been unaware of the great writer’s death.
Although Sereny died on June 14, her death was not revealed until June 18, when Sereny’s publisher had issued an announcement. Obituaries began appearing in the British press that very day (Sereny was long a resident of London). The first American obituary—there were only two—was published on June 20, the last on June 24.
Sereny’s death was hardly a shock—she was 91 years old on the date of her death, and had been ill for quite some time—yet it was unsettling to learn of the passing of a great figure whose life had been closely intertwined with so many seminal events and key figures of the 20th Century. Like Samuel Pepys, Sereny will be remembered, for centuries hence, as one of the great chroniclers of her age.
Sereny’s husband, Don Honeyman, had died last year. Andrew’s father had sent condolences to Sereny at that time, but had not heard back from her (and had not expected to, given Sereny’s illness).
Honeyman, a professional photographer, had been an important figure in his own right. Like Andrew’s father, Honeyman was a native of Iowa. Back in the 1970s, the two had established a friendship of sorts arising from that common heritage. Several times over the years, Andrew’s parents had visited the Honeymans in Kensington (in private life, Sereny had always used her husband’s last name).
I have always thought it ironic that Sereny, writing in magnificent English (not her first language), found her largest audience in Central Europe, where her books were widely available in translation. I suspect it may have been the distinct Central European sensibility of her work that appealed to Central Europeans. Sereny was born in Vienna, and spent most of her pre-Anschluss life there (for three years in the 1930s, Sereny had been sent to England for schooling).
In North America, Sereny was known most of all for her book about Albert Speer. Sereny’s study of Speer surely is the most astute and penetrating of the many volumes devoted to Speer over the last several decades. More than any other writer, Sereny peeled away Speer’s self-delusions until she had arrived at the core of the man. Her assessment of Speer is the subtlest of all—and by far the most damning.
First published seventeen years ago, Sereny’s Speer book has never gone out of print in the United States, a remarkable state of affairs for a lengthy and complex historical tome. I have never been in a significant bookstore in the U.S. when a copy could not be found on the shelves.
Sereny did not live to complete her final book, a study of Vienna in the 20th Century. In fact, Sereny had had to abandon the project a few years ago owing to ill health.
Tonight, out of curiosity, I glanced at the Wikipedia entry for Sereny. I was shocked. The brief Wikipedia entry provided little if any worthwhile information about Sereny’s life, her work or her importance as a chronicler of the 20th Century. An uninformed person, relying upon Sereny’s Wikipedia entry, would conclude that Sereny was a very minor figure. Sereny’s Wikipedia entry was less than one-tenth as long as the Wikipedia entry for Serena Williams.
The founder of Wikipedia should declare defeat, close up shop, and return to his previous field of endeavor: pornography.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Why Are The Danes Such Hillbillies?
Is it something in the water?
Alas, I have had to address this issue before.
Perhaps Catherine Deneuve could move to Denmark, and serve as a good example for the Danish populace to emulate?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
For Independence Day
Edward Hicks (1780-1849)
The Cornell Farm
1848
National Gallery Of Art, Washington
Oil On Canvas
36 3/4 Inches By 49 Inches
________________________________________________
I am not partial to primitive art, but this is a spectacular example, and a most suitable way to mark Independence Day.
The painting depicts the Cornell family farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is a magnificent—and very beautiful—representation of American industry, thrift and practicality.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
My Final List
Below is a chronological listing of recitals Andrew and I attended over the past year.
________________________________________________
Andre Watts, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Susan Graham, Mezzo Soprano
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Julia Fischer, Violin
Milana Chernyavska, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Imogen Cooper, Piano
Sundin Music Hall
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Matthias Goerne, Baritone
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
I last updated this list on August 2, 2011.
________________________________________________
Andre Watts, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Susan Graham, Mezzo Soprano
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Julia Fischer, Violin
Milana Chernyavska, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Imogen Cooper, Piano
Sundin Music Hall
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
Matthias Goerne, Baritone
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
________________________________________________
I last updated this list on August 2, 2011.
And Yet Another List
Below is a chronological listing of orchestral concerts Andrew and I attended within the last year.
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano
Milhaud: La Creation Du Monde [Complete Ballet]
Ravel: Piano Concerto
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Midori, Violin
Britten: Four Sea Interludes From “Peter Grimes”
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Debussy/Caplet: Claire De Lune
Debussy/Molinari: L’Isle Joyeuse
Debussy: La Mer
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Douglas Boyd, Conductor
Jeremy Denk, Piano
Brahms: Serenade No. 2
Dean: Pastoral Symphony
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Christian Zacharias, Conductor And Soloist
Martin: Etudes For String Orchestra
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: The Creatures Of Prometheus [Incidental Music]
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ted Mann Concert Hall
Minneapolis
Christian Zacharias, Conductor And Soloist
Haydn: Symphony No. 42
Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes
Weber: Konzertstück
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 (“Military”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
James Ehnes, Violin
Brahms: Haydn Variations
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Minnesota Chorale
Brahms: Hungarian Dances Nos. 4, 5, 8, 11 and 14
Brahms: Nänie
Brahms: Schicksalslied
Brahms: Serenade No. 2
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Andrew Litton, Conductor
Vadim Gluzman, Violin
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 (“Leningrad”)
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Ludovic Morlot, Conductor
Dawn Upshaw, Soprano
Mozart: Symphony No. 31 (“Paris”)
Debussy: Le Livre de Baudelaire
Ravel: Five Greek Folk Songs
Ravel: “Mother Goose” Suite
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Rossen Milanov, Conductor
Shostakovich: Two Pieces From Scarlatti (“Pastorale And Capriccio”)
Shostakovich/Barshai: Chamber Symphony For String Orchestra
Prokofiev: Overture On Hebrew Themes
Korngold: Violin Concerto
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Courtney Lewis, Conductor
Ingrid Fliter, Piano
Elgar: In The South (”Alassio”)
Schumann: Piano Concerto
Walton: Symphony No. 1
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, Violin
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1
Kodaly: Dances Of Galanta
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Thomas Zehetmair, Conductor
Kim Kashkashian, Viola
Schubert: “Alfonso And Estrella” Overture
Olivero: Neharot, Neharot
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (”Great”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Conductor
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor
Minnesota Chorale
M. Berkeley: Oboe Concerto
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé [Complete Ballet]
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Roberto Abbado, Conductor
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1
MacMillan: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 (“Reformation”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Yevgeny Sudbin, Piano
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Hans Graf, Conductor
Jeffrey Kahane, Piano
Varese: Octandre
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Varese: Density 21.5
Mozart: Symphony No. 40
________________________________________________
The only work we heard twice last season was Brahms’s Serenade No. 2, a composition seldom programmed. (Oddly, both local ensembles had also programmed last season the infrequently-heard Brahms Serenade No. 1.)
Last season I heard my third live Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and my third live Schumann Piano Concerto.
Last season I heard the following works live for the second time: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Brahms’s Nänie, Schicksalslied, Symphony No. 3 and Violin Concerto; Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.25; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2; Ravel’s “Mother Goose” Suite; and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.
Every other work I was hearing live for the first time.
________________________________________________
By my calculation, Andrew and I attended eighteen orchestral concerts last season: ten subscription concerts of the Minnesota Orchestra and eight subscription concerts of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In effect, we caught 40 per cent of the Minnesota Orchestra subscription programs and 30 per cent of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra subscription programs.
We heard nothing but local orchestras last season. Next season, things will improve: we intend to hear two concerts by the Chicago Symphony, one concert by the Milwaukee Symphony, one concert by the New York Philharmonic, and one concert by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, on tour in the U.S. next season.
The Minnesota Orchestra needs to upgrade its roster of guest conductors. For the last several seasons, the Minnesota Orchestra has offered a tired array of guest conductors. Next season is not an improvement.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra needs to engage a music director. The orchestra’s playing is clean and neat, but faceless and impersonal.
________________________________________________
By my count, Andrew and I have attended sixty-six orchestral concerts since February 2006, an average of eleven orchestral concerts per season.
I last updated this list on July 13, 2011.
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano
Milhaud: La Creation Du Monde [Complete Ballet]
Ravel: Piano Concerto
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Midori, Violin
Britten: Four Sea Interludes From “Peter Grimes”
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Debussy/Caplet: Claire De Lune
Debussy/Molinari: L’Isle Joyeuse
Debussy: La Mer
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Douglas Boyd, Conductor
Jeremy Denk, Piano
Brahms: Serenade No. 2
Dean: Pastoral Symphony
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Christian Zacharias, Conductor And Soloist
Martin: Etudes For String Orchestra
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: The Creatures Of Prometheus [Incidental Music]
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ted Mann Concert Hall
Minneapolis
Christian Zacharias, Conductor And Soloist
Haydn: Symphony No. 42
Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes
Weber: Konzertstück
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 (“Military”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
James Ehnes, Violin
Brahms: Haydn Variations
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Minnesota Chorale
Brahms: Hungarian Dances Nos. 4, 5, 8, 11 and 14
Brahms: Nänie
Brahms: Schicksalslied
Brahms: Serenade No. 2
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Andrew Litton, Conductor
Vadim Gluzman, Violin
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 (“Leningrad”)
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Ludovic Morlot, Conductor
Dawn Upshaw, Soprano
Mozart: Symphony No. 31 (“Paris”)
Debussy: Le Livre de Baudelaire
Ravel: Five Greek Folk Songs
Ravel: “Mother Goose” Suite
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Rossen Milanov, Conductor
Shostakovich: Two Pieces From Scarlatti (“Pastorale And Capriccio”)
Shostakovich/Barshai: Chamber Symphony For String Orchestra
Prokofiev: Overture On Hebrew Themes
Korngold: Violin Concerto
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Courtney Lewis, Conductor
Ingrid Fliter, Piano
Elgar: In The South (”Alassio”)
Schumann: Piano Concerto
Walton: Symphony No. 1
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, Violin
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1
Kodaly: Dances Of Galanta
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Thomas Zehetmair, Conductor
Kim Kashkashian, Viola
Schubert: “Alfonso And Estrella” Overture
Olivero: Neharot, Neharot
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (”Great”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Conductor
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor
Minnesota Chorale
M. Berkeley: Oboe Concerto
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé [Complete Ballet]
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Roberto Abbado, Conductor
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1
MacMillan: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 (“Reformation”)
________________________________________________
Minnesota Orchestra
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis
Osmo Vanska, Conductor
Yevgeny Sudbin, Piano
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
________________________________________________
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ordway Center
Saint Paul
Hans Graf, Conductor
Jeffrey Kahane, Piano
Varese: Octandre
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Varese: Density 21.5
Mozart: Symphony No. 40
________________________________________________
The only work we heard twice last season was Brahms’s Serenade No. 2, a composition seldom programmed. (Oddly, both local ensembles had also programmed last season the infrequently-heard Brahms Serenade No. 1.)
Last season I heard my third live Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and my third live Schumann Piano Concerto.
Last season I heard the following works live for the second time: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Brahms’s Nänie, Schicksalslied, Symphony No. 3 and Violin Concerto; Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.25; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2; Ravel’s “Mother Goose” Suite; and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.
Every other work I was hearing live for the first time.
________________________________________________
By my calculation, Andrew and I attended eighteen orchestral concerts last season: ten subscription concerts of the Minnesota Orchestra and eight subscription concerts of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In effect, we caught 40 per cent of the Minnesota Orchestra subscription programs and 30 per cent of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra subscription programs.
We heard nothing but local orchestras last season. Next season, things will improve: we intend to hear two concerts by the Chicago Symphony, one concert by the Milwaukee Symphony, one concert by the New York Philharmonic, and one concert by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, on tour in the U.S. next season.
The Minnesota Orchestra needs to upgrade its roster of guest conductors. For the last several seasons, the Minnesota Orchestra has offered a tired array of guest conductors. Next season is not an improvement.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra needs to engage a music director. The orchestra’s playing is clean and neat, but faceless and impersonal.
________________________________________________
By my count, Andrew and I have attended sixty-six orchestral concerts since February 2006, an average of eleven orchestral concerts per season.
I last updated this list on July 13, 2011.
The Ordway
The Ordway Center For The Performing Arts (capacity: 1900 persons), venue for Minnesota Opera performances.
